City Council Meeting Date: September 6, 2022
To: Mayor and City Council
City Administrator
From: Nate Carlson, Economic Development Coordinator
Members of the Downtown Redevelopment Project Review Committee
Title
Council consideration of recommendation for preferred developer offered by the Downtown Redevelopment Project Review committee.
Body
Action Requested:
The Northfield City Council make a motion to approve the recommendation by the Downtown Redevelopment Project Review committee and approve the The Lander Group, the recommended developer.
Summary Report:
With the Council’s action to begin land assembly this past spring 2022 for the 5th & water Redevelopment, City Staff has made efforts to engage with the development community and gain a better understanding of how this project would develop. Following initial developer interviews, hosted by our Financial Advisor Team at Ehlers, City staff developed a project approach to solicit a development team to form a Public-Private partnership. The initial phase to form this partnership was through the approval and distribution of the Request for Qualifications.
Per the approved Request for Qualifications document (see attached), the Council shall have the opportunity to review the recommended developer submitted by the Downtown Redevelopment Project Review committee. The Review Committee met on Tuesday, August 23 and interviewed two development teams. Following the interviews, the committee discussed the qualifications of each team with staff and offered a recommendation to Council.
The Lander Group is the preferred development team to initiate the 5th & Water Redevelopment project. Mr. Michael Lander, CEO of The Lander Group, will be providing a brief presentation of his team’s credentials and project experience to Council.
Following the committee interviews, the Council has the following responsibilities per the RFQ timeline.
• The Mayor and Council will review and approve the recommendation at the September 6, 2022 Council Meeting. A lead representative of the recommended team must be in attendance at the Council Meeting. Members requiring significant travel may be available remotely via electronic meeting.
• If the Mayor and Council determine that the selected team is qualified, they will formally approve the recommendation and authorize the City to enter in a Standard City Service Contract with the selected team, and negotiating a Development Agreement at an appropriately determined time as mutually agreed upon.
Staff has not formally prepared a service agreement at this time. However, upon a motion of approval, staff would be pursuing an initial agreement with the Lander Group.
Alternative Options:
Recirculate RFQ to gain other developers (not recommended).
Financial Impacts:
In conjunction with the City, establish preliminary costs for all components of the program, including buildings, streetscape and riverfront redevelopment. These will be tested against various concepts and refined as plans are developed.
Determine, as feasible, the sources and uses of the budget. If phasing is required, determine the optimum order of priority for completion
Tentative Timelines:
- September 6, 2022: Approval of Recommended Development Team
- September 20, 2022: Approval of Partnership Agreement
- October - December 2022: Community Engagement/Preliminary Design/Development Agreement Approved
- Spring - Summer 2023: Final Design
- Fall 2023 or Spring 2024: Construction begins (16 - 18 month construction build)