Looking to buy a city hall? You're in luck.
For roughly the price of a couple of first-class stamps, Forest Lake's old city hall could be yours — as long as you tear it down and build market-rate housing, some commercial space or a mix of the two.
The 76-year-old building and the 2.6-acre site it sits on in the north end of the downtown business district are now available for just $1 — as long as a developer meets the conditions of an incentive package City Council members approved earlier this month.
Other enticements, such as tax-increment financing, could come into play if the buyer adds other features, such as a parking ramp with public access. The incentives will be available for six months, after which the city will re-evaluate the offer.
City leaders see redevelopment of the property as key to ongoing efforts to stimulate downtown growth and add momentum to a modest recent rebound.
"I want to get that downtown area growing and get that [property] back on the tax rolls if possible," Mayor Stev Stegner told council members in announcing his support for the incentive package.
The city is willing to offer the low price because it prefers to have the site redeveloped rather than have the building reused. If it's reused, the asking price for the property jumps to $750,000.
Forest Lake initially received inquiries from parties interested in reusing the building at no cost, an option the city chose not to pursue, City Administrator Aaron Parrish said. The $1 sale incentive, however, has drawn interest from developers contemplating redevelopment.
