PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Monday, February 18, 2008

Contact: Noel LaBine 763-477-3086

State of the Cities

   

The Wright County Economic Development Partnership held the annual State of The Cities event in Montrose at the new Montrose community center on February 14 th . This event featured the Highway 12 and Highway 55 cities of Wright County . The cities that presented at the Montrose event include Annandale , Cokato, Delano , Maple Lake , and Rockford . The other Wright County cities will be given an opportunity to make presentations at an event to be held in June 2008.

Several Wright County business people and others interested in development in Wright County attended. Lunch was served to 50 people by Red's Café of Montrose, and the Citizen's State Bank of Montrose & Waverly sponsored the event.

Mark Casey of Annandale started out the program with a highlight of the new commercial and industrial development in Annandale in '07 and currently underway. In 2007 Annandale had their second 16 bed hospital built for developmentally challenged people. These facilities bring a lot of professional jobs to Annandale plus a lot of spin-off work. Currently, the new water treatment plant, which will be operated jointly with the City of Maple lake, is under construction with the anticipated start date to be early 2009. Also, an expansion to Annandale foods is under construction, and the old Ambassador building is being thoroughly remodeled. Annandale Industrial park has 13 acres shovel ready, and is working on funding to build an industrial park expansion for future use.

Bruce Johnson, mayor of Cokato, listed a number of positive activities for Cokato in 2007. These included the reorganization of the Cokato EDA, the completion of a $2 million Broadway Street upgrade and improvements, the successful sale of the Classic Egg building to a local egg cracking operation, and a new Dollar General and hardware store on HWY # 12.

Mike Messina , Mayor of Maple Lake, talked about the slow housing market in Maple Lake in 2007. Also, he pointed out that the downtown redevelopment project is probably going to start late summer or the fall of this year. A wish list for Maple Lake is to get a new city hall and a City Library.

Phil Kern of Delano got up and talked about the HWY #12 update that is going to happen in Delano starting April 1 st . On April 15 th , the bridge will be closed and all traffic will be detoured until mid-November, when the new bridge is scheduled to be completed. This change will not only affect local Delano businesses, but also many other people, who use the Delano bridge on a frequent basis.

However, the upgrade will be safer and quicker, and hopefully will last at least as long as the old bridge it is replacing, which has been there for 70 years. Phil also talked about the hopes of the city to resolve the problems associated with trying to develop a new industrial park to the west of the city. Also, the possibility of a new hotel in Delano is still underway, with the developers seeking bids on the project at this time.

  Nancy Carswell of Rockford talked about the new water tower, final tap in the existing well, and new city shop facility that the city had built in 2007. Also, the possibility of a new industrial park to the west of town depends on the willingness of the Rockford Township to approve annexation. The city already has a potential user that would build a plant that would hire up to 100 employees.

  Please contact Noel LaBine of the Partnership if you are interested in the types of monthly noon luncheon events that are open to those interested in development activity in Wright County .

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.