PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Contact: Noel LaBine 763-477-3086

Delano dowtown revitalization attracts interest.

   

Redeveloping a downtown area by building a mixed used development is never easy. Invariably it requires public support. Better known redevelopment projects such as Excelsior and Grand in St. Louis Park take millions of dollars of public support. So it's not surprising that when the City of Delano went looking for a developer to redevelop the corner of the block where their old city hall once stood, they didn't find interested parties willing to put up enough of their own equity.

But what better way to revitalize a downtown area than to have new buildings as part of that effort. And if any downtown area should be revitalized Delano 's should, because it is charming, so charming that a motion picture, A Simple Plan , was once filmed there.

Finally, the city council (after much developer searching and soul searching) decided to build the mixed used development themselves. “When the decision to build these buildings was made,” according to City Administrator Phil Kern, “the housing market was at the height of the building boom, and most people felt good about the decision.”

The redevelopment project includes a retail building, which currently is full and houses the Scrappin (a scrap book hobby store), Fran's Barber Shop, and the Juke Box Café. It also includes eight town homes. The town homes are called “River Town Rowhomes”, and were ready for occupancy in March of this year. Not what you would call, “perfect timing”.

In spite of the recent housing market downturn, the Delano River Town Rowhomes have had several interested buyers. Recently one of the units was sold, and two others have strong interest by area home owners. There are several reasons for this interest. For one thing, the town homes have been well-constructed. Granite countertops, natural finish maple cabinetry, French-style patio doors, bamboo floors, and quality windows are some of the features that add to the quality of the construction.

According to Jeff Vanderlinde , area realtor, “The buildings are built with longevity in mind. The city wanted to maintain the brick and mortar feel of the old down town and they weren't motivated by profit, so they really built these buildings well.”

And the design is intended to compliment the downtown area in other ways as well. The courtyard in front of the River Town Rowhomes is designed to give the residents a good view of the downtown area and the view from the balcony areas on top of the buildings give a panoramic view of the downtown and surrounding area.

So why not live in a place where everybody knows your name? The downtown Delano area neighborhood is small enough that anybody, who lives there for awhile, will get to know the local businesses and vice versa. And that list of businesses includes an art gallery, an automotive repair service, a satellite bank office, Fran's Barber Shop, a beauty salon, Curve's Fitness Center, Tae Kwon Do Academy, the Chamber of Commerce, Delano's Floral & Gift, the Public Library, Delano Eagle News, Reider's Meat Market, a photography studio, 4 restaurants which include the Juke Box, Dave's, Finnegan's, and Three Crows on the River; the Legion club, a scrapbook store, True Value Hardware, a dentist, two chiropractors including massage, two accounting firms and two personal investment firms, two insurance firms, three attorney firms, a realtor, the post office, and several offices which includes some contractors, Intrcomm Technology (a managed IT services company), J&J Glass, Kirby Vacuum, US Aquatics, and others.

Besides all these places, there's more. Recently an area community leader has come forward with a proposal to renovate the original city hall, which is the tall building with the bell-tower on the corner of Bridge Street and Second Street , into a community theater. This project has a preliminary anticipated estimate of $500,000 and several potential contributors have been identified.

So, “Who would want to live in a place like that?” you may very well ask.

“Everybody from young professionals to empty nesters” Is the response from Jeff Vanderlinde . “These places are excellent for people, who want to live in a place that has a 60's Americana feeling, and also a safe, secure feeling. There's no maintenance, so someone can live here and take off for a few weeks in the winter, and have no worries.”

And what better place than Delano , which is the gateway to Wright County in the Southeast corner of Wright County . A place that is know for the Delano crossings retail area with all it's new retail there, and the Delano Movie Theater, and the Harley Davidson motorcycle dealer, and many other stores, restaurants, and other attractions such as the Crow River and Lake Rebecca Park.

We believe that this downtown redevelopment will stand the test of time, and in the not too distant future, other communities will be looking at the Delano downtown revitalization effort as a successful community development project. So, “kudo's” to the Delano community for a job well-done, and thank you for making Wright County a better place.

The Wright County Economic Development Partnership is pleased to announce this new industrial park development. “More locations for industry equates to more opportunities for business and new job creation in Wright County ,” according to Director, Noel LaBine.

The Partnership exists to enhance the business climate of Wright County and to help create more jobs in Wright County . The strategies the Partnership uses to achieve its mission include being an information resource and finding technical assistance; aiding business development through Business Retention & Expansion visits, providing financing resources, and providing business information and training through seminars and workshops. Also, the Partnership markets Wright County to business site locators, and maintains an excellent website, which includes a listing of commercial and industrial property available in Wright County (see www.wrightpartnership.org ). The Partnership also assists with Workforce Development and has gathered economic statistical information, which is available on its website.