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Hello, again, everybody.

I'm Ray Gildow and you're watching Lakeland Currents.

Today we're going to be talking about economic development and growth, and it takes a village.

That's the term, I guess, I shouldn't be using but it takes a village to have any community growing and developing, whether that's a community of 50,000 or a community of 500.

It takes people cooperating together as a team to make it work and I've got a group here today from Staples who have been doing some pretty exciting things and they're going to introduce themselves and then we're going to talk a little bit about some of the things that are happening at Staples.

And Melissa let's start with you.

Sure, I'm Melissa Wyman.

I'm the economic development director for the city of Staples.

And how long have you been in that role?

I've been at the city of Staples for eight years and in economic development for about 12 years.

Okay and Ron.

So I'm the mayor of Staples.

This is Ron Murray Ron Murray, Staples mayor, relatively new at this job.

I got elected with the last cycle, so I started in January, so I'm on what month nine or 10, and I was a city councilman for the city of Staples for eight years prior to that.

And you are a physical therapist.

Physical therapist and I work at Lakewood Health System over in Staples.

Yeah.

And Jerel.

Jerel Nelson, city administrator.

And how long have you been in that role?

As city administrator going back to 2015 and then working for the city doing community development from 2008 and prior to that a contract position going back to '94.

And a lot of people would ask all of you what's wrong with you, why are you doing this?

I mean these are jobs typically that are challenging.

To get everybody on the same page in the community is not easy.

Chamber directors, for example, are, you know, look at some of the communities around they go through lots of chamber directors.

It's a challenging job but a very rewarding one I think and could you just talk a little bit about how you work together as a team?

Well, I think you know with just within the city of Staples obviously we have a council and mayor that we report to and different department heads that have different areas of expertise, but you know to go to what you were talking about, requiring a broader community effort, we've got a lot of different sectors within the community that work together.

I think of an organization that we have called LEAP, which is basically a networking group made up of LEAP: leadership, engagement, advocacy, and positivity.

And, you know, not only public sector people but also private business owners and managers that participate in that and keeps everybody informed of what's going on in the community.

And, you know, try to be a positive voice in the community.

I know the coronavirus really affected the Census Bureau, didn't it, when they were trying to figure out what the growth was in communities.

Do you have a sense, is Staples growing, is it maintaining?

Where do you think Staples is at?

Well, I don't agree with the 2020 census numbers for the city of Staples.

The amount of housing growth that we had during that 10 year period of time, knowing that all of that housing is full and yet our population basically remained flat from 2000 or from 2010 to 2020.

I think it's up a little bit.

State demographer's office shows it a little bit higher in their annual estimates.

But, yeah, I think Covid presented a real challenge to the Census Bureau and getting accurate numbers.

Just as a person who lives in Staples, when I drive around, I look at all the new apartment buildings that have been built, they're all full and, you know, we were talking a little bit about assisted living, they're all full.

So you wonder if we aren't growing and we just haven't seen those numbers officially yet, and I'm sure that's probably a case for almost all of our communities in our region that there's probably some growth there that we just didn't realize.

And the economy is doing really well considering the challenges that we're facing in the world.

Absolutely.

So go ahead Melissa.

I was going to say, I mean, with all of our housing developments we had four: one was a phase two of an original housing but within that 10 year, 7 year period even, there is over 145 units of multi-family housing going on that are full and at the time we did a housing study and we were less than 2% vacancy rate and we are still sitting at less than a 2% vacancy rate.

So that's showing that again, as you stated, it is full.

More people are coming.

And so the 2020 census, I mean I think it's always a guess anyways, but statewide and probably beyond, as you were stating, I've heard the same thing from other communities, especially smaller communities that they struggled with the results of the census as well.

Where are these people coming from and what are they doing when they come to Staples and move into these apartments and the houses.

It's speculation because they can't give me the actual data although I ask and ask and ask, but speculation is, you know, we have a lot of jobs in Staples.

I remember when I first came to the area I was told that this is a bedroom community.

It is not.

We have just as many people traveling to Staples as we have pretty much populated here.

I'd had to pull the numbers again, so I don't want to give exact numbers, but you know we almost double in size Monday through Friday based on the number of jobs and people that commute into Staples for work.

Wow that's interesting.

Yeah it's a very interesting little piece of data that I'm like wow.

Well, I think everybody's confused then, this isn't quite true.

And, you know, our mix of our economy, I mean we have high paying jobs, we have professional services, so between Sourcewell, you know, of course other government agencies but then we have healthcare and then we also have a good mix of manufacturing.

So we have jobs and people commute to us for those jobs and I think that's really a part of it is if people are looking to relocate into an area why not go to where there's a place to work and quality of life to live in.

