by April Scheinoha
Reporter
Four apartment buildings may soon be built near Walmart in Thief River Falls. At its meeting Tuesday, April 3, the Thief River Falls City Council approved adding street and utilities improvements relating to those buildings to its 2018 Street & Utilities Improvement Project.
Paces Lodging Corporation of Fargo, N.D., has secured an option to purchase a 15-acre parcel southeast of Walmart. The company plans to build four 45-unit market-rate apartment buildings. It hopes to start construction next month. However, some zoning changes would need to be approved prior to that time. Besides adding Barnick Road street and utilities improvements to serve that property, the council also added storm sewer to provide drainage for the nearby Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation property and the Paces Lodging property’s storm water treatment pond outlet. Those added projects will increase the estimated cost of the 2018 Street and Utilities Improvement Project by $248,000 to $5.41 million.
In a separate, related motion, the council approved calling for bids for the 2018 Street and Utilities Improvement Project. Bids will be opened Thursday, May 10.
The project includes:
• Street construction for Digi-Key Drive
• Street and utilities improvements for Technology Street (also as part of the Digi-Key expansion project)
• Full mill and resurfacing of Greenwood Street from Kendall to Spruce avenues
• Construction of First Street West from Ruby Avenue to Pennington County State Aid Highway 16 (the truck bypass)
• Utilities improvements for Nelson Drive
• Alley construction for the MMCDC project
• Street and utilities improvements for Barnick Road
• Crosswalks on Spruce Avenue
• Paving at the city public works facility
• Paving at the water distribution garage
As part of a separate contract with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, street and utilities improvements will be completed on Eighth Street from the bridge to Erl’s Market. A multi-use trail will also be constructed along Eighth Street.
As part of its consent agenda, the council approved purchasing 0.42 acres in the Gilbert Industrial Park. The city will pay $18,109 to Greenwood LLC for the property. The city plans to construct Digi-Key Drive at that location. The roadway will connect the old and new alignments of Greenwood Street West.