Items Tagged ‘Minnesota’
Metropolitan Council To Use Eminent Domain At Former Gillette Plant
Publication Date:
June 28, 2010Written By:
Chris NewmarkerSource:
Minneapolis / St. Paul Business JournalRead more...
Synopsis:
An old distribution center at the Gillette plant in St. Paul, Minnesota may soon be a maintenance facility. The regional body for the Twin Cities, the Metropolitan Council has voted to move forward with eminent domain proceeds to take over a portion of the now-shuttered site. One third of the site would be taken over which includes the distribution center which will be “retooled.” The factory shut down in 2005 after Gillette had sold off the location. Not only will the building find a new purpose but it will be utilized in the shift towards mass transit. The new light rail system will connect the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Developers Can Look To Boston Jail For Inspiration
Synopsis:
The old St. Louis County Jail in Duluth, Minnesota, is about to come out of dormancy. The sale to private developer Jail Holding LLC should close April 16th. It will mark a long time coming in adapting the vacant jail. Once considered for the wrecking ball, the building plans include office, conference and storage space. As the project gets underway, Renalls suggest that the developer look to the Suffolk County Jail in Boston, Massachusetts, for inspiration. That jail, shut down in 1990, went through an extensive five-year conversion and is now home to a premier New England Hotel and three hip bars/restaurants. While a much larger and expensive project, the conversion demonstrates the potential the St. Louis County Jail can offer.
Historic Rehabs A Key Part Of “Construction Stimulus” Bill
Synopsis:
Minnesota has moved one step closer to establishing a historic-preservation tax credit (25 percent income tax credit) for developments in the state. As part of the “construction stimulus” bill, lawmakers hope to incentivize developers to rehabilitate current buildings rather than start from scratch. With the intention of preserving historic buildings, this credit also helps to support sustainable construction through the reuse of buildings. Another provision would allow municipalities to create special assessments to pay for energy-conservation projects in existing buildings, or to issue revenue bonds for qualifying “green” construction projects. The bill also includes a “small-business investment credit” which could be used for an adaptive reuse project meant to rehab a building as a business incubator. Bonnie McDonald, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, has suggested that the historic-preservation tax credit could create 1,500 jobs per year.