Development

Development Opportunities

The Sauk Centre Economic Development Authority (EDA) is an organization created by the City of Sauk Centre to deal specifically with Economic and Community Development issues. It has a five-member board which consists of two City Council Members, a Chamber of Commerce representative, a representative from the local development corporation “Sauk Centre Opportunities”, and one at large member. Board members are appointed by the City Council and serve six-year terms.

Financial Assistance

The Sauk Centre EDA works with a number of financial assistance programs to help business. Understanding the details about your plans and what exactly needs to be financed will help EDA staff identify programs and resources that will work best for your business. The following is a brief description of the programs that are administered locally. For more detailed information or an application, please contact City Offices at 320-352-2203.

Revolving Loan Fund – providing below market rate interest loans for primarily for manufacturing businesses that can demonstrate a financial gap. Funding decisions based upon merits of project as well as job creation, tax base enhancement, and approved business subsidy criteria. Funds can be used for land, building and equipment needs. Minimum loan $5,000 and maximum loan $50,000.

Downtown Redevelopment Fund – providing low interest loans for downtown building improvements. Will cover up to 50% of project costs, not to exceed $10,000. Availability of funds changes, based upon EDA fund balances, please inquire as to availability.

Tax Increment Financing – EDA staff is available to assist with the structuring of TIF assistance when a project will involve new construction. Use of TIF is based upon location in an existing TIF District or the feasibility of creating a new District. Funds can generally be used for land acquisition, site improvements and public utilities. Amount of assistance is based upon the value of the new improvements constructed and is generally provided in the form of annual payments equal to the cost of eligible improvements.

Click Here for Request More Information On TIF

Process Local, County, Regional and State Financing requests

EDA staff is also familiar with various financing tools available to businesses and can assist with structuring and preparing the applications and working with banks to coordinate the various funding sources. These programs are generally available for manufacturing businesses and occasionally for housing, planning and limited special projects.

Location Assistance

The EDA can assist you will identifying development sites. If it is available building space that you are looking for, the EDA can assist you with putting you in contact with the owners/managers of the space and general information about the space. The EDA also manages certain lands owed by the City for development purposes and can provide you with specific site and cost information.

General Assistance

If you are contemplating starting a business or seeking other information to help expand or improve your business, the EDA can be a great resource to help you find the right contacts and referrals.

The Sauk Centre Industrial Park is owned by the local development corporation, Sauk Centre Opportunities.

	The park is zoned industrial and is fully serviced with water, sewer and 9-ton roads.
	The park is also serviced with natural gas through Reliant, electrical service through Sauk Centre Public Utility Commission and tele-communications through both DiversiCom and Qwest.
	The park is located within a quarter mile of two Interstate 94 access ramps, US Highway 71 and State Highway 28.
	Available lots range from 1.8 – 4.3 acre sites.
	The park does have restrictive covenants and design criteria to guide how the property is developed as well as to protect businesses from inappropriate or poor land uses.

For further information, contact Sauk Centre Opportunities Members:

Rich Bullard @ 320-352-5211

Gary Muffelmann @ (320) 352-2728

Industrial Park tenants include:

	Standard Iron & Wireworks
	Dan’s Cabinets
	Walters Trucking
	Schwann’s Sales Enterprises
	Central Minnesota Finishing
	Del’s Motor
	Optoelectronics Centre, Inc.
	MnDOT Maintenance Facility
	WACOSA
	Advanced Lighting, Inc.
	Independent Bankers of America Association

Interstate Property

In 1995, the City undertook the redevelopment of one of the most valuable intersections in this part of the State - I94 and State Highway 71, and won the League of Minnesota Cities Economic Development Achievement Award. All lots in Arrowsmith Subdivision have been sold.

There is also approximately 60 acres of privately-owned vacant land immediately adjacent to the east of Arrowsmith Subdivision that is available for sale and development. Over 4 acres of city-owned property is for sale west of Arrowsmith Subdivision at the intersection of I94 and Highway 71. These properties are situated in the highly visible and high traffic. For further information contact City Offices at (320) 352-2203, ext. 2307.

Downtown & the “Original Main Street National Historic District”

At any given time, there are several development and/or redevelopment opportunities in the two-mile span of Main Street. This area consists of two distinctive development areas. The first is the more highway commercial development that caters, to a large extent, to the interstate and traveling public.

The second area is that which begins as you go under the old Railroad viaduct (now Lake Woebegone Trail) heading north and passes through the downtown continuing for a ten-block distance --- this is the Original Main Street National Historic District.