More than 30 years ago, some builders scoffed at developing in Maple Grove, a small city of about 20,000 residents surrounded by farm fields and gravel mining pits.
"Not much is going to happen here," they told Al Madsen. But Madsen, then the city's economic development director, saw potential.
"You have this blank canvas and you could design and shape it," he said of the large northwest metro suburb. "That's been the fun part."
After overseeing the city's unprecedented explosion in development, first as the city's economic development director and then in the top spot as city administrator, Madsen is retiring this fall.
And it turns out, he was right years ago. Over his 32 years with Maple Grove, the city has blossomed into a large suburb, with 64,000 residents, 22,000 households and development now filling 75 percent of its 23,000 acres. The most visible transformation may be the 3 million-square-foot hub of restaurants and retail off Interstate 94 — second in concentration of restaurants and retail in the metro to the Mall of America, Madsen said.
"He had a key leadership role in making sure all those projects … were done," said Mayor Mark Steffenson, who helped select Madsen as city administrator in 1997. "He's very dedicated to the city."
The city is accepting applications for the position until July 30. Then the City Council will select a new top leader in September, with Madsen officially retiring Oct. 30 — only the fourth city administrator in Maple Grove's history.
Development taking off
After a stint at the state level, Madsen joined Maple Grove in 1983 as its economic development director. He was in the spot for 14 years before becoming city administrator.