Bloomington to reject all building proposals for Hyland Greens Golf Course

Bloomington residents likely will have to wait until next year to learn the fate of the Hyland Greens Golf Course, which has suffered financially for more than a decade.

The City Council is expected to reject all housing development proposals for an unused 9.5-acre section of the course at a meeting Monday, according to city officials.

The proposals, which were not made public, came from four Twin Cities development groups: Chase Real Estate and United Properties; Hyland Green, an arm of developer Anderson Cos.; Ryan Cos., and Timberland Partners.

The council reviewed the proposals at a closed-door session earlier this week. It's expected to revisit the issue again early next year and possibly request proposals for the golf course property "with new parameters," according to a news release.

Glen Markegard, the planning manager for Bloomington, did not share what the guidelines might be or what was discussed at this week's meeting. Monday's vote has been placed on the council's consent agenda, meaning that a public discussion is unlikely.

The council in June requested proposals for residential projects on the east side of the course, down Normandale Boulevard to W. 102nd Street.

Hyland Greens, located on the city's west side, has recorded declining attendance in the last few years.

Hyland was subsidized with tax revenue of $225,000 in 2016 and $300,000 this year. It would need annual subsidies of $300,000 through 2025 to erase the deficit, according to a city analysis.

"The golf course has been losing quite a bit of money over the last several years," Markegard said. "It's not a local trend, it's a national trend hitting golf courses everywhere."

Profits from the sale of the land — valued up to $200,000 per acre for a medium-density project — could be put toward Hyland Greens and Dwan, the two courses owned by the city.

Hundreds of acres in golf courses across the Twin Cities have been converted into housing in the last few years, according to a recent analysis by the Star Tribune.

Most of those conversions happened in the west metro, which accounts for half the golf acreage redeveloped between 2010 and 2016.

"We have [a] strong need in so many areas, ranging from affordable housing to senior housing," Markegard said.

A study issued by the city's Housing and Redevelopment Authority and released this year showed the city may need between 1,455 to 1,895 new residential units by 2025.

It's estimated that about 44 percent of that demand would be for age-restricted housing, a result of the city's aging population, according to the report.

The study also outlines a growing need for affordable housing in the city.

Throughout the proposal stage, a group of residents called Citizens United to Save Bloomington's Public Land expressed concern about the city selling its green space. Group organizer Wade Lindgren did not respond to requests for comment.

The course is closed for the winter and is set to reopen in the spring.