Becker Receiving $20.5 Million in State Bonding Money

BECKER -- Becker is getting $20.5 million in state bonding money to add public infrastructure and expand its business park. The city was asking for $24.7 million.

Community Development Director Marie Pflipsen says they're hoping the bids for the project will come back lower than anticipated to help make up the difference.

She says adding sewer and water to that area will help attract new businesses to town.

Right now with our business park we have a few tenants out there, we have some really great businesses that are already here but are expanding, but our business park as far as the infrastructure we're almost at capacity, so this project really opens up much more land and expansion.

Becker has been trying to lure Google to build a new data center in its business park for several years now, adding the sewer and water is considered a big step in finalizing that deal. Pflipsen says they still chat with Google frequently and they're closer than ever, but it is not a done deal yet.

Back in December of last year, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded the project $760,000. Pflipsen says some of the pieces of the project have already been moving forward and a lot of the design work will be taking place now over the winter months.