A public hearing will be held Thursday, March 14 at 6 p.m. at the meeting of the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority (HEDRA) on proposed sale of city-owned property for development.
The Hastings City Council voted last month to transfer ownership of a 3.94-acre parcel of land to the Hastings Economic Development and Redevelopment Authority.
HEDRA met in closed session with Rob Barse of Mint Development at its February meeting. Mint is working with commercial real estate company CBRE that reportedly has a national retailer who would like to buy the property.
The city acquired ownership of the property years ago when Hwy. 55 was developed, and a portion of the property is used for stormwater drainage.
“The city has received a letter of interest to acquire the property for $850,000 from CBRE on behalf of Mint Development LLC (Rob Barse) to develop for a national retailer,” Community Development Director John Hinzman told the city council in February when the property was transferred to HEDRA.
The city council approved the property conveyance with the stipulation that the site isn’t accessed off of 12th Street.
Hinzman said the land was given to the city in 1968. Under state law, it had to be held by the city for 30 years. A companion parcel the city owns is just to the north next to the Pleasant Hill Library that the city intends to ask Dakota County if it would fit into its plans. The site is across Pleasant Drive from Westview Mall.
Hinzman said there’s not a public need to hold the property.
After taking public input, HEDRA can decide whether to sell the site. Hinzman said the name of the retailer eyeing the site likely won’t be released at the public hearing.
Hinzman said, “There is a potential party here who would seek to purchase the property, develop the property and put in a national retailer on the site,” said Hinzman. “The details of that would be something that HEDRA as a body would review. There’s no final action by HEDRA at this point, but if the council was amenable to the consideration to the transfer, HEDRA would meet to review terms with the developer and then provide direction.”
Hinzman said that the site is “interesting,” as it has a stormwater drainage on part of it, and that would need to remain in place.
The property would also need to be rezoned and the city Comprehensive Plan would need to be updated, said Hinzman.