It's kind of interesting that for many years Staples didn't grow and one of the things, Jerel you brought up in our pre-show here, was the highway change really impacted.

For people who don't know what that means could you tell us a little bit about that?

Sure.

Well, you know, Staples was kind of at the crossroads of Highway 10 and 210 and back in the late 60s, early 70s, you know, when MNDOT was doing the four lane bypasses all the way along Highway 10, they identified a corridor kind of looping up towards the north end of Staples for a bypass and that project was always on the future list and it was never getting done.

But I think the impact that that had on the the Highway 10 corridor coming through Staples was one of uncertainty.

The highway is going to move why would I make a substantial investment in a business that caters to highway traffic and that went on for decades.

We had businesses that built along the proposed north bypass corridor that never had a highway develop in front of their business.

But, you know, I think when in 2007 when the Highway 10, four lane Highway 10 through Staples, was completed, now there was certainty.

Everybody knew where the highway was going to be, and we've seen a lot of development along that Highway 10 corridor, and it's no accident that a lot of our current development, that's very visible, is happening along that corridor as well with the plaza, the Essentia clinic, railroad maintenance shops that are going up there.

We had Timberlake Hotel, new Casey's, you know a lot of that type of development.

Ernie's grocery store, you know, was built there after the highway moved.

So I think that, in my mind, is kind of what triggered the momentum that we are still enjoying today.

I know as I drive through town, and I live four miles out of town, but I'm amazed at all the places that there's development going on right now, it's really amazing.

Melissa what are some of the things that's happening in Staples?

So as far as the development that is going on?

I think Jerel mentioned it.

I can dig in a little bit deeper.

The Lakewood Plaza is happening right along Highway 10.

And what is the Lakewood Plaza?

So the Lakewood Plaza is a development by Lakewood Health System.

However they partnered with the Twin Cities Orthopedics, so TCO, they're building a space there for some orthopedic space, physical therapy space.

And then they're actually, in addition to, you know, just building what the TCO building was, they added three additional commercial units and so one of them is filled, a pharmacy will be going there, and then there's two additional commercial units that are available for new development and then up on top instead of stopping there they decided to take it to the next level and then add 11 apartment building or apartments on the second floor to add some additional housing in our community which is great.

Anything else that should be added?

Ron, as well as being the mayor, is part of Lakewood Health System, so in case I missed anything crucial on that one.

It's just going, the TCO part of the plaza, is going to sort of focus on performance type stuff for athletics.

It's going to be kind of a special niche.

I think that's what they're going to be shooting for mostly there.

Will there be a couple docs that are actually going to be working out of there or will they be coming through as needed?

Lisa might be able to speak more to that as a CEO, but I don't believe there's going to be any physician interaction over there, I think it's going to be solely rehab focus.

So they would go to that particular particular spot for the performance rehab and things like that.

Yeah.

And it's a beautiful facility.

It really is, and I think that I heard that some of the apartments on the upper floor would be for visiting specialists.

Yes.

I mean, of course you know, they've struggled with finding places for their visiting what is it specialists or even just traveling doctors and nurses and other staff.

So some of those will be reserved, but some of those will be open depending on what the demand is that they see there, but still having a place for those individuals is just as critical.

And then Essential Health, they are building a clinic in town right now as well, just off of Highway 10, but it could be just on Highway 10 you can see it directly from there.

That actually had a really nice component of some cleanup with an old motel there that, you know, didn't have the best appearance to be so visible from Highway 10, so it's going to be very nice to have a new development there.

Another healthcare option for our residents and surrounding residents.

And then, you know, the school is doing a lot of improvements as well.

Just talk a little bit about what the school's doing.

It's amazing to see when you're driving by all the structures.

Yeah, so what's happening at the school?

You know they have just completed a project or almost completely completed the elementary improvements.

So unfortunately our students at the elementary school hadn't had a cafeteria in many, I don't think ever, so it was always traveled over from the high school from their commercial kitchen down to the elementary and when my kids went to the elementary school, you know, it's cold.

It's just, I mean it's safe, but it's not as good as if they could cook it in house for them.

And then they didn't really have a good place to eat either.

I mean some of them, I think, were taking it back to their classrooms, other ones were using a multi-purpose room to bring their food down to, so it was just really not a great set up, especially for elementary kids.

So they were able to take the existing, what they were using as a gym, which as I understand it wasn't officially a gym to start with, and turn that into a cafeteria so they can, you know, have fresh, healthy, good quality food and a location to eat that food As well as one of the additions that they made is a new gym for those elementary students, so now they're able to access their new gym.

They had to go, I think it was, what 18 months without indoor gym space.

