On Tuesday night the Northfield City Council approved purchase orders for two properties, one at 411 Water Street, which is being referred
to as the Ameriprise building, and the other at 115 5th Street West, which is the Northfield News building, in downtown Northfield. With the purchase of these two properties, the council and the city end one chapter in the very long running quest to build a new municipal liquor store and begin another.
A statement released by the city said the acquisitions would facilitate a mixed-use, multi-story project serving other complimentary private and public uses.
The city has been looking for an opportunity to expand the Municipal Liquor Store, which opened in 1948, for at least twenty years if not longer. The “Muni” has been a very successful venture for the city, and all of its profits directly support other public services and projects. The idea of expanding to maximize those profits only makes sense, and Mayor Rhonda Pownell said a project like this could bring other benefits to the city as well.
“It’s just a unique opportunity, and I think it’s going to help us bring forward a potential redevelopment that would expand on that riverfront corridor, intensify some uses there and really bring a new vibrancy and energy to that whole corridor there adjacent to the post office.”
Additionally, she said this project could open even more possibilities for the update of Bridge Square.
“The council really likes to think big picture, and there might be some important opportunities to take advantage of when you’re looking at how should the area really be redeveloped to ensure that we have greater connectivity connecting both 4th Street and 5th Street. Those are really important things to keep in mind as we move forward.”
Moreover, she said, the real estate with the greatest tax value per acre in Rice County is Downtown Northfield, so constructing a multi-use building to re-develop the area will bring in the best possible tax value.
“It’s not that we shouldn’t expand on the outskirts (of the city),” she said, “but intensifying the uses of our downtown core is financially beneficial for the city over the long haul.”
City Administrator Ben Martig said the city has agreed to purchase the Northfield News Building for $1.2 million and the Ameriprise building for $900,000. The money to pay for the properties will come from existing, undesignated reserves in the water and sewer funds. They will provide a temporary internal loan until more permanent financing is secured.
The plan is to demolish the existing liquor store and the Ameriprise building and construct a brand-new building that will be far more spacious and up to date than the current store. In the meantime, the liquor store and its operations will re-locate to the Northfield News building.
There is no word yet on what this means for the future of the Northfield News.
Martig said the city will close on the Ameriprise building in May and the Northfield News building sometime at the end of June. A statement issued by the city said a project page will be created on the city website over the next few months to track progress and share updates.
Laura Baker looking for funding and staffing solutions
Laura Baker Services Association is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year and its rich history of helping people with intellectual and
mental disabilities. But even as they savor the successes of the past, the organization is facing strong challenges in the present. They are taking innovative steps to help their position, and they are asking for help from outside sources as well.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been hard on nearly every business, but the heatlh care industry has been hit especially hard, and any discussion of staffing problems almost always starts with full time care living facilities. LBSA Executive Director Sandy Gerdes said staffing is one of their largest challenges at the moment. LBSA hit their low point in staffing at the end of 2020, she said, and they have bounced back some, but the number of staff they currently employ means they are having to limit the amount of people they can serve. Gerdes said they need to fill as many as 14 full-time positions to get back to pre-pandemic levels of staff and service.
Part of the difficulty in hiring new staff is in the pay they can offer. New employees are typically paid in the range of $13 an hour, and Gerdes said in order to be competitive that wage needs to increase to $17. A 30% increase is not possible when they are not generating as much income because of the limitations of how many they can serve, yet they cannot increase their service number until they hire more people.
It’s because of that impossible situation that they are asking the legislature for help. Gerdes said the vast majority of LBSA candidates are funded by Medicaid, which covers 60% of costs. Traditionally, Laura Bake has filled in the other 40% through donations, but they are asking the state legislature to help fill in the remaining amount of their budget. She said funds to help the elderly and the disabled are being offered by the state but organizations like theirs are very often cut out at the last minute. The state could go a long way toward helping the disabled by funding them right now.
Other ways they are filling the gaps is by offering more services to families. They recently began their Family Navigation program which helps families of disabled people to find the help and resources they need. They have also recently established a housing stability program and will soon offer a behavioral intervention program as well.
Gerdes said all of this is important because so many disabled people become marginalized by society, instead of being appreciated and supported for who they are.
“This is an opportunity to highlight people with intellectual and mental disabilities, their space in the community, and to encourage people to see them as valued members of the community. You look at what they have to offer. They can be valued workers. They can be valued friends. And then you look at what do they need to live the lives that they choose.”
Working at Laura Baker, said Gerdes, can be a rewarding experience. She said anyone looking for work or thinking about making a change in their work situation should contact them or visit laurabaker.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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