ANOKA
Met Council funds brownfield cleanup The future site of a 230,000-square-foot office facility in Anoka was awarded $339,000 in brownfield cleanup funding by the Metropolitan Council.
The money will be used for asbestos and lead-based paint abatement at the site of a vacant industrial facility at 1 Cornelius Place, which will be the site of the office facility and, eventually, 130,000 square feet of industrial development.
The council, at a January meeting, approved $2.4 million for 14 projects in seven communities, including Anoka, Bloomington, Minneapolis, Plymouth, Roseville, St. Louis Park and St. Paul. "These funds help to clean up pollutants so land and older buildings can be put to more productive use," said Council Chair Peter Bell.
BROOKLYN PARK
City appoints first black police chief Brooklyn Park has appointed its first black police chief. The City Council on Monday approved Michael Davis, a lieutenant from the Minneapolis Police Department. He will start his new post on Feb. 11.
The 36-year-old Brooklyn Park resident has been with the Minneapolis Police Department for 14 years, most recently as a sector commander in south Minneapolis. He has a master's degree in organizational management from Concordia University in St. Paul and is also a member of Brooklyn Park's Charter Commission.
Davis will replace former chief Wade Setter, who retired in August. He was selected out of 45 applicants in a nationwide search.
As chief of the sixth-largest city in the state, Davis will command 99 officers. His salary will be $110,000.
SHOREVIEW
With $1.2 million incentive, PaR Systems to stay Shoreview will keep one of its longtime companies in the city after the City Council signed off on an agreement with robotics firm PaR Systems in early January.
PaR Systems had been looking to relocate from its headquarters on Hwy. 96 after the sale more than a year ago of one of its divisions to Westinghouse Corp.
Under the deal, PaR will move into a building on W. County Road E that formerly was the home of Curtis 1000.
To accommodate expansion, the city purchased an adjacent building, formerly a Ramsey County Sheriff's Office patrol station, for $2.2 million with the intent to sell it to PaR Systems for about $1 million.
The city's incentive to PaR Systems totaled about $1.2 million, a price the city was willing to pay to keep the corporation in town. The deal is expected to close in February. Under the deal, PaR cannot vacate the site or sell the former sheriff's property without repaying the city.
OSSEO
City Council: Don't close school The City Council on Monday unanimously passed a resolution that supports keeping Osseo Elementary School open in the face of the Osseo School District's budget cuts. The council "opposes any efforts to close Osseo Elementary School under any circumstance and urges the District 279 board to look at other district-wide measures to balance the budget," the resolution states.
The school is a vital part of the community, said Mayor John Hall. He urged citizens to tell school board members they support keeping the school.
The district needs to cut $16.4 million out of its 2008-09 budget. The other school recommended for closure is Edgewood Elementary STEM school in Brooklyn Park.
COON RAPIDS
City may rebuild Bunker Hills facility The city is looking to redevelop the clubhouse and restaurants at Bunker Hills Golf Course. The current building needs significant maintenance work that could cost up to $5 million. Considering that price tag, the city is looking into rebuilding on the same site rather than renovating.
At a work session in early January, the City Council directed City Manager Matt Fulton to get the process moving by doing a financial study and talking to architects. The city plans to pay for the new building with revenue provided by the golf course and its tenants.
Compiled by staff writers Eric M. Hanson, Lora Pabst, Laurie Blake, Jenna Ross, and Paul Levy.