Is the new gym available now?

The new gym is available now.

So there's a floor in it and everything.

Wow.

Yeah competition gym so it's a full high ceiling with spectators.

There's spectator seating, some bleachers.

Wow.

And then how about at the middle school or the high school?

Middle/high school yeah.

So that is actually a collaboration between Lakewood Health system, I think First International Bank.

I believe so.

And then the school district.

And the city had some say but we didn't put the money in, so I'm going to not put us down as the money people, but they are building what is called the nest and that is kind of filling a gap between what our community center offers and what the school has, and then adding to what the school is offering as well.

So with that there'll be a walking track inside, I forget the square footage of the building, but there'll be a walking track on the second floor so that people can, it is also a spectator gym I believe or space and then I think what there's gyms, there's locker rooms, there's the school weight room.

Stuff will be a little different.

So like for the basketball games, for example, is that still going to be in the old gym or will the games be in the new facility when it's done.

I think it depends, but I don't really know.

Okay.

I don't know either.

I'm not quite sure and I don't even know if they know for sure what.

They just know that they actually needed more space and that they were missing some of these things.

I think the other component of the middle school/high school project was a air quality, you know, lots of HVAC type of work being done over there as well.

So school's making a lot of improvements there.

Was any of that school planning done in cooperation with you folks or was that more of an independent process.

A mix I think.

A mix yeah.

I would like Jerel to kind of take that question as to the plan.

Well, we've been, you know, we've been involved with the school know more from a building code type of standpoint related to the facilities.

I think the, you know, the nest project and kind of that expansion of the South gym has been more Lakewood and the school, you know, working on developing that facility, that's been talked about for a number of years.

That's really amazing.

Yeah and we're going to do some work on some of the side streets that are going to improve just that whole the look of the street, the quality of the street, and then some of the homes along there and the school's going to also piggy back in there and do some infrastructure right at the same time.

Yeah they've done a fair amount of that on the west side, the parking and that type of stuff but we'll be doing underground infrastructure, curb, gutter, sidewalk, kind of.

Is that all expected to be done then like next spring.

Was that '25?

Yeah we're looking at that as a 2024 project as part of a bigger, you know, project that we're trying to figure out funding for right now.

But we'll have projects on the west side of the school in 2024 and then Fourth Street, which is a county, state-aid highway.

We're working with Todd County and basically Fourth Street all the way to Warner will be reconstructed.

Oh wow.

And some of that, some of that reconstruction will also help that school because they'll be putting in additional and upgrading sidewalks that will get people from parts of Staples into that school for walking and things, too, you know, that we don't have now .Yeah it's kind of if you drive up Fourth Street, you see the sidewalks are a little disjointed.

To cross over the street, you know, we're going to do continuous sidewalks all the way along there.

What else you got there Melissa on your list?

Sure.

Actually one of the big areas that we've heard a lot of talk about over the many years, and especially now that Highway 10 is being developed, we started focusing on downtown revitalization as well and so we were fortunate to receive a grant from Blandin Foundation for $100,000.

That's all being invested into our downtown right now as well.

So we have community groups that are working on that.

There's two of them that have taken our downtown revitalization plan, which is more so a brainstorm, but it had a large group of community members participate and what they want it to look like, and then we were able to get funding to implement that plan especially on the place making side.

So we currently have a mural that just went up.

We're working on new banners along Highway 10, some lighting options in the downtown area to brighten it up and beautify it.

I think the unique one would be metal banners throughout the downtown.

If we can afford it, we'll do 84 metal banners that represent, have different images on them that represent our community.

And then way finding signage.

Will be done locally.

And will be done locally.

Yeah, we have a local metal craft, precision metal craft, I'll call him out by name, a fabricator.

A fabricator.

But he has a wonderful laser cutting machine that I know nothing about except that it can produce exactly what it is I'm looking for.

So that's pretty cool to me and so there's a bunch of that kind of stuff happening in addition to these large developments.

And I don't want to overlook our downtown.

Our downtown, unfortunately, has been overlooked a little bit and as Jerel mentioned that could have a lot to do with that swap of Highway 10 and getting comfort with how it's going to be now.

But now we have a large community group that's really focused on them and so they're leading the way and telling us what that $100,000 should be spent on so.

Is that part of the Tower Pizza mural?

That is the Tower Pizza mural that was funded through the Blandin Foundation.

That's very nice.

Yeah very nice.

And what else you got, I know you're not done.

Well, we have lots of projects coming up.

So we just got funded for small cities through the state.

So we were funded 948,750 but the city also put 125k as a community match into that and so we're going to be able to, starting this coming spring, invest over a million dollars into revitalization, redevelopment efforts in primarily single family homes.

