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HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-25-09Attachments: City of Lakeville Economic Development Commission Regular Meeting Agenda Tuesday, August 25, 2009, 5:00 p.m. City Hall, 20195 Holyoke Avenue Lakeville, MN 1. Call meeting to order 2. Approve June 30, 2009 meeting minutes 3. Review of results of recent Business Retention Visits 4. Review and Provide Recommendation on Proposed Business Subsidy for Genesis Poly Recycling 5. Director's Report 6. Adjourn July 2009 Building Permit Report Dakota County CDA August, 2009 Foreclosure Report ImageTrend Article, Sun Newspapers, August 2, 2009 Design Standards Article, StarTribune.com, August 16, 2009 Special Service District, Dakota Co. Tribune Business Weekly, August 13, 2009 Apple Valley Central Village Article, Dakota Co. Tribune Business Weekly, August 13, 2009 Members Present: Comms. Matasosky, Smith, Tushie, Vlasak, Erickson, Starfield, Schubert, Emond, Brantly, Longie, Ex- officio member Mayo4Holly Dahl, Ex- officio member City Administrator Steve Mielke, Ex- officio member= Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Todd Bornhauser. Members Absent: None. Others Present: David Olson, Community &nomic DevelopmentJirector; Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specie,` Daryl Morey, Planning Director, Allyn Kuennen, Associate Planner. 1. Call Meeting to Order Chair Matasosky called the meeting to 0 in the Marion Conference Room of City Hall, 2019,5 Holyoke Avenue, L e vi le Minnesota. 2. Approve May 26, -,2009 Mee Motion 09.05 City of Lakeville Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Marion Conference Room, City Hall mms. E 009 g Minutes son /Emon Item No, oved to approve the minutes of the May resented. Motion carried unanimously. 3. Con Proposed Zoning Ordinance Updates 1 1 Morey provide 4the ED with an overview of the process and noted that at the last DC meeting the DC I a requested clarification on several aspects of the propo exterior buildiN finish standards. Mr. Morey added that staff has prepared a compa x s n showingow the existing building finish standards compare to the proposed ards Allyn Kuennen r viewed the EDC memo outlining a detailed comparison between the existing and proposed ordinance standards. David Olson noted that in the past conditional use permits have been granted in certain instances to businesses such as Alcorn Beverage and Cloverleaf Cold Storage to deviate from the existing zoning ordinance requirement for 50% masonry on building facades facing a public street. Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Comm. Erickson asked how the proposed zoning ordinance compared with surrounding cities' requirements. Mr. Kuennen reviewed a comparison chart provided to the EDC at their May meeting, noting the similarities in how the exterior finish ordinances were structured. Comm. Tushie added that most cities have a gradation of acceptable materials similar to the proposed zoning ordinance. The difference between communities typically is in the percentages allowed of specific materials. noted that this is a very common practice. Comm. Starfield asked if a building owner were to setts t lding, would they have to bring the building up to the proposed exterior finish° ndar anels Mr. Kuennen responded that they would no e proposed or ordinance only applies to new buildings or expansions of more th Comm. Tushie noted that integrally colorin difficult. The process by which these panels maintain a consistent finish col° Mr. Olson responded that exposed ggr gate the proposed zoning ordinance forte reaso rporati rovision for utilizing stained concrete in olor as aption Sts ined concrete tends to be good for around esn't flake need tot scraped like paint. A requirement for certain timeframe could be included in the should be included for colored mortar Comm. Tushie su addition to inte 15 years and restaining the taocrete ordinance. He add where,. to block construction is us She Mielke coente t r re fements. Part of the i maintenance requirements mainte ce issues r large buildings' tend to be onstructed make it difficult to et the requirements listed in at it is difficult to enforce building maintenance tikof the proposed ordinance is to provide no or low so the City doesn't run into as many property Comm. Tushie at EIFS is listed as an acceptable material in the proposed zoning ordina ost cities allow this only as "trim or less than approximately 5% of the total exterior building materials. Chair Matasosky added that EIFS also causes problems with insurability. Comm. Tushie further added that stucco is a more appropriate material than EIFS. A product such as Quik -Brik should also be considered as an allowable material as it is approximately half the cost of traditional brick and looks nicer than rock -faced block. 2 Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Mr. Mielke added that it could possibly be considered a "Grade B" material. Comm. Tushie asked about the proposed 65% requirement of Grade A materials in the industrial districts. That seems like a lot for an industrial building. Chair Matasosky agreed that 65% of Grade A materials in the industrial zoning districts seemed high. Comm. Tushie noted materials is a good aii buildings. Mr. Kuennen n memo and added 1 receive pd on tf Comm. Sta changes. Are the recd s appre Comm. Smith noted that there are different threshold the commercial and industrial districts. Mr. Kuennen clarified that in the industrial districts; a prop ordinance calls for 65% of Grade A or Grade B materials. Commercial districts re held to a higher standard than the industrial districts in the proposed ordinance. Comm. Tushie stated that he just reviewed architectural standards r the City of Eagan and they call for higher standards to e utilized portions of buildings that are visible for the public right -of -way. Mr. Kuennen concluded his revue of,,the EDC memo and chart comparing the existing ordinance to the proposer rdina e different types of Grade A e` to break p the wall of new commercial the public review process outlined in the EDC ...added to the Lakeville website's list sery to ue as they are published. ielke added t s of the ideas addressed at the meeting would be in orated into a revised ordinance draft that will continue through the public input prode. This issue e brOUght back to the EDC at a future meeting for a formal about the costs to new businesses to meet these proposed ther benefits besides aesthetics such as energy efficiency? Chair Matasosky responded that there are lots of variables and that it is hard to quantify potential savings. Comm. Tushie added that what is being proposed is common in most cities. The importance of this type of ordinance is to protect themselves from undesirable buildings that may be built at the very minimum allowed under current regulations. 3 Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Mr. Olson also noted that in the case of a unique building like the former Copper Bleu restaurant, a conditional use permit can be granted to allow buildings that may not meet the exact requirements of the proposed ordinance, but may fit the intent of the ordinance. Comm. Starfield asked if this would potentially put Lakeville at a disadvantage to cities such as Lonsdale, Farmington, and New Prague who are often in competition with Lakeville for businesses. The struggle is balancing the desire for quality buildings with attracting new businesses the City does r i vant to lose out on new jobs. Comm. Tushie responded that for a building typical, arger, tha 40,000 square feet, the cost difference to go from a metal building t block is minima due to construction requirements. The main cost difference will b the price of Ian Chair Matasosky noted that Lakeville doe t make some site selection l ists because we don't allow metal buildings. If metal buildin vi ere allowed in the zoning ordinance, we would look more desirable toste selectors. He sited an example where sometimes businesses t they want a metal building due to cost, but when they actually sit down and run mbers, ck or other type of building construction is often cheaper or d�rale. Bike asked fl be accepta Tushie sugges t e only the top/ Comm. Smith asked the EDC would sport g standards that would limit which businesses ci ocat here. Com` metal the Comm. Staff an industrial p Comm. Tushie asked the gr issue needs to looked would be immediatelybs y want metal in our industrial park. This e don't want to approve buildings that some sort of middle ground; certain types of metal that that maybe only a certain portion of a building could utilize eet of a new building). that the proposed ordinance sounds so absolute. Shouldn't like an industrial park? Comm. Tushie responded that there are some pretty bad examples out there of industrial buildings in cities that don't have the types of requirements that are being proposed. Ex- officio Member Bornhauser stated that anything that prevents business growth in Lakeville is not a good idea. 4 Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Comm. Tushie responded that building design standards are needed. Comm. Brantly added that utility in an industrial park should looks except where visible to the public. Mr. Mielke concluded that where applicable, middle ground will issue. 4. Review and Provide Recommendation on Pr use ImageTrend take precedent over be looked for on this Chair Matasosky added that the business community need, o be heard from on this issue. iness Subsidy for Chair Matasosky indicated he would be. laining from the discussion and the subsequent vote as his company is currently working with ImageTrend on this proposed project. Mr. Olson introduced Mike Mc y, President f ImageTrend and Bruce Rydeen, broker with Cerron Commercial s representing ImageTrend. history of starting and Mr. McBrady described his businss an growing his business eville. lrrtageTr d is a oftware development company that started in Lak 8 with tw i ployees and currently has over 100 full time salaried loyees in their 33i'000 square foot building. ImageTrend is continuing to iw its busi z Qss and create jobs at their facility in Lakeville and anticipates the nee for ad ace to o use these employees in the future. he is happy 1nageTrend is located in Lakeville and would e the t tinue ,grow here. Ison reviewed t e ED memo regarding the proposed property sale and busin, subsidy. Comm Emend inqut about the status of any assessments on the vacant property. Mr. Olson responded that the site is currently in a TIF district and is fully serviced. He added that private ownership of this parcel will generate taxes and benefit the TIF district and the overall property tax base when the TIF district expires. Comm. Brantly asked about a net increase in the number of jobs as a result of this business subsidy. 5 Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Mr. Olson responded that there will be a net job increase of a minimum of 21 jobs. The City will document the current number of full time equivalent employees at ImageTrend and use that number to track the job creation goal in the business subsidy agreement. Mr. McBrady stated that ImageTrend is a fiscally conservative company and that their employees value stability. They added 20 jobs just this year and are continuing to grow. aired as 5. Business Retention Visits Summary Comm. Longie ij visit request. Chair Matasosky abstain Motion 09.06 Comms. Smith /Starfield moved to recommend to the City Council approving the proposed business subsidy'for a sale of City -owned property to ImageTrend to facilitate building expansions totaling 50,000 square feet and the creati of a minimum of 21 new full- time jobs. Motion carried unanimously. Adam Kienberger gave a repe on the business visit with Menasha Packaging conducted by Comm. Starfield and yor Dahl. Mr. Kienberger reviewed the EDC memo and ed that erall Menasha is satisfied with the Lakeville business environment figt d en couraged the City to continue focusing on infrastructure and makingeville a desirable place for people to move to. Plastics turned down a recent business C x i atasos y; espo' that he and the Mayor had met with Imperial Plastics II. Mr K nberger added hat Imperial Plastics mentioned in their response that they are satisfied with how they have been treated in Lakeville, but did express a concern for traffic safety on Hamburg Avenue. Comm. Starfield added that Menasha Packaging encourages their employees to further their education through a tuition reimbursement program. Ex- officio Member Bornhauser stated that the Chamber of Commerce will provide the City with a list of businesses they have recently met with as a part of the Grow Minnesota program so that efforts aren't being duplicated. Comm. Longie suggested that a business visit be scheduled with Custom Stud. Economic Development Commission Meeting Minutes June 30, 2009 Comm. Starfield and Mayor Dahl added that during the visit with Menasha they mentioned that business seems to have stabilized and that packaging is a good economic health indicator. Chair Matasosky concluded the discussion by stating that the City is much more approachable because of this business visit program. 6. Director's Report Mr. Olson reviewed the Director's Report. 7. Adjourn The meeting was adjourned at 6:50 p.m. Respectfully submitted by: R` T Brantl Secretary Kienberger, y, ry Economic Development Specialist 7 Memorandum ConAgra Visit City of Lakeville Community and Economic Development To: Economic Development Commission From: Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specialist Copy: Steven Mielke, City Administrator David L. Olson, Community Economic Development Director Date: August 20, 2009 Subject: Business Retention Visits Summary item No. 3 As a part of the 2008 -2010 Strategic Plan for Economic Development one of the goals under the strategic work area Partnerships includes Exp /ore opportunities to build relationships As a result, a business retention visit program for the Lakeville business community was formulated. This program helps create and retain relationships between the City and both large and small businesses throughout Lakeville. On July 9, 2009, EDC member Sheila Longie, Mayor Dahl, and myself met with Lee Stearns, the plant manager from ConAgra Foods. ConAgra produces store brands and private labels of cereals, snack bars, fruit snacks, granola bars, and popcorn balls at their Lakeville facility. ConAgra's main headquarters are in Omaha, Nebraska and they have their Minnesota headquarters in Edina. Their facility in Lakeville has been here since 1974, and they indicated that this location has served them well and will likely continue to do so in the future. While projecting growth within their industry, Mr. Stearns noted that their facility is able to accommodate an expansion at some point in the future when necessary, and they are hoping to add a new production line at the Lakeville facility sometime in the next 12 -18 months. Diversification at a facility can be important to keep a localized issue from affecting an entire product line. ConAgra told us that they have approximately 450 full -time employees and currently have approximately 100 temporary employees. Historically they haven't had too much difficulty finding quality employees locally. They did note that wages tend to be a little higher in Lakeville, but that they find they are able to attract higher quality workers. One major change Mr. Stearns mentioned about how ConAgra has changed over the past 10 years is the shift to automation. Most manual processes have become either highly automated or highly technical. This impacts the types of workers they now hire. A couple of key points ConAgra made while discussing things that the City can do to help improve the business community included: Infrastructure is important The Fire Department has been really good to work with They appreciate the City being present to work with them on issues No follow -up on any specific issue was requested by ConAgra at this time. Advanced Wireless Communications Visit On August 19 EDC member Bob Brantly and Dave Olson visited Advanced Wireless Communications (AWC) and met with Ben and Ken Coons who are co- owners and CEO and President respectively. AWC is in the business of selling and servicing on- site communications systems (primarily wireless) which mostly consists of two -way radios. They were formerly in the retail cellular phone business but sold off this portion of their business in 2008. AWC has been in Lakeville since 2000 and in December of this year will be celebrating 6 years in their current location at 20809 Kensington Blvd. The City sold the land on which their current building is located and also entered into a business subsidy agreement on the sale of this land. AWC has all of their company operations located in Lakeville. AWC has a number of different market niches for their products and services. These include a number of national and regional retailers including Target, Home Depot, Gander Mountain, Cub Foods, Safeway and others. They sell and service two radios that are used in these stores as well as provide other products including "Instant Assistant" which is a patented product they developed and is used by large retailers. AWC is also increasing there business by providing on -site communications products and services to both K -12 schools and colleges and universities. The newest market niche that is also their fastest growing is long -term care facilities. AWC is providing a number of products and services to these types of facilities which is some cases requires changing from older hard wired systems to wireless systems. They are also required to obtain approval from state agencies that license these types of facilities. While some of these market niches are delaying purchases, overall AWC expects their business to continue to grow. They also feel that their existing facilities will accommodate their growth over the next 3 -5 years. AWC currently employs approximately 60 full -time employees and only about 3 part time employees. They are currently operating a second shift for a number of their service technicians to make better use of the expensive equipment required for each technician. AWC indicates that they will be adding additional employees and that the labor supply for the types of positions they are trying to fill is the best that it has been in a number of years. AWC indicated that they are very satisfied with having their business located in Lakeville. They were asked whether the current tax climate was inhibiting their growth and they indicated that it was not a major factor. They indicated that the current private lending climate was much more of an issue and concern. AWC did request contact information for a number of agencies which staff provided. No other additional follow -up was requested. Memorandum To: Economic Development Commission From: David L. Olson, Community and Economic Development Director Copy: Steve Mielke, City Administrator Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specialist Date: August 20, 2009 Subject: DEED MIF Application Genesis Poly Recycling ?m No City of Lakeville Community and Economic Development The City has been working with a business interested in locating in Lakeville called Genesis Poly Recycling. They are a rigid and film plastic materials recycler that is looking to restart operations in Lakeville at the new spec building in First Park Lakeville at 9150 217th St. West. The company was formerly operated as AGSI in Savage and ceased operations there in 2008. Management from AGSI are relaunching the company and are working on securing financing for their operations. The company defines their business operations by the following: "Genesis Poly Recycling specializes in recycling agricultural, horticultural, and food processing plastics, material that has historically been "unrecyclable The company works with agriculturists, horticulturists, waste management professionals, and state agencies and associations to create solutions for tough recycling challenges." Genesis has as the main component of their business plan to recycle materials such as agricultural, horticultural, mixed post consumer and food industry plastics. The end product of this recycling process is recycled plastic pellets that can be sold to businesses that utilize this type of material in their manufacturing process. Genesis is also exploring options that would result in them manufacturing