Sauk Rapids Considering Creation of EDA Board

SAUK RAPIDS -- Sauk Rapids is in the process of creating an Economic Development Authority. The city is also considering dissolving the longtime Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

Community Development Director Todd Schultz says over the past several decades the HRA has been focused on cleaning-up blighted properties in the city while moving forward a new EDA would prioritize new business growth.

They've been so engaged over the last 30 or 40 years or so that there really aren't a lot of those types of properties left in the city anymore, so we're really more focused on economic development activities such as bringing new businesses to town, creating new jobs, and those are things that are a better fit for an EDA than an HRA.

Schultz says the city wants to continue to focus on development in the downtown as well as along Highway 10 and Highway 15.

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During Monday's meeting, the city council will hold public hearings for both the creating of the Economic Development Authority as well as the dissolution of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority.