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<br />WS – Item 6 <br />WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />Work Session Item No. 6 <br /> <br />Date: August 2, 2021 <br /> <br />To: City Council <br /> <br />From: Michael Grochala, Community Development Director <br /> <br />Re: Woods Edge Master Developer Consideration <br /> <br />Background <br /> <br />The City owns approximately 9.5 undeveloped acres in the Legacy at Woods Edge <br />Development. The property is zoned PUD, Planned Unit Development and allows for both <br />commercial and multi-family residential uses at 10-24 units per acre. The City originally owned <br />20 acres of the site as a result of tax forfeiture and special legislation that was approved in 2011. <br />10 acres of the site was sold to DR Horton for development of the 112 unit Woods Edge <br />neighborhood in 2015. <br /> <br />The largest remaining site of approximately 6.3 acres is bounded by Village Drive and Town <br />Center Parkway. 2.0 acres is available adjacent to the City Recreation Facility, and another 1.2 <br />acres north of the Community Green. <br /> <br />The site has received some development interest, primarily for multi-family development, over <br />the past five years. The council discussed this as a possible site for the Lyngblomsten project in <br />2017 as well as a possible grocer site. A developer roundtable discussion was held in 2020 to <br />elicit some interest in the property. However, the closure of the YMCA and Fairview Clinic <br />tempered some of the interest generated by the process. <br /> <br />Several inquiries have shown interest in small portions of the site. However, to avoid a <br />fragmented development site, staff has been reluctant to accept any proposals on the 6.3 acre <br />parcel that did not include the entire parcel. Additionally, with the City taking ownership of the <br />YMCA, use of the 2.0 acre parcel should be revisited for opportunities related to the recreation <br />center and future civic campus expansion. <br /> <br />At this time, staff is recommending the Council consider partnering with a development <br />company to develop the remainder of the site. Under this concept, the development team would <br />serve as the Master Developer to coordinate and attract potential development opportunities. <br />Compensation or developer exclusivity would be addressed in a partnership agreement between <br />the City and Master Developer. <br /> <br />Staff has had some initial discussion with Inland Development Partners (IDP) regarding this <br />scenario. IDP has been very successful in the Twin Cities market related to redevelopment and <br />revitalizing underutilized parcels. Inland has expressed an interest in preparing some