their own plastic finished products. Staff has been in contact with Genesis Poly Recycling, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), USDA, MPCA, and US Bank to help facilitate this business locating in Lakeville. Genesis is currently in lease negotiations with First Industrial to lease the new 285,000 square foot spec building that was constructed in First Park Lakeville located at the intersection of Dodd Blvd. and County Road 70. In our discussions with DEED, they have indicated that Genesis Poly Recycling is a candidate for the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) program for up to a $500,000 low interest loan. The MIF program is setup as a grant /loan to the City which in turn makes a loan to the business. The City becomes the conduit for the loan funds from the State to the business. This is the same program that the City utilized for New Morning Windows in 1995. Typically the loan made by the City to a business is at a below market interest rate and is able to be subordinated to the primary lender for the project. A significant benefit to the City with this program is that 20% up to $100,000 of the loan repayment is able to be retained by the City for use in an economic development revolving loan fund. The MIF loan is proposed to be used to purchase equipment to be used in the startup of their recycling manufacturing process. DEED will not consider approval of an application for this program until the other sources of financing for the project have been approved. Genesis is proposing to create up to 72 jobs in their first year. DEED only allows jobs that pay in excess of $13 per hour to be counted in meeting the job creation goals for the project. The majority of the 72 jobs to be created in the first year would exceed this minimum hourly wage and would be between $13 to $18 per hour. Genesis is indicating that they could create as many as 193 to 310 jobs after five years. Staff is working with Genesis representatives to complete the necessary DEED applications. Prior to entering into a grant loan agreement with DEED, the City will be required to hold a public hearing on the proposed business subsidy. The EDC has previously provided a recommendation to the City Council on proposed business subsidies prior to the City Council acting on any proposed business subsidy agreements. Requested Action: Staff recommends that the EDC provide the City Council with a recommendation to apply to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for up to $500,000 in Minnesota Investment Fund loan dollars for Genesis Poly Recycling. Memorandum The following is the Director's Report for August of 2009. Building Permit Report item No. City of Lakeville Community and Economic Development To: Economic Development Commission From: David L. Olson, Community and Economic Development Director Copy: Steve Mielke, City Administrator Adam Kienberger, Economic Development Specialist Date: August 25, 2009 Subject: August Director's Report The City issued building permits through July with a total valuation of $39,491,190. This compares to a total of $45,018,807 for the same period in 2008. Included in this valuation were commercial and industrial permits through July with a total valuation of $3,567,500. This compares to a total commercial industrial valuation of $11,656,900 for the same period in 2008. The City issued permits for 10 single family homes in July with a total valuation of $2,518,000. This compares to 14 single family home permits in July of 2008 with a total valuation of $4,284,000. The City has issued a total of 64 new single family home permits through July compared to 86 during the same period in 2008. The City issued no permits for townhome and condo units in July which compares to zero townhome and condo permits issued in July of 2008. Update on the Sale of the former Hearth and Home (Heat n Glo) Building Malt -O -Meal has signed an agreement to purchase the former Hearth and Home building on Kensington Blvd. in the Fairfield Business Campus. Malt -O -Meal announced several months ago that it planned to relocate approximately 120 corporate management and administrative employees out of the company's manufacturing facility in Northfield. (See attached article from the Northfield News.) The move is being done primarily for food production safety reasons (e.g. moving employees not directly involved with the food production process out of this facility) as well as the fact that many of their management employees live in the south metro area. Staff has been working with Malt -O -Meal and their representatives as they complete their due diligence on their proposed acquisition of this property. The due diligence period is scheduled to be completed by September 3 and the closing on the purchase is scheduled to take place on September 30 Malt -O -Meal has indicated that they plan to be operational at this facility by the end of 2009. Image Trend Project The City Council approved the Contract for Private Development for the sale of City owned property to ImageTrend at their July 20 meeting consistent with the recommendation of the EDC. The dosing of the sale of this property is scheduled for August 25 ImageTrend plans to start construction of the first of two expansions in the Spring of 2010. Continued Discussion of Possible Zoning Ordinance Revisions Staff is working on preparing information for a public Open House on the proposed zoning ordinance amendments dealing with exterior material requirements for new commercial and industrial buildings. This open house will likely take place in mid September. This matter will be brought back to the EDC for further discussion at the on September 29 meeting. Development Update The City issued the permit earlier this month and construction has started on the new Ace Hardware store to be built downtown on the east side of Holyoke Avenue adjacent to Market Plaza. This new 16,000 square foot store will replace their existing store across the street. Mark Hotzler is now the owner of the existing Ace Hardware building and is actively marketing the building to prospective tenants. The new Ace Hardware store is scheduled to be completed by December 1s of this year. Transit Update Construction is nearing completion on the 750 car parking ramp structure for the Kenrick Avenue Park and Ride located north of Fleet Farm. The paving of the site still needs to be completed. The new "slip" ramp for the buses to enter I -35 is being completed by Friedges Construction under a separate contract. Express transit service is scheduled to commence on September 28th with six a.m. trips to Downtown Minneapolis and six p.m. trips back to Lakeville. The Metropolitan Council is scheduled to award the contract to provide the actual bus service on August 26 Two private bus service providers submitted proposals to the Met Council to provide the service, however MetroTransit's proposal was the lowest in terms of cost and is expected to be awarded the service contract. Construction is scheduled to begin the Week of August 24 on the 200 car park and ride facility which will be a surface lot along Cedar Avenue at 181s Street which is approximately 1/4 mile south of the Cub Foods. The Metropolitan Council recently awarded a bid to Friedges Construction to construct this lot. The Met Council has acquired enough land to have a total of 390 spaces at this facility in the future. The Lakeville Cedar Avenue Park and Ride facility will have 5 a.m. express trips which will be stopping at the new Apple Valley Transit Station and then will have express service to Downtown Minneapolis. There will also be five return trips in the p.m. This service is also scheduled to begin by the end of September and will be provided by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. Pioneer Plaza Planning Study Staff continues to work with a consultant on a planning study of the Pioneer Plaza area in Downtown and the adjacent private and public parking lots west of Pioneer Plaza in the Ben Franklin block. Several preliminary concepts developed by the consultant for this area were reviewed with the Downtown Lakeville Business Association and the Dakota County CDA. A second project open house will likely be held in September to obtain comments and feedback on the preferred concept. The goal is to complete the study by this fall so that grant funds for possible improvements in this area can be applied for prior to the end of the year. Foreclosure Update Attached is the monthly update on foreclosures in Dakota County provided by the Dakota County CDA. There have been 25 Sheriff Sales as a result of foreclosures in Lakeville in July. There have been a total of 131 Sheriff's Sales for the first 7 months of this year. This compares to a total of 286 Sheriff's sales in 2008. Update On Possible Changes to the Monthly Director's Report Staff is working on developing a new format and method of distribution of possibly a bi- monthly Director's report. The primary objective is to provide the type of information included in the Director's report to a larger segment of the business community. An update on this issue and a copy of this new format will be provided at the September meeting. The next EDC meeting will be held on September 29 at 5:00 p.m. E. 0, ao 00 o 00 0 0 0 a m 0 0 0 00 CD O 0 0 Pt E. 0 o b0 On d co 0 Q. 0 0 aX x 0 co CO la 0o 0 0 CD 0 m m C. tr 0 o. 0 dQ o col I N 0 00 p O N J ON O LA 01 00 w 0 O 01 0\ -4 O N 00 O O 00 ON La A A N O O i N A Lo) c0 N A N oo -.1 p- O 10 -4 Q\ w F-+ W D1 J A J N A --.1 01 W W W N X 00 5 A N i--∎ A A 00 01 00 1D A O ON 0 N ■0. 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N 7 0. 7 fn v' n 5 b ^17 Po O .1. 0 0 0 a Pri y n a 5 a w a m 0 5 0 to 00 co cO m w 0 to c co 5' W O O O O O O O O O O O 0 0 0 0 0 O O O O O O O O O O O 0 0 O o 0 0 0 0 0 0 O O 0 0 O O O O O 0 0 O 0 0 O O O O O O O O Cr) 0 N O LA 0 0 0 0 O O 0 0 O o O 0 0 0 0 O 0 0 0 0 0 Cn ut O 00 O O O O O O O O 0 0 0 O O A NO O Co O O Cn Cn O ut 0 co co 0 0 0 J N 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 O 000000 0 0 0 0 0 O 999090 000000 0 0 0 0 0 0 O O N 00 �l 00 O 1� O O O LA 0 vt 0 0 0 000000 00 O O O O O O O O 0 0 0 0 0 0 O O O O O O 99P995=' 0 0 0 o O O O O O O O O 00 N O\ U O O 0 0 ON LA N Vt O O O r--+ Cr) W 0 01 0 00 LA N ON 40. 00 W 0 N VI 0- �D J ND �O 0 0 0 0 0 0 ut O Cn O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0, ,P N W ".O J O --.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0000000000 0000000000 0 o 0 O o 0 0 0 O o 0000000000 0 0 o 0 0 0 0 o o 0 LA 0 L V1 0 00 0 VI N Cn N O N v 0 O Cn .O �1 i_n O if, LA 0 0 0 0 0 'vt 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 N Cn 00 NO ON ut vi 00 O --1 0 0 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 0009999999 C C O O C C O O O O 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ON .P O CN cri N 00 O 00 0 0 O 0 0 A O O O N N P ON 0 00 00 0 0\ NO 000 co.) O ON ON O O O Cn O O O O O. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cn CA U O\ N 0 00 00 O Vt NO 0 0 0 Vt Vt J1 0 0 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 N 0 0 O cm, 0 LA 0 N 01 NO 00 O O ‘.0 O J O- 0 O O Vt O Cn O Cn O O to 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 oo Cn 00 Cr, w O O O 0 0 0 0 -1 o O O O o O O O O O O O O O O O O 0000000 O O O O O O O O O O O 1... C 0 a r so O N y I 0 q 0 5 0. 0 00 00 W r W O N 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 00 0 0 c DA Dakota County Community Development Agency The Tale of Three Homes To: Dakota County Cities From: Dan Rogness, Director of Community Revitalization Date: August 17, 2009 Re: Foreclosure Update HOME OWNERSHIP Three similar, single family homes in one neighborhood of Empire Township tell a story of significant property value change since 2006. The three homes have the same general characteristics, including: Total finished square feet ranges from 2,410 to 2,770 Each has four bedrooms and 2.5 baths Each was constructed in 2006 Dakota County's payable 2010 Estimated Market Value ranges from $321,100 to $334,500 Despite the similarities, a significant change in purchase prices over the past three years help demonstrate how the 2005 -06 value of residential property was probably at its peak: House #1 purchased on 6/01/06 for $524,900 House #2 purchased 8/01/2007 for $395,000 House #3 purchased 7/01/2008 for $321,120 Based on this example, it appears that the value of homes in this neighborhood decreased by almost 40 percent during a short period of time. This situation is happening in many areas of Dakota County, and tends to exacerbate the situation for those who find themselves struggling with mortgage payments. The CDA's housing counselors encounter declining property values as a common area of concern in most foreclosure situations. Dakota County Stats July 2009 of Sheriff Sales in July 182 (compared to 188 in July 2008) Total Sheriff Sales for 2009 1,032 (compared to 1,294 Jan. July, 2008) of Notices of Pendency Filed in July 351 Total Notices of Pendency Filed for 2009 2,336 c A Dakota County Community Development Agency In The News A Notice of Pendency is filed by a mortgage company's attorney as official notification that the foreclosure process has begun. Not all of these result in sheriff sales. Pages 3 and 4 of this PDF file have Sheriff Sale and Notice of Pendency statistics for each city. Mapping Using Dakota County GIS http://gis.co.dakota.mn.us/website/dakotanetgis/ The Dakota County Office of GIS is updating the 2009 Foreclosures and Notice of Pendency layers on a monthly basis. If you need assistance using this Web page, please call Randy Knippel or Mary Hagerman with the Office of GIS at (952) 891 -7081. Provided in this PDF file are a few notable foreclosure articles that were published in the last month. Among the points of interest: A national article warning about a danger of foreclosed, abandoned homes pools. With no one to attend to these homes, a backyard pool can be life- threatening especially to curious children. The number of U.S. households to receive a foreclosure filing increased by 15 percent in the first half of 2009. The foreclosure crisis affected 1.5 million homes in the first six months of this year, according to a report released by RealtyTrac Inc. A St. Paul- based lawyer group issued a lawsuit alleging that the government's recent program, Making Home Affordable, is not operating as it should. If you have any other concerns, please call me at (651) 675 -4464 or send me an e- mail at drogness(?I dakotacda.state.mn.us. Q CC C O v T v V C 4 Colo) 0 0 0 O tV 0 O N N. N N O N O O N. N N M N N CO N .O N O C e W N tT I N N C 0 •E i ed LL I O O 1� C tit 2 CO N .O O� CO LA O O N CO N eT J O O O O 0 cV O N Lft O O N eT 0' LA CO 0 M 0 F 0 vi N N L a 'u E C O v N N at N i ns 0 E V N T. 0 0 0 0 cd 0 C CU Q C E O tl.) Q) 3 A O V C o o u °O c b J V w v a w 0 0 z 0 Z 0 0 M M I O ts. VS M N N O N L!] 'd' d CO O e N In N er O er O M N V1 N O N N 'O Co. M O N N co. O• N N O' s0 ac 2 d 0 tao W O M 'O 0 O' CO J 00 M O\ N 'O N er O' 'O N O' O` O' O\ N. O V1 N 00 N er N 00 N 'O O'. O 'O 00 N Le) M '.O O N' 00 er 0 IA s_ L CD t L v at Q .o. Z 00 0 eV S y H 0) y V O L L vd L L l .a Q 3 C O d L tC O 0) -C d 0 tv a Q a C (0 C o U N a L L 0 c H 3 N C f c d C c 0 U d b4 00 0 0 O E O (0 V _0 0 o Z 0) O v est v U a C C a o E' 0) 0 Z Q Z N OL Z �n Foreclosed homes' pools can be death traps TODAY Technology Money Page 1 of 2 tk MSNBC.com Foreclosed homes' pools can be death traps Recession fallout: Abandoned swimming pools lure children, breed disease By Mike Celizic TODAYShow.com contributor updated 8:26 a.m. ET, Wed., July 8, 2009 The abandoned homes proliferating in neighborhoods across the country are more than one of the most glaring signs of the continuing recession. In addition to being eyesores, they can also be death traps for curious children. That is a nightmare that Secrena Erwin lives every day. Last July, her 5- year -old daughter, Sheyenne Jenkins, went out to play in the backyard of their Avon, Ind., home while her grandparents were baby- sitting her. But instead of staying in her yard, Sheyenne wandered into the adjoining property an abandoned, foreclosed home with a backyard pool. The pool was still filled with water. It had a pool cover, but with no one to tend it, the cover had sagged beneath the surface of the pool water over time. Somehow, Sheyenne fell in. By the time she was found, it was too late. Who's to blame? "I'm angry," Secrena Erwin told NBC News for a story reported Wednesday on TODAY, the pain of her loss still fresh. "I'm angry that nothing was done. I'm angry that my daughter was taken away because nothing was done." NBC News' Kerry Sanders observed that "Sheyenne's tragedy is a worst -case example of the unintended consequences of foreclosure." With foreclosures being filed at a record pace, Sanders reported that an estimated 4 million Americans now live next door to a home that's in foreclosure. And the number is growing. For Erwin, the loss is even more painful because there seems to be no one to blame for the dangerous situation that claimed her daughter's life. She has a lawyer, but no one not the bank, the former owner, or the city seems to have a clear legal responsibility. "The problem here is we are in limbo," Dana Hada, Erwin's attorney, told NBC News. In fact, Alan Thorup of the Indiana Mortgage Bankers Association told NBC News, banks could actually be sued for attempting to improve the properties they take over from owners in default. "If lenders do go in and they try to make repairs or they try to do things to improve the situation, they could be sued. So why go down that path Thorup said. Other hazards Sheyenne's death is an extreme example of the dangers of abandoned houses, but not the only one. In May, an 11- year -old Pittsburgh girl was dragged into an abandoned home and sexually assaulted. Last November in Flint, Mich., a man living in an abandoned house died when the building caught fire. Other dangers abound. With no one to maintain them, foreclosed homes make tempting targets for vandals. Once doors and windows are broken, animals may move in, along with mold and rot. Swimming pools turn into ponds, the dark and dirty water a perfectobreeding ground for mosquitoes, some of which can spread such diseases as the West Nile virus. Here and there across America, municipalities are beginning to take action. http:// www .msnbc.msn.com/id/31795988 /ns/ today _technology_and_money /print/1 /display... 7/13/2009 Foreclosed homes' pools can be death traps TODAY Technology Money Page 2 of 2 Sanders reported that Indio, Calif., passed a local ordinance that requires banks to maintain the properties they have foreclosed upon. Citibank recently paid a stack of fines after letting homes and pools fall into disrepair, he said. The bank responded that "it takes prompt action when notified." Indio Police Chief Brad Ramos said the town is not taking the problem lightly. "If you continue that, you know what, we will fine you and we will also get an arrest warrant for the CEO of the bank," he told NBC News. A Florida town, Cape Coral, demands that banks register foreclosed properties with the municipality at a $150 fee, which goes into a fund the town taps to maintain the properties. Murrieta, Calif., has a similar program. But none of that helps Secrena Erwin, who is left with painful memories of the bright and happy 5- year -old she lost. A year later, Sanders reported, Sheyenne's room remains untouched: "Her pajamas are still on the floor [along with] stuffed animals she threw out of the bed." 2009 MSNBC Interactive. Reprints URL: http: /www.msnbc.msn.com /id/ 31795988 /ns /today_technology_and_money/ MSN Privacy Legal 2009 MSNBC.com http: /www.msnbc.msn.com/id/ 31795988 /ns /today_technology_and _money /print/ 1 /display... 