Minneapolis has a simple message for Edina and St. Louis Park: Show us the money.

As the two suburbs work on proposals for a 15-acre woods now used as an informal dog park, Minneapolis — the owner of the land — hasn't budged from its initial bargaining position.

And that is: We want an offer by Nov. 14, and we want the market price.

The land was acquired by Minneapolis decades ago from Morningside, which later became part of Edina. It straddles the border of Edina and St. Louis Park on the west side of France Avenue at W. 40th St. Residents of all three cities use it as a dog park, a mountain bike track, or just an unspoiled place to hang.

Now Minneapolis wants to sell, and says it will put the land on the open market if its neighbors don't buy it. An assessment showed the land could bring as much as $1.5 million if developed for single-family housing.

The mayors of Edina and St. Louis Park recently asked Minneapolis for an extension on the deadline. They're getting their own assessment done, and the two city councils have formed a joint subcommittee to work on the issue. More than 40 people attended a meeting last month to discuss the future of the land, and several neighborhood groups are lobbying to keep the woods undeveloped.

"People have been really working across city boundaries to collaborate, to make sure this is an asset that gets preserved," said Lesley Lydell, a Linden Hills resident and frequent user of the park.

"The thing that's really remarkable about the park: It is the best example of collaborative management and a sense of engaged community that I've ever seen," she said. "It's dog users that installed garbage cans, and who collect and clear out the waste. Just about everybody picks up trash. It's a rarity."

Minneapolis spokesman Casper Hill said the City Council and the administration are discussing whether to give the neighboring cities more time to work up a proposal. But one thing hasn't changed, he said: "We want market value."

John Reinan • 612-673-7402