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I. Purpose of the Request <br /> The Hugo Economic Development Authority (EDA) is requesting qualification from <br /> commercial realtors to market City owned property in downtown Hugo. The property is <br /> zoned for commercial development and guided for mix-use development.The EDA and <br /> Hugo community has a high desire for a restaurant in downtown. <br /> I1. Introduction <br /> The City of Hugo is a rapidly growing suburb located 20 minutes north of St. Paul with a <br /> population of close to 14,000 residents. The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business journal named <br /> Hugo as the fastest growing City in Minnesota in 2011 and third in 2013. The key factors <br /> driving this growth are the availability of undeveloped land and the close proximity of <br /> Hugo to major freeways and downtown St. Paul. <br /> Most recently, the City has been focusing on economic development opportunities in <br /> several commercial and industrial areas. These areas include the Bald Eagle Industrial <br /> Park, Downtown, CSAH 8 corridor, and the Peloquin Industrial Park. In 2012, the City <br /> earned an international award of excellence for its Business Retention and Expansion <br /> Program which the City completed through the University of Minnesota in 2010. In <br /> addition to retaining and expanding existing businesses, the City of Hugo has been actively <br /> involved in locating new businesses. <br /> a. Downtown Redevelopment <br /> In 2007, the City Council adopted a Downtown Master Plan and Downtown Design <br /> Guidelines. The goal of the Downtown Master Plan is to strengthen the commercial and <br /> service core of the City. <br /> While the core downtown is focused along Forest Boulevard (TH 61) from County Road <br /> 8 to 147th Street, the Downtown Plan extends north to the Post Office and 150th Street, <br /> south to 140th Street, and from the shores of Egg Lake on the east to the bend in County <br /> Road 8 to the west. <br /> The downtown is located within a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District. The City <br /> Council has made it a priority and a goal to focus marketing efforts on downtown <br /> redevelopment. <br /> b. Description of Site <br /> The site consists of several vacant parcels totaling 4.19 acres in size. The site is located <br /> along Egg Lake and abuts TH 61 with direct access to the highway. The property is <br /> zoned Central Business (C-1) which encourages the establishment of a downtown <br /> 2 <br />