7/13/2009 Foreclosures up 15 percent in first half of 2009 Real estate Page 1 of 2 MSNBC.com Foreclosures up 15 percent in first half of 2009 Widening crisis affected more than 1.5 million homes in that interval The Associated Press updated 12:11 a.m. ET, Thurs., July 16, 2009 WASHINGTON The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes soared by nearly 15 percent in the first half of the year as more people lost their jobs and were unable to pay their monthly mortgage bills. The mushrooming foreclosure crisis affected more than 1.5 million homes in the first six months of the year, according to a report released Thursday by foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc. The data show that, despite the Obama administration's plan to encourage the lending industry to prevent foreclosures by handing out $50 billion in subsidies, the nation's housing woes continue to spread. Experts don't expect foreclosures to peak until the middle of next year. Foreclosure filings rose more than 33 percent in June compared with the same month last year and were up nearly 5 percent from May, RealtyTrac said. "Despite all the efforts to date, we clearly haven't got a handle on how to address the situation," said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac's senior vice president for marketing. More than 336,000 households received at least one foreclosure related notice in June, according to the foreclosure listing firm's report. That works out to one in every 380 U.S. homes. It was the fourth- straight month in which more than 300,000 households receiving a foreclosure filing, which includes default notices and several other legal notices that homeowners receive before they finally lose their homes. Banks repossessed more than 79,000 homes in June, up from about 65,000 a month earlier. On a state -by -state basis, Nevada had the nation's highest foreclosure rate in the first half of the year, with more than 6 percent of all households receiving a filing. Arizona was No. 2, followed by Florida, California and Utah. Rounding out the top 10 were Georgia, Michigan, Illinois, Idaho and Colorado. The Obama administration in March launched a $50 billion plan to give the lending industry financial incentives to modify mortgages to lower payments, but it's off to a slow start. As of early July, about 130,000 borrowers were enrolled in three -month trial modifications under the plan, and 25 mortgage companies have signed up to receive potential payments of up to $18.6 billion, according to the Treasury Department. But analysts and housing counselors say it isn't having much of an impact. "The plan isn't going well, at least not yet," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com. "It's a creative plan with lots of incentives, but it's very complex." In testimony prepared for delivery at a Senate hearing on Thursday, Bank of America executive Allen Jones said the company has about 80,000 loan modifications in the works under the new government guidelines, including some that aren't in the three -month trial phase yet. "We have achieved this level of success by devoting substantial resources to this effort," Jones said, noting that the company has more than 7,000 employees handling calls and working on modifications. Industry experts, however, say the response from most mortgage companies has been lackluster. "They've been slow to make sure they understand it and put all the processes and people in place," said Joel Lewis, vice president of financial services at Convergys Corp., which runs call centers for the financial industry and other companies. http:// www .msnbc.msn.com/id/31930813 /ns/ business real_estate /print/ 1 /displaymode/ 1098/ 7/16/2009 Foreclosures up 15 percent in first half of 2009 Real estate Page 2 of 2 A week ago, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan sought to ramp up pressure on the industry, saying in a letter to participating mortgage companies that the industry needs to "devote substantially more resources to this program for it to fully succeed." They also summoned mortgage executives to a July 28 meeting with top government officials. Though the program was launched months ago, few companies are upgrading their computer systems to process loans rapidly, said Bill Kelvie, chairman of Overture Technologies in Bethesda, Md. "They need to automate the process, and they need better technology, and they need to do this quickly," he said. 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. URL: http: /wwx msnbc.msn.com /id/ 31930813 /nsfbusiness- real_estate/ MSN Privacy Legal 2009 MSNBC.com http:// www. msnbc. msn.com/id/31930813 /ns/business -real estate /print/1 /displaymode /1098/ 7/16/2009 Homeowners ask government in lawsuit: Where's the foreclosure relief? TwinCities.com Page 1 of 3 TwinCities Homeowners ask government in lawsuit: Where's the foreclosure relief? By Christopher Snowbeck Pioneer Press Updated: 07/29/2009 12:14:14 AM CDT Homeowner Johnson Sendolo says he doesn t know why the government their monthly mortgage payments. Now, both have denied his application to modify his mortgage loan under a $50 billion managed to get new jobs and have steady income, initiative designed to slow foreclosures. Now, the Woodbury man has joined a court challenge of the program. (Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall but they need a loan modification to get current and Johnson Sendolo thought a new federal program to prevent foreclosures would help him keep his Woodbury town home. But that hope which financial counselors said was justified, even though Sendolo lost his job last year turned out to be illusory. In June, Sendolo's house was subject to a foreclosure sale. The 50- year -old said he still doesn't understand why he didn't qualify for a government- backed modification of his primary mortgage. Neither does Sendolo's attorney, Mark Ireland of the St. Paul -based Foreclosure Relief Law Project. On Tuesday, Ireland sued in federal court on behalf of the Woodbury man, a woman in Brooklyn Park and other similarly situated plaintiffs. The lawsuit argues that the governments Home Affordable Modification Program a $50 billion initiative that the Obama administration rolled out in March is failing troubled borrowers by not giving them proper notice of why modification applications are being denied. What's more, the program fails to provide a way for homeowners to appeal those decisions, the lawsuit alleges. The legal effort seeks a halt to foreclosures in Minnesota until the government fixes the program, which Ireland believes was designed specifically for people like Sendolo and Nichole Williams, the Brooklyn Park plaintiff. "When the economy faltered, they were both laid off," the lawsuit says of the plaintiffs. "Eventually, after depleting their savings, they fell behind on make their mortgage loan sustainable." In response to the lawsuit, an official with the U.S. Treasury Department one of the groups responsible for the modification program, and a defendant in the case said Tuesday that the Obama administration is committed to ensuring the program provides relief in a fair and transparent manner. http://www.twincities.com/ci__12933882 com P rint Powered By na is 7/29/2009 Homeowners ask government in lawsuit: Where's the foreclosure relief? TwinCities.com TwinCities com Page 2 of 3 "We take all homeowner concerns seriously, and we are reviewing the complaint now," the official said in a statement. The president said the loan modification program is for everyone. It came for my turn, and they said no, says Johnson Sendolo, 50, whose Woodbury town home went into foreclosure this year after he was laid off. (Pioneer Press: Richard Marshall) The lawsuit isn't the only forum in which the government is taking heat. Last week, a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office said the program lacked transparency and accountability. Treasury Department officials met Tuesday in Washington with mortgage service companies that are participating in the program to discuss ways to improve the modification effort. Still, the class- action lawsuit in Minnesota is unique, said Diane Thompson, an attorney who works with the National Consumer Law Center in Boston. "There are a handful of individuals across the country that have tried to use problems with (the modification program) as a defense against foreclosure, but there has been no other public interest suit that I know of," Thompson said. Sendolo wishes he didn't have to be part of such a novel undertaking. The Woodbury resident came to the United States in 1984 as the violence began to escalate in his home country of Liberia. He had worked for his country's health ministry, and found jobs here working as a medical record coder. After living in California for more than a decade, Sendolo moved to Minnesota with his family and bought his Woodbury home in September 2005 a time when the Twin Cities housing market was hot, and still getting hotter. For the first three years of his mortgage, Sendolo made every loan payment and was careful never to fall behind, the lawsuit states. But he lost his job last September. Sendolo continued making payments until he depleted his savings in December. After falling behind, he landed a part-time job and started collecting some rent from his adult son, who had moved back home. With a modification of his primary mortgage, Sendolo believes his reduced income still would have been enough to resume making monthly payments. "Sendolo was a good candidate for a loan modification because, at the time, he had income through a new job and continues to have income," the lawsuit states. "(He) meets all of the eligibility requirements for a loan modification through (the federal program)." But the company that services his mortgage denied the request in April. http://www.twincities.corn/ci_12933882 Print Powered By Form D arni 7/29/2009 Homeowners ask government in lawsuit: Where's the foreclosure relief? TwinCities.com Page 3 of 3 TwinCities "They didn't give any explanation," Sendolo said. By state law, he can continue to live in his town home during a six month "redemption period," during which Sendolo has an opportunity to pay back the full amount of the mortgage loan. In the meantime, his lawyer is seeking an injunction to prevent foreclosures in Minnesota from going forward. "A federal program can't be administered arbitrarily," said Ireland, the attorney. "There has to be rules. Otherwise, mistakes happen, and people don't get the benefit they're entitled to." Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651 -228- 5479. http://www.tvvincities.com/ci_12933882 corn Print Powered By 7/29/2009 Towns rethink plans to enhance communities f StarTribune.com StarTribune.com Advertisement Print Powered Page 1 of 3 Towns rethink plans to enhance communities Cities across the south metro are taking advantage of the construction Tull to make sure that what goes up when the crash ends is community enhancing. But they are encountering some pushback. By DAVID PETERSON and KATIE HUMPHREY, Star Tribune staff writers Last update: August 16, 2009 9:18 AM Lakeville wants more brick facades and less precast concrete. Belle Plaine wants to keep from turning into a forest of blinking highway signs. Farmington wants to find a real role for its historic downtown, even as suburbia envelops it. At a time when there isn't a whole lot being built, cities all across the south metro area are taking advantage of the lull to try and make sure that what does go up when the crash ends is better, and more community enhancing, than what got built before. But they are also encountering pushback from business owners. "I think I have the right to make decisions for myself and not have others dictating what I can and cannot do when I am not harming anyone in this community," Barb Johnson, owner of several historic buildings in downtown Jordan, told planning commissioners during a heated meeting last week over new standards for downtown buildings. To arm themselves against complaints that fancy new requirements will bleed businesses of their profits, cities are going so far as to price out the differences between brick and stone and their artificial substitutes. Lakeville, for instance, discovered that a massive Cub Foods store can be built of brick at a surprisingly reasonable rate. Developers say it isn't fair to cast them as the bad guys. "It goes both ways," said industry spokesman Pat Mascia, senior vice president of Minneapolis operations for the national commercial real estate firm Duke Realty Corp. "You don't want to own a building that is the ugliest building on the block. You want to try to fit within existing surroundings and create value with your investment. And aesthetics can add to value." At the same time, though, he added, cities aren't always realistic about what they can demand. He laughed out loud when told that one semi -rural community in the south metro area is brandishing images of downtown Wayzata as a guide to what it httn: /www.startrihune.com/ local south 533139X7. html ?elr= KArksLckDXEODIJoaEvavP. 0X/17/2009 Towns rethink plans to enhance communities I StarTribune.com StarTribune.com Page 2 of 3 wants to see by way of landscaping of parking lots. "If you're requiring the gold standard when it should be the bronze standard," he said, "it doesn't usually happen that way. We wouldn't do The West End" an upscale lifestyle center now rising at the intersection of Hwys. 100 and 394 in St. Louis Park "in Otsego." But cities closer in have the same disputes. Burnsville recently bumped up against the worries of the developers of a vacant parcel in its newly created downtown area, Heart of the City, over design standards calling for 60 percent of surface areas to be brick, stone or glass, with no horizontal siding. That, the developer said, was not likely to pencil out. Savage, which installed new standards for its historic downtown area along Hwy. 13 in 2001, is helping bridge the gap by dishing out grants to building owners. The old main drag, says Mayor Janet Williams, is beginning to look "mighty nice for not a huge investment in dollars." Visiting last Sunday for the weekly farmer's market, she saw "workers putting the stucco on the latest rehab grant project across from the public square." Putting some new in the old Farther out, on the suburban fringe, Farmington is trying to work out what the future can be for a downtown that's still very much intact but is always threatened by surrounding suburbia. The city's new comprehensive plan outlines a vision of boutiques, craft and antique stores and professional offices in a "pleasant, attractive and aesthetically pleasing" downtown. The development lull is helping by giving officials time to reflect and to install new rules, said city planner Lee Smick. "We're finally catching up," Smick said. "When a new building comes in, we want to make certain that it still portrays our historic heritage." Draft standards being looked at by the city's planning commission require at least 70 percent of a visible exterior to be finished with clay, brick, stucco, natural stone or ornamental concrete. And they specify that "blank, windowless walls shall be avoided wherever possible." "Big box" buildings would not be allowed, and any large buildings would need to be broken into smaller facades to simulate a line of smaller storefronts. A new ingredient in the mix in recent years has been the more aggressive involvement of anti- sprawl activists and foundations in financing small cities' attempts to impose their will. Belle Plaine hired the University of Minnesota's Center for Rural Design two years ago to help devise new rules. Jordan today is benefitting from a grant from the McKnight Foundation in carrying out a Advertisement Print Powered By httn• /wxnxnxw etartrihnnp nnm /l nna l let-in th /5'111 '19527 html7Plr =KArkcTAcT)RFCITDT Ina F.vnvP 11R/1 7/7(111A Towns rethink plans to enhance communities 1 StarTribune.com Sta rTrib u ne.coa Advertisement Print Powered By Page 3 of 3 similar process. One new reality that is helping soothe these conflicts, developer Mascia said, is that there's no longer just a choice between ultra- costly but nice, and cheap but cheap looking. Thanks to new technologies, he said, "you can hardly tell the difference between precast brick and real brick. But the cost difference is substantial. Precast today can be spectacular looking. The aesthetics are almost identical." David Peterson 952- 882 -9023 Katie Humphrey 952- 882 -9056 11t1-n•/ /wur w etartrihrne rnm /1nr.a /ennth /5111 ICR71, tm17Plr =KArlreT.rkTlRFIlT)TTnaPvnvP 11R /17PM -119 Sun Newspapers MNSUN.com Lakeville software company expanding workforce, faci... Page 1 of 2 StiN 44 eonfafunit nDr9Der Lakeville software company expanding workforce, facilities By Joseph Palmersheim Sun Newspapers (Created: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:10 PM CDT) A Lakeville- based software company will add more than 20 new employees and expand nearly 50,000 square -feet during the next four years as part of a deal reached with the city of Lakeville. Under terms of a business subsidy agreement unanimously approved at the Aug. 3 Lakeville City Council meeting, ImageTrend will add a minimum of 21 new jobs and develop two 20,000- 30,000 square -foot expansions on formerly city -owned land near its headquarters at 20885 Kensington Ave.. If the company manages to expand and add jobs by November 2013, the city will reduce the land's $627,589 cost by two- thirds, to $209,196. Mike McBrady started ImageTrend in 1998 in the bedroom of the home he and his wife, Valerie, shared in Lakeville. Now, the company has more than 100 full -time employees in its 33,000 square foot building. The Sun Current interviewed McBrady in 2006, and at the time the company had 56 employees, having hired only 83 people in its (then) eight- and -a -half year existence. "When we find people, we keep them," McBrady said in the 2006 interview. Now, he plans on adding another 21 new software developers to the team. "We have a very aggressive recruiting program here, and we are working with colleges in the five state area," McBrady said. "We have a number of internships, and we actually have condos in Lakeville where we'll move them in. We have a history of hiring them when they graduate." David Olson, Lakeville's director of economic development, said the business subsidy is a unique arrangement done "once every two to three years" with major projects, like Lifetime Fitness. "In this case, its a local business that was a startup in Lakeville that now employs more than 100 people," Olson said. 'These are quality, high -tech, well -paid jobs in the community. The fact that a company like this is going to continue in Lakeville is the benefit, in terms of more tax base and jobs." The subsidy has its roots in negotiations between the company and the city this spring. The site ImageTrend will expand into was previously earmarked as a potential site for future fire station, Olson said. When an alternative fire station site was found across the street, the site was opened for development. "It made sense to make that and available to build additional buildings and create more jobs," Olson said. "ImageTrend is in a business campus that we developed in the 1990s, and lots were sold off for companies out there. We had one lot remaining for development, had their request, and were able to negotiate the agreement." Olson said the subsidy's estimate of 21 jobs was a "a conservative number," and said the city was projecting significantly higher job growth at the company during the next four years based on ImageTrend's track record. We tend to error on the conservative side, and its quite likely that the number of jobs created could be several times [the estimate]," he said. "We could be looking at 60 to 70 jobs created during the next four years. Not only are we creating new jobs, were training old ones. Business retention can sometimes be as important as business growth. Had ImageTrend not been able to expand, they would have had to look elsewhere, and those existing jobs would have been in jeopardy." McBrady said it would have been easy to buy another building in the current economic climate, but said it would have been difficult to connect it to existing facilities. The location has an additional benefit not readily apparent to the naked eye. http: /www.mnsun.com /articles/ 2009 /08/17 /news /cw13imagetrend.prt 08/17/2009 2A August 13, 2009 DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE BUSINESS WEEKLY by Derrick Williams DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE Dave Olson said he's been approached by other communities interested in capturing Lakeville's suc- cess. But to this point, there isn't another community, at least not in Dakota County, that's been able to recapture the unique success that the Downtown Lakeville Business Association has managed. "Other communities have contacted us about the (DLBA) looking to learn more about how it's done here. Other cities want to create similar organizations," said Olson, Lakeville's com- munity and economic de- velopment director. "But at the end of the day, I suspect businesses in those commu- nities aren't willing to pay for