ELY – The Ely Economic Development Authority gathered Tuesday night to discuss and plan their goals for the upcoming year to promote the economic growth of the business community.
The city’s economic advisor, John Fedo, initiated the discussion with a look back at the progress and successes of the EEDA’s efforts in the last year in the midst of the unique challenges of COVID-19.
“Which of these (goals) are still valid, and to what degree?” Fedo asked in reviewing the 2020 list. “Trailhead development, our number one priority, obviously has moved to our number one accomplishment. The realization that this project will see physical construction this year is pretty inevitable.”
The city’s west end development area continues to be a top priority, from the entrance on Highway 169 with a new welcome center and trailhead parking area, south to the hospital expansion area, and east to an extended Pattison Street area, to include a new ambulance service facility and additional workforce housing.
This priority won’t be complete until the city determines whether to move forward with the original plan or change it somehow through alterations in state and local funding and renewal in the level of participation, particularly from the Ely-Bloomenson Community Hospital.
Mayor Chuck Novak reminded EEDA commissioners that the first phase of the west end development is complete, and the second phase of the project is “moving forward with the funding that was provided.” The design phase of the trailhead building continues to progress and construction is likely to begin this year.
The successful completion of the third phase of the development project will largely depend on how the city markets its efforts in terms of a state bonding bill, according to Novak.
“We have to see how this (legislative) session ends,” he said, “and we have to see who is on the bonding committee, as they play musical chairs down there, and make sure relationships are established with those members and get their support early.”
Fedo noted that state legislators don’t typically favor the ongoing funding of projects, “but on the other side, they don’t like to have a project uncompleted.”
He reminded commissioners that the groundbreaking ceremony at the trailhead location last year was successful in that the legislators who participated were impressed. “They want to come back and see a building under construction. That will help us as we define what our third phase will be,” he said.
Ely Clerk-Treasurer Harold Langowski said that as early as next month, city council members will be asked to advertise for bids for the construction of the trailhead welcome center building. “We have pre-design documents submitted (to the state),” he said. “At the same time, we are finalizing our grant agreement with the Department of Natural Resources for the $1.5 million in bonding money.”
He also noted that a right-of-way permit request to the Minnesota Department of Transportation was recently submitted.
“There are lots of parts to phase two, but I would like everybody to be thinking about what we want for phase three,” Langowski said. “We worked so hard on where the road is located and what the building will look like, but remember, this project swings around to the site of the former city garage. The ambulance service is forging ahead on a new facility for that area. We still have that big white elephant that is the former city garage. The Planning and Zoning Committee has looked at this area, but I think it will take collective brain power of everybody in looking at that.”
Langowski related recent discussions with local realtors and their concerns for workforce housing.
“We have many businesses changing hands. Where are the workers going to come from?” he asked. “That will not change. This all ties together.”
Novak updated EEDA commissioners on the local Housing Redevelopment Authority’s project to construct townhome housing in the phase three area.
“(Designers) have a footprint design concept ready to go,” he said. We have to see what the bonding capacity is for the HRA. It could be as much as $2.5 million. We have to move forward on that.”
Novak added that many lots remain in the Spaulding development area on the north end of town.
“People are moving and they are building houses,” he said. He also noted that with the recent Memorandum of Understanding with Morse Township, an expansion area on the south end of town is also a possibility. “We have many opportunities for workforce housing,” he said.
Fedo added, “This is nothing new or totally foreign to the legislators. This is a consistent message we have been giving them. That is part of the original idea of the whole west end development idea.”
EEDA commissioners will continue the 2021 priority discussion at their next meeting on Tuesday, April 27.