Plans for redeveloping the former State Farm headquarters complex in Woodbury got their first review — and approval — by the city's Planning Commission last week.
"The community's been waiting a long time for something to pop with this," said Al Rudnickas, a member of the commission, which unanimously approved the site plan and other permits allowing the developer's proposal to transform the nearly 100-acre site along Radio Drive near Interstate 94 to proceed.
The next stop is the Woodbury City Council, which will first review an environmental assessment of the proposed redevelopment on July 30. A final decision on approval is expected on Aug. 6.
If there are no hitches, construction on the first of what will be several phases of the redevelopment could start as soon as September, and the first new retail buildings could open by next spring, said Eric Searles, the city's senior planner.
"We certainly hope this is a three- to five-year development for all of the space, but it's market-demand-driven," Searles told commissioners.
Florida-based developer Elion Partners, in a joint venture with Kraus-Anderson Cos. of Minneapolis, plans to keep the massive former State Farm headquarters building intact and remodel the 400,000-square-foot space, most likely for several users. The building was completed in 1994 and employed about 1,500 people worked there, but it closed 12 years later when State Farm moved the headquarters to Lincoln, Neb., to cut costs.
It's a complex development, with a variety of issues related to parking, stormwater management, tree replacement and other tasks. But Searles said the goal is clear: "To create a vibrant environment with a mix of complementary uses that will ultimately position the existing corporate campus to attract high-quality tenants."
Plans also call for adding 20 buildings at the site. Searles said those include smaller stand-alone buildings that will add about 75,000 square feet of office space.