City adds two new projects to Urban Renewal Plan

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake City Council amended its Consolidated Urban Renewal Plan at its regular meeting Monday, Jan. 3.

The purpose of the amendment was to add two new city project areas into the plan: the South 15th Street Redevelopment Project and the former Woodford-Wheeler Redevelopment Project.

The South 15th Street project includes an inclusive playground adjacent to the City’s aquatic center. The land for the project was purchased by the city from Cerro Gordo County last year. 

The Woodford-Wheeler property, located on North 4th Street, will be used for future library expansion.

A public hearing is scheduled at the Council’s next meeting, Jan. 17, to consider funding for the South 15th Street Park.  A proposal to borrow an amount not to exceed $1.3 million will be voted upon.

At a recent City Council Workshop, cost estimates for the South 15th Street park were presented by Kristy Sagdalen King, design consultant on the project from Bergland & Cram.  Costs ranged from approximately $1.9 million to $2.8 million, based on features the design committee recommended.  

The City had budgeted about $1.8 million for the project and funds raised privately by the Everybody Plays Playground Committee has raised about $250,000 for the project.

At the workshop Councilman Bennett Smith said he favored proceeding with a state-of-the-art project even if it was on the high end of the cost estimates.  However, Council Representatives Gary Hugi and Mike Callanan both said they favored a more conser-

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vative approach that still met the goal of the playground.  

King agreed to return to the park’s design committee to develop a more detailed price estimate.  

In other business at Monday’s Council meeting, the  sale of 18-feet of city-owned land in the middle of the Emerald Edge subdivision to Sukup Ag LLC was approved.  The price $5,000.   The 64-acre property along US Highway 18 between North 14th and 20th Streets, will include a HyVee grocery store and convenience mart being built on a six-and-a-half acre parcel.

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