So we have enough funding to do approximately 20 single family homes.

Really.

Yeah.

Where will they be?

Anywhere in the town.

So long as they qualify, they have to be 80% of the wage, and then also need the improvement.

So primarily what they want to focus on is weatherization, abatement, you know lead abatement, or asbestos abatement, that kind of stuff.

And then we'll be able to do five, or approximately five depending on the project dollar amounts, single family rental properties and then an additional five commercial properties.

So I know the Ives family, who built the hotel, are also doing a housing project, could you just briefly talk about that?

I would love to but I'm actually going to let Jerel and Ron take that one.

Yeah go go for it.

The owners of the Timberlake Hotel, they have a background in manufactured home communities, and have a lot of expertise in that.

They acquired a park in Staples that needed some love, to be generous, and was a mobile home park, old mobile homes that were in there that they removed and basically have come in and have four homes that are available for sale within those parks that got placed last week and should be basically ready to go here within about two or three weeks.

Wow.

And to comment on that, those are for sale.

Yep.

And they're going to add more aren't they eventually?

Yeah I believe phase one they're looking at 14 different lots.

Oh yeah.

Wow.

You know you spoke at the beginning about how progress and things don't happen without a collaborative effort and the Ives family have been a blessing to Staples as far as what they've done for us and their commitment to our community and, you know, what Gerald was speaking about, you know, just speaks clearly of that commitment they have for us.

I've worked with them a number of times and they're wonderful people to work with.

If you were to share with other communities that are sort of in a holding pattern, what would be some of the key things that they should be doing to get started doing new things, what could you share?

You know, I think from the city government standpoint, you know, to have the city and the city council be advocates for that growth and, you know, not to become an obstacle.

And I know in some cities, you know, everybody is is very concerned about well, we don't want to appear to give anything away, you know, we got to look out for, you know, for the taxpayers.

But we've been the beneficiaries of having a pretty good stable council that really wants to look at how we can grow, what can we do to help that growth along and that comes from, you know, from a staffing standpoint and a commitment to, you know, maintain an ongoing economic development effort over many, many years in Staples and then I think just the, you know, the partnerships within the community that we've developed over the years and other agencies and organizations.

Have you worked much with the University Extension?

Yeah a lot of information that we get from them.

They're great with the data.

They actually did our downtown revitalization plan.

You know there's been other just conversations of potential funding but then a lot of just more partnering and in leading and guiding us on how to do certain things.

You don't come in and know exactly what to do, not as an economic developer, because everything is different with every single project or every single topic and so learning the data and understanding, you know, what it is that you need and where to put it.

I think going back to your original question is, you know, what is it that is most critical to your community, how can you make that happen, and then meaning how can you make that happen.

Do you need housing?

Do a housing study so you can prove to developers or people who are interested in building in your community or in that area even you're going to be the first one because then they already know that you need this.

Same with if you're looking for industrial businesses or some jobs to bring to your community.

One of the things we have done is we have 60 acres of shovel ready land through the state of Minnesota.

We took the time, did the investment, did the studies, now we're looking for people to build on it.

But in the meantime, because of that recognition, I want to say that's how we filled all of our industrial buildings, we have no buildings available for new business, so we have 60 acres available to them.

I guess so kind of prepping your community to be able to say why wouldn't you come to us, we're already ready for you, and kind of that front end works so it simplifies things on the back end for them.

I know, you know, you went through the highway process going through the community.

Pequot Lakes has done the same thing, I think Wadena is going to be dealing with some highway issues going through there.

We're just about out of time, but if there's someone in an area that's going to see that kind of development, who should they contact from Staples to give them some hints and some guidance.

I'm more than happy.

I've had many conversations.

Call me.

Call Melissa at the city of Staples.

I have always been more than happy to work with other communities if they're either not sure what it is they need or what or if they just want to brainstorm with me.

I've always been more than happy to work with others.

More on a friendly type basis.

I have gone and done presentations for different groups on how to bring housing into your community or how to do certain different things that we've excelled at, so more than happy to help anybody.

I've lived in Staples over 40 years and I've never seen the growth and the development that's going on right now, it's really amazing.

So I think you and all the folks you work with are to be commended.

It's pretty exciting what's happening there.

So thanks for coming on board, we're out of time, but again, if somebody wants to contact you Melissa they can get a hold of you and I know Jerel you got a phone number, too.

I do.

Mr Mayor you probably stay away until the night cuz that's when you work outside your other day job.

Yeah exactly.

Exactly.

Thanks for having us.

Thanks for jumping on board with us, we appreciate it.

You've been watching Lakeland Currents.

I'm Ray Gildow, so long until next time.