A new year has begun, promising answers to many questions for the city, the Northfield Area School District and, as a Presidential Election Year, the holders of several local elected offices.
Conversation about Northfield City Government was dominated by two topics, the first was the construction of bicycle lanes throughout the city and the second was the Downtown Redevelopment plan. While the bicycle lane conversation will continue for many years to come, the plans for Downtown Northfield are in flux. After the Lander Group pulled out of the project as the designated preferred developer in October, city staff has decided to take the opportunity to reassess the plans for a new municipal liquor store and the and accompanying parking structure at the intersection of 5th & Washington Street and the possible construction of a hotel at 5th & Water Street. The Bridge Square redevelopment plan is likely going to be delayed as well due to questions being raised about the significance of an archaeological find. New timelines for all projects are expected to be established sometime this year.
The redevelopment of the former Archer House site is expected to begin sometime in 2024. After the Heritage and Preservation Commission approved a Certificate of Appropriateness for the current design of what is being called “The Archer,” which will include retail space, apartments, rental lodging, and at least one restaurant, the project only requires the City Council’s approval of a Tax Increment Financing plan to get underway. That approval could come as soon as the Council’s first regular meeting of the new year on January 9th, one week from tonight. When construction might begin is a bigger question, as the developers might wait for the Federal Reserve Bank to cut interest rates, as authorities have indicated, will likely happen over the course of the year.
Another question the city will have to address this year is about what to do with the Northfield Ice Arena. Options on the table include maintaining the building, which is seen, almost universally as an inadequate facility, sell the building and the land to an interested party and build a new ice arena, or complete the sale, allowing for the demolition, and decide to no longer operate a municipal facility with ice.
Other City projects include Comprehensive Plan, Road Construction
Meanwhile, another project upon which the city has embarked is a new Comprehensive Plan. The Northfield Planning Commission, along with the Comprehensive Steering Committee, will spend the better part of the year creating a document to serve as the overarching vision and set of goals for the development of the city over the next twenty years. Comprehensive plans are usually updated every 10-12 years. The current plan was approved in 2008, so a new plan is somewhat overdue. The Northfield Community can expect to hear quite a bit about the planning process over the next twelve months. Recommendations are expected to be given to the City Council at the end of the year.
The city will have three major road construction projects this year. Wall Street Road and Spring Creek Road will be completely reconstructed, as will 8th Street and sections of Winona, College, Fremont and Water Streets. Jefferson Parkway will undergo a mill & overlay makeover and some redesign work, including the construction of sidewalks and a compact roundabout at Roosevelt Road. Preparations for the section of the Mill Towns Trail that will run parallel to Jefferson Parkway will begin as part of the project as well. Perhaps the most impactful project of the year, however, is the county’s construction of a six-legged roundabout at the intersection of Highway 19 and I-35. That project is expected to begin sometime in March and finish in October.
Election Year will see several offices decided
Finally, the election in November will be a topic of discussion all year long. This is a Presidential election year, and the primary season will begin on January 15th with the Republican Iowa Caucuses, which will be followed by the New Hampshire Primary on January 23rd. Offices in the State of Minnesota that will be decided this year include the Senate seat currently held by Senator Amy Klobuchar, and the 2nd Congressional seat currently held by Congresswoman Angie Craig. In the statewide races, the Representative for District 58A, a seat currently held by Representative Kristi Pursell, will be on the ballot. Pursell declared for re-election last month. As of now, she has no declared challengers, but announcements will be expected in the coming weeks.
The two-week declaration period for Township Elections opens today and will remain open through the 16th of this month. At least one seat will be on the ballot in each of the Rice County townships, as will several township clerk positions. Township elections will be held on March 12th.
The seat on the County Board of Commissioners that has been held by Commissioner Galen Malecha since 2007 will be on the ballot. Malecha has not yet declared for re-election, nor has there been an announcement made by any challenger.
Four spots on the Northfield Area Board of Education will be on the ballot. The seats currently held by Board Chair Claudia Gonzalez George, Vice-Chair Corey Butler, veteran board member Amy Goerwitz, and Noel Stratmoen, the longest tenured member of any school board in Minnesota will all be decided in November.
Residents of the Northfield Area School District will also likely be asked to vote in a referendum for renovations to the Northfield High School building. The referendum could also potentially seek funds to build a new high school.
Finally, the City of Northfield will decide on seats for the City Council. Those held by Councilors Jami Reister, George Zuccolotto, and Brad Ness will all be on the ballot, as will the mayor’s seat, currently held by Mayor Rhonda Pownell. No announcements have been made by the sitting councilors yet, nor has there been an announcement from Mayor Pownell. A few members of the community have expressed interest in running for mayor, however no filings have been made public yet.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