it." That's what makes the DLBA such a unique entity, Olson said. In the summer of 1998, looking to bolster an orga- nization to help promote and revitalize Lakeville's downtown, business own- ers petitioned the city to tax them. As a result, the Lakev- ille City Council created a taxing district, which now serves as the main source of DLBA funding. "It's not common to find businesses willing to tax themselves," Olson said. Today, the DLBA re- ceives 827,000 annually from the taxing district, through which the city as- sesses commercial property owners a sum based on the tax capacity of their proper- ties. Most of those taxes are handed down by property owners to the businesses that lease space in buildings assessed the tax. The DLBA was created in 1996, Olson said, and began trying to start revitalization efforts along Holyoke Av- enue, Lakeville's downtown main street. Soon, Olson said, busi- ness owners realized they needed a funding source. "It's hard to start doing things unless you have a budget in place," he said. The creation of the tax district wasn't unanimous, but it was supported by more than 75 percent of business owners. In the 11 years since the district was approved, many things have changed, ac- cording to DLBA director Judy Tschumper. In 1998, one of the main goals of the DLBA was to balance the number of re- tail and service-based busi- nesses, which was lopsided in favor of services. Tax district helps local small businesses succeed After 11 years, Downtown Lakeville Business Association still a unique entity in county In Brief The Downtown Lakeville Business Association organizes many events throughout the year to attract people to the downtown area. Events include the St. Paul Farmers' Mar- ket, above, the Downtown Dash, below, Wednesdays on Main and Holiday on Main. The events help promote downtown businesses, says the organization's directorJudy Ts- thumper. F happened," Tschumper said. Today, the main purpose of the organization is less centered on revitalization and more on promotion, Ts- chumper said. The main role (of the DLBA) today is promotion of the downtown and bring- ing people down here," Ts- chumper said. The DLBA hosts a num- ber of events throughout the year, including the St. Paul Farmers' Market, Wednes- days on Main, the Harvest- `And that's For more information on the Downtown Lakeville Business Association, contact Judy Tschumper at e-mail dlba@trontiernet.net, call (952) 985- 0517 or go online at (www.downtownlakeville.com. The association includes about 70 member businesses.The executive board includes: Nancy Smith, president; Paul Haglund, vice president; Mark Hotzler, director; Peter Falange, director.The advisory board includes: Rod Borg, Scott Bakos,Amy Povroznik,Jon Koznick,Annie Hettaus and Candy Retka. Festival, the Lakeville Arts Festival, Holiday on Main and more. "We can tell, and so can the business owners here. that events downtown drive business, "Tschumper said. Olson said the DLBA has done a great job promoting the downtown environment to businesses. 'I got to believe (the DLBA) is helping create an environment where business- es want to come," Olson said. Jean Kemmer, who co- owns Isabella Collections, a 1 women's boutique in down- town Lakeville, said she and her business partner made the move to down- town largely because of the DLBA and the benefits it provides. "We were kind of on our own in our old place," Kem- mer said of her old store lo- cated in a strip mall just off Kenrick Avenue near Inter- state 35. "There was no net- working at least not like we have downtown." And Kemmer said she's noticed another benefit. Downtown Lakeville's main street, Holyoke Avenue, also serves as the home to the Downtown Lakeville Busi- ness Association, an organization dedicated to promoting downtown business and keeping the shops viable. Funding for the organization is provided through a taxing district, limited to downtown businesses. "There's so much net- working between business- es," Kemmer said. "It's won- derful." Tschumper said the net- working has occurred be- cause the 70 DLBA mem- bers are cohesive and like working together. "It's a consortium of these 70 businesses and they're not really competing against one another, but working as a group," Tschumper said. "The retailers are a prime example. They're finding creative ways to get folks downtown and into each other's shops." One such way is through an event called "ladies night out," where the boutique owners and a few other busi- nesses are staying open lon- ger and encouraging women to shop downtown. "As a business owner, having the support of both the DLBA and other, simi- lar businesses is beneficial," Kemmer said. "It's nice to have a promoter, because, as a business owner, I simply don't have the time to do it myself." Both Kemmer and Ts- chumper feel the DLBA's model would be advanta- geous for other communi- ties. `Seeing the power of a small group is rather ex- citing," Tschumper said. "An organization like (the DLBA) is so totally differ- ent than the benefits you get through something like the chamber of commerce. They're nothing alike." Tschumper said chambers are too broad to do what the DLBA does. "The chamber is great and it certainly has its role in how it can benefit busi- nesses, but its mission is dif- ferent," Tschumper said. While business owners seem to be happy with the DLBA, not all participate, Tschumper said. "Some owners say they like how we're handling things and that they chose not to be involved," she said. "That's fine, but we'd always ask for the participation." Kemmer said it's hard not to participate. "I've never been a part of a group like this," Kemmer said. 'The group is always looking always trying to help. It makes you want to be more involved." Derrick Williams is at derrick.williams@ecm-inc.com. DERRICK WILLIAMS KARA HILDRETH ERIN JOHNSON Lakeville unlocks key to cooperation 2A Housing development turns to garden 7A Health club promotes micro businesses 9A AUGUST 13, 2 9j dakotacou ntytribunebiz B U S I N E S S Central Village delays, recession 1 R.EA5miC' hit local businesses Si 1l �Jti 111 I) n Some say Apple Valley's `heart of the city' has stalled, others see potential by Jessica Harper DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE Many people had high hopes for Apple Valley's Central Village when the project first began seven years ago. However, what was envisioned as a thriving retail and residential district on Galaxie Avenue and 153rd Street is now considered a difficult place for businesses to sur- vive. Eleven businesses have closed in the two -block area over the last three years, and several local en- trepreneurs say the recession and planning pitfalls are to blame. The area has not developed in a way that's particularly conducive to our business," Enjoy restaurant owner Dan Shimek said. The Apple Valley City Council approved a master plan in 2002 to create a walkable downtown retail and residential area called Central Village. The plans consisted of two ma- jor projects, Founders Circle on the west side of Galaxie Avenue and Legacy on the east side. Galaxie Avenue and enue Legacy North, South The Hartford Group planned to create Legacy which is divided. by 153rd Street. Plans for Legacy South were approved by the City Council in 2002 and included 91,000 square feet of commercial space and 521 residential units. The intended residential por- tion of the project was comprised of 105 townhomes, 280 apartment units and 136 senior apartment units. Legacy North was approved two years later. Plans included 506 residential units and 222,000 square feet of commercial space. The residential portion was going to be comprised of townhomes, senior housing and apartments. Founders Circle In 2006, the City. Council ap- pr: »rd Pedersen Ventures' plan to crests Founders Circle between e. Just complete this form and mail it to: Attention: Subscriptions Dakota County Tribune 12190 County Road 11 13urnsville, MN 55337 or fax to: 952- 846 -2010 Initial plans consisted of 195,000 square feet of commercial space and 517 upscale condomini- ums. The commercial plans consisted of seven buildings, including a re- tail complex called the Village and the Grand Stay Hotel. In 2008, the project was scaled back to 449 condos and 171,000 square feet of commercial space. That same year, the Hartford Group changed its Legacy North plans to add a four -story memory care facility. The developer also hopes to increase the number of residential units to 598, and scale back the square footage of commercial space to 73,400, Apple Valley Assistant City Planner Kathy Bodmer said. "They had to modify plans over time to deal with market condi- tions and reality, she said. The squ are-footage chanees l %aye not yet been reviewed by the City See Reces~:n,,,, Pair 40A W E E P C L Y Lai rite LARRY WERNER Promotional campaigns should n avoid reactive marketing that orts more than businers STACEY spend. ACKERIU 5A _1 SHOPS ON Q aeer �r 952-47 Garrett Av- EEZE=1 To losv-t FOR SALE What was i, nded to he a mixed use build. L. an the corner of Galante Lane and 153rd Street in Apple Valley's Central Village re- mains an empty lot. FUSINES'S NAME SIG AEA E E cirrsArtSJF EMAIL P o Ey fwica Harps Local business owners had hoped Founders Circle would be com- pleted in five to 10 years. However, the would -be shops and condos are nothing more than emptylots. Frontier Communications et).` clan to expand could mean more 'obrforits Burnsville operations. CARIE STATZ 34493 r_NnON 00023 4A Proper bookkeeping procedures can help a business remain focused an goals and flan for the future. 5A can help a business saccesrfully deliver a message to current and prospective customers. 6A 6 a =116,5 =c Dis.il bu:ioe. 962-64-26.70 A,966, n v:2- 646 -7e ,al.l�t� Interested Qj,.�/!� ��'wj�`t �ryr,�/�t��i�), e est FREE subscription. �.I' n Y Dakota County CDA Annual Disclosure of Tax Increment Districts for Year Ending December 31, 2008 195Raae4 ProPet y ma Principal and interest Month and Imposed on other properties as a payments doe year of fires tax ChM of rendt of Renal Current mites Original net Captured net dorhrg the Tax Increment Tae Increment lnaemerd required rexNri6s District Name capacity tax Cep0CRT taxwady C urretl1 year received expended receipt deae if tlon contribution TIF 1 West 51. Paul 5191,783 13.586 0194,197 50 5192,927 5306577 6/1985 12/312010 50 TIF2 51,787.178 577.504 51.109,074 SO 51521.283 52.976.812 7/1645 12/312010 $0 TIF 3 Apple valley Villa 1175.000 5179 5174521 0100,000 5102.164 6880,057 711967 12212312 80 019 4 West 5t. Paul 5108.750 8106,060 5302750 60 5290042 8440,109 711987 121312012 550.9 nF 5 cmege Housing 555790 51,406 $57,285 SO 956,799 5104.743 7/1913 121312314 50 71F 9464re64 Pont 5056,213 38.341 5187,372 50 5202.328 0168,187 61995 1213112023 60 TIF 9 Lakeville Court 962,694 52,976 579,924 50 570,7 89 55.878 7/1997 12/31/2022 SO TIF 10 gal S Fp 5247,098 91 563,8 5183,162 $126,569 5173,439 8133,764 7/1997 121312022 530,669 TIF 11 Pennock (Timbers. &agate., 1.0495/1 0702,101 518.308 5661 792 5204.660 5589,677 5279.402 72004 12131/2029 50 TIF 12 010055 Ponds Prof 897,500 5028 896572 556,393 567,183 582,154 12003 12131/2028 SO TIF 13 Cedar Villas 5157,500 514,299 5143201 602,000 9113,777 065.606 72008 9211/2031 SO 'The fiscal disparity property tax law provides that the growth in commercial industrial properly tax values is shared throughout the area. Ina tax increment financing district, this value sharing can either result in a tax increase for other properties 4 the municipality or result in a decrease in tax increment financing district revenue depending on how the tax increment financing district is established. "The districts noted by above do not share growth in commercial industrial property tax values. This results in an increase in property taxes for other properties located in that municipality. For taxes payable in 2008, this increase in taxes on other properties amounted to the values listed above. Additional information regarding each district may be obtained from: Andrea Brennan, Assistant Director of Housing Finance Development 1228 Town Centre Drive Eagan, MN 55123 1959904 (651) 675-4478 8 92)8 40A August 13, 2009 DAKOTA COUNTY TRIBUNE BUSINESS WEEKLY Recession from Page lA Council. Representatives from the Hartford Group and Ped- ersen Ventures declined to comment for this story. Waiting game Today the Legacy South project is well on its way to completion, but Legacy North and Founders Circle are at a stand -still. In the Legacy South de- velopment, the Hartford Group completed 75,000 square feet of commercial space, 105 townhomes and 36 apartments. The developer plans to begin work this fall on a 136 unit senior housing complex called Regent Senior Living. Although much of the Legacy South project is con- structed, it had its share of problems along the way. Plans for a 244 -unit apart- ment building and a 14,000 square -foot child care center never came to fruition. Legacy North has made even less progress and is nothing more than empty lots. Founders Circle is also largely unfinished except for the Grand Stay Hotel. However, all three devel- opments are still a "viable plan," Apple Valley Assis- tant City Planner Margaret Dykes said. "It was a 10 -year plan," Dykes said. 'There was a thought that all of this would happen in five years, and that's a lot to take on in the best of environments." Hard times Local business owners say more should have been com- pleted by now. "I expected that it would be a large development of single- family and multi- family homes with an active shopping mall," Shimek said. "That didn't materialize." With much of the project on hold, the area has become isolated, he said. Although Enjoy has man- aged to continue operating, the business is "barely hang- ing on, he said. Enjoy has been profitable in the past, but not consis- tently, Shimek said. "We are definitely not where we need to be in that regard," he said. "At the cur rent level of business, it's not profitable." Business became especial- ly slow when 153rd Street and a temporary Founders Lane were under construc- tion in 2004 and 2005. Although the road proj- ects are completed, things are no better, Shimek said. "It's a very poor set up," he said. Shimek admits the proj- ect is not the only reason his business has fallen on hard times, and that the recession is another contributing fac- tor. Shimek said he was able to beat the tide by investing his own money into the res- taurant, altering his business model and simply waiting out the storm. "However, this is not a sustainable model," he said. "For long -term sustainabil- ity, some things need to hap- pen with the development." The area needs to be bet- ter advertised for businesses to succeed in Central Village while construction is stalled, he said. "I think in the meantime, the city and business partners need to work closely together to create more awareness for what's there and how to get there," he said. Despite the harsh blow, Shimek remains optimistic about the future of Central Village. "I think there's potential," he said. "I think the mayor and the city had a vision as to how it was going to de- velop. Obviously the timing isn't good for that to be tak- ing place, but I think it can." Enjoy is one of the few original businesses to survive in Central Village. Former Dunn Bros Cof- fee Shop franchisee owner Sheryl Petersburg is one en- trepreneur who had to close in April after seven years in business. Petersburg primar- ily blames the development The Grand Stay Hotel is the only piece of the Founders Circle development to be cono- pleted. Plans also included a retail building called The Village and 517 condominiums. Fhores by Imelra Harper The Shops on Galaxie is part of the Hartford Group's Leg- acy South project in Apple Valley's Central Village. While the surrounding Founders Circle and Legacy projects stalled, several businesses closed in the complex. Today, several spaces in the building remain vacant. delays and the 153rd Street project for her business fail- ing. "I lost a third of my busi- ness from the construction of the one -way," she said. Dunn Bross annual rev- enue dropped by about 30 percent between 2004 and 2009, she said. Once the road work was finished, drivers were con- fused by the configuration, Petersburg said. "People avoided coming here because it was such a mess," she said. Petersburg said she thought of selling, but said she decided to close instead when she saw her 2008 first- quarter figures. "It's a lemon," she said. "The landlord said it would be the heart of the city and that Galaxie and 153rd Street would be the focus, but that hasn't happened." Petersburg said she thinks Dunn Bros would have remained open had the developments made more progress. Petersburg said she is un- sure whether Central Village will ever be fully developed. "It seems completely stalled, but it depends upon how they handle it from now on," she said. In process' Apple Valley Mayor Mary Hamann Roland said she disagrees with the notion that Legacy and Founders Circle are permanently on hold. "It's in process," she said. "We all hope that it will happen over night, but in the end I think it is some- thing we have to be patient with." She said the recession, not the delays within Cen- tral Village, is responsible for businesses' plight. If Apple Valley residents make a commitment to buy locally, businesses within Central Village will begin to thrive, Hamann- Roland said. "When we put our minds to something and work together, we can create posi- tive results," she said. She said more customers will come to the area now that the road construction is completed. Hamann -Roland said she also disagrees with the no- tion that Central Village is isolated, and pointed to the fact that the area is within a fourth of a mile from several major roads such as County Road 42. Hamann Roland said she does not regret approv- ing the project. "In the end, I think it was the right thing to do to build a walkable downtown," she said. Meeting the goal In general, downtown de- velopment projects like Cen- tral Village can be success- ful, but making this happen in a recession is challenging, said Caren Dewar, executive director of the Urban Land Institute. "With the market on hold, the financing is not available," she said. However, with the right planning and implementa- tion, a downtown develop- ment can still be done. The key to any project is design, Dewar said. Communities that are walkable and feature mul- tiple options are most suc- cessful, she said. Ideally, residential and retail buildings should be completed at the same time to present a "complete pack- age," Dewar said. Nearby Burnsville was able to achieve this goal in its Heart of the City, which has retail and residential as well as a performing arts center. Other communities such as Rosemount and Lakeville took a slightly different ap- proach by redeveloping an existing shopping and resi- dential area. If either residential or commercial must come be- fore the other, residential should be first, Dewar said. "If you put retail in an area where there's not much residential, then the retail will not stay there, she said. "They need to see it. You can't just say there will be lots of people." This is where local busi- ness owners feel Apple Val- ley's Central Village came up short, Signs of hope Despite the setbacks, there is a glimmer of hope for Central Village. Several businesses such as Kami Japanese Steakhouse, Thrivent Financial and oth- ers have managed to stay open in Shops on Galaxie. At the same time, several old and new businesses re- cently opened. Fortner Dunn Bros cus- tomer Lisa Anderson re- opened the coffee shop at 15265 Galaxie Ave. last July. Anderson said she's confident the shop will be successful the second time around. "Business is better than I predicted and is picking up every day," she said. Dunn Bros is not the only business to open in Central Village this year. Mainstreet Boutique opened in Shops on Galaxie and Ramv's Mediterranean Cuisine Pizzeria opened in the former Two Guys from Italy space. Ramy's Mediterranean Cuisine Pizzeria owner Rachie Ramy said his busi- ness is already profitable and growing daily. Rainy said he doesn't worry that the project delays in Central Village will nega- tively affect his business. He said he thinks by fill- ing a niche, Ramy's can help the area become successful. "I think we brought light to this circle of death," he said. Jessica Harper is at jessica.barper@ecm-inc.com.