The following article by Steve Brandt was published in the July 16, 2015 edition of the Star Tribune.

Minneapolis Parks Spurn Graco Offer

Minneapolis parks commissioners ramped up pressure on Graco Minnesota Inc. by rejecting its development proposal for part of a planned riverfront park and instead seeking proposals from all comers.

The action means Graco won’t have a leg up on developing about 3 acres of the former Scherer lumber site upstream from the Plymouth Avenue Bridge in northeast Minneapolis. The board vote was 8-0.

Graco had proposed two office buildings of about 50,000 square feet each on land it would lease from the Park Board for at least 99 years. The lease payments from any development would help pay park operational costs.

A key riverfront advisory committee rejected the proposal as “insulting” for not meeting previous riverfront planning guidelines.

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Star Tribune: Minneapolis parks spurn Graco offer