Centerville Tidbits
Downtown Construction To Begin By Fall
Building work will start on 58 townhomes, 29,000 square feet of office and retail space and 48 multi-family units this fall.
That was the confident message at the Centerville City Council meeting on Feb. 13 from the Beard Group, the company behind Centerville's downtown redevelopment.
Talking about one of the mixed-use buildings, Ron Mehl, the Beard Group's development principal, said, "We have a salon owner who is pretty interested in it. We may have some of it pre-leased."
Mehl told the council he would return in a month to update members on further progress.
In other action, the council:
. Approved payment of a bill for $14,735.94 from Burschville Construction Inc. for the Backage Road/21st Avenue improvement project.
. Authorized the abatement of special assessments (delinquent utilities) on 7320 Peltier Circle as the amount owing, $753.78, was received in November.
. Authorized the finance director to transfer funds to close out the Pheasant Marsh II G.O. bond.
. Supported a recommendation to purchase play and safety equipment for Tracie McBride Park, not to exceed $40,000.
. Agreed to fund in the amount of $1,000 youth summer programs and activities hosted by the Wargo Nature Center and the YMCA.
. Authorized Centennial Lakes Police Department to enter into a grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, replacing a similar resolution made in October.
. Considered a request by the Minnesota House of Representatives to adopt a resolution to release bonds for transportation funding in Minnesota. Council members decided they would like to see wording changed before passing the resolution.
. Approved a letter to be sent to the Metropolitan Council pointing out discrepancies between its population forecast for Centerville, and that obtained by the city. The city felt the Met. Council had underestimated the figures.
. At Council Member Michelle Lakso's suggestion, agreed to hold an open house at the city's new public works building once the property is finished, perhaps around June.
. Authorized Lakso to spend $40 on cookies and lemonade for participants at the Red Cross preparedness training evening on Feb. 28.
. Gave the go-ahead to City Administrator Dallas Larson to prepare a contract for a new property assessor. The city council decided to investigate the possibility of hiring a new assessor after the Anoka County assessment fees were increased by more than 20 percent. Centerville stands to save about $7,000 by switching assessors.
. Heard the news that the city had been successful in its bid for a $249,500 clean water legacy grant, which will be used towards the drainage requirements which form part of the downtown redevelopment project.
. Opposed a motion to write a letter of support to the Rush Line Corridor to apply for federal funding towards a rail commuter line between Duluth and the Twin Cities. Lee said, "I don't oppose public transport; I just don't think it should be subsidized by my tax dollars. I think it should be self-supporting."
. Authorized Lakso's attendance at an emergency management conference in Brooklyn Park in March at a cost of $190.
. Agreed to Mayor Capra's attending the Minnesota Mayors' conference in Alexandria, Minn. on May 2-3, at a cost not to exceed $600.