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City Council Regular Meeting Minutes <br />June 24, 2025 <br />Page 5 <br />2 Mr. Yunker reviewed how this is a Revenue Opportunity for St. Anthony Village. Mr. Yunker <br />3 stated that the architect's estimate is $1,156,750. The HRA has $650,000 in available funds, and <br />4 the Liquor Fund has $500,000 in available funds. The Preliminary Timeline was reviewed. <br />5 <br />6 Mr. Larson provided a Summary of the Presentation. It aligns with St. Anthony Village <br />7 Municipal Retail Operations and Values. <br />8 • Community focus — St. Anthony Village is known for its small-town charm and high <br />9 quality of life. Expanding municipal liquor operations to include cannabis sales aligns <br />10 with a community -centered and education -based approach, especially as it emphasizes <br />11 safety, community benefit, and responsible use. <br />12 • Public ownership model — The City already operates municipal liquor stores, and <br />13 residents are familiar with our revenue -sharing model that supports local services. <br />14 Updating and extending this trusted model to cannabis sales under strict regulation is a <br />15 logical evolution. <br />16 • Successful expansion — Successful expansion will rely on the City's long-established <br />17 public trust and the application of time -tested strategies developed over the past 20 years. <br />18 This effort will also emphasize education and the continued enforcement of rigorous <br />19 safety protocols, both essential as we grow our retail operations to connect with new <br />20 customers and future generations. <br />21 <br />22 Council is requested to discuss whether this concept fits St. Anthony Village and if Council is <br />23 comfortable with the vision and project scope. Approval is requested for the initial step, <br />24 including architectural and engineering design, demolition, construction, documents (Oertel), <br />25 Branding and signage design across municipal operations (Platt Hollow Road), and authorize <br />26 solicitation for bids for interior and exterior demolition as appropriate. Further approvals for <br />27 each phase will be presented when ready. The proposed site was reviewed. <br />28 <br />29 Also provided for Council consideration are Oertel Architects — SAV Dispensary, Proposal <br />30 Samples, and Resolution 25-047 <br />31 <br />32 Councilmember Doolan stated she appreciates all the work that has been done. She reviewed her <br />33 thinking since this was first brought up until now. When this was presented at the work session, <br />34 she learned it is more than just selling pot. One of her main questions and risks she is concerned <br />35 about has to do with messaging to the youth. The University of Minnesota is developing a <br />36 curriculum that will be shared in the schools. She asked about the budget for renovating the <br />37 existing facility. She assumes a large part of that is to bring the building to code and make it <br />38 functional. Could the investment put into that building be recouped if the building were sold? <br />39 Mr. Yunker stated that the one thing that must be built is a secure area for the products. It would <br />40 not affect the marketability of the building. <br />41 <br />42 Mayor Pro Tern Jenson asked if the HRA and Liquor Fund monies are available at this time, and <br />43 Mr. Yunker stated they can be used now. Mayor Pro Tem Jenson stated initially he was reluctant <br />44 to go forward with this, but now he is open to any revenue sources that are legal. It makes sense <br />45 since the City owns the property and the building. <br />46 <br />