EDA to assist with vacant commercial properties
March 18th, 2010Gaylord’s Economic Development Authority hopes to provide assistance in filling vacant commercial properties.
The Economic Development Authority, last week, decided to have executive director Brent Pearson contact owners of vacant commercial property quarterly. The owners will be asked where they are at in finding a tenant and the price they want for the building.
The plan is to have one page of information about each commercial property, and possibly use state resources to try to find tenants.
It is also hoped that when the list of vacant commercial properties is compiled, the information can also be listed on the City’s Web site.
Sibley County Economic Development Director Tim Dolan also suggested that the City consider forming a private investment group, like Winthrop has with Winthrop Opportunities, to try to attract new businesses.
In other business, the EDA:
• Authorized Pearson to write a blog about EDA activities in Gaylord. The blog would be posted on the Gaylord Hub Web site.
• Learned that City Administrator Kevin McCann and Pearson are working on a sell sheet, or flyer, for the Entegris building in the industrial park, to provide to the Department of Employment and Economic Development. The state agency suggested a possible tenant for the building would be the wind industry. The current tenant will be moving out July 1, 2010.
• Was informed that fiber optics is being discussed by the City’s Technology Committee.
• Was told that the EDA has been asked to identify a 10% reduction in its $34,000 budget for 2010. The reduction is being requested because of anticipated cuts to local government aid.
