2014-05-01 Flynn Support Letter for Retail Use58 10TH AVENUE SOUTH
4aDb� WAITE PARK. MN 56387
PHONE: (320) 253 -0003
GRANITE CITY FAX: (320) 253 -0006
REAL ESTATE WWW.G RAN ITECITYPROPERTIES.COM
City of Albertville May 1, 2014
RE: Parkside Commercial Center
Please allow this letter to demonstrate my support for Pat Flynn and United Development
Group. Mr. Flynn has contacted Iny office with an interest to construct a new commercial
building in the Pai cside Commercial Center. He also advised me that he would schedule
a meeting with city staff concerning the project.
I am a partner in Merlin Bird Properties LLC, the ownership group of Parkside. My
company is also the property manager for the development. We have about 10 years'
experience in the commercial real estate market within the city of Albertville. Granite
City Real Estate was the original development company for the owners of Shoppes at
Prairie Run and the Shoppes at Towne Lakes, Phase H. We continue to manage Towne
Lakes which includes the Country Inn and Suites, D' Michael B's, Perkins and some
retail buildings. Even though we are a St Cloud based group, our commercial real estate
experience in Albertville and the surrounding communities is quite extensive.
We support Mr. Flynn's proposed retail use for the "frontage lot" at Parkside even though
the city has guided the entire project for professional office use. I hope you consider these
important points and allow a variance for the "front lot" at Parkside to be used for retail
use
1. The proposed new building would be immediately next to Casey's General Store,
a gas station and convenience store. The location is "commercial frontage" along
Co Rd 19 which is a traditional retail use in most communities. Access to the
property would be shared with Casey's and the existing approved access to
Parkside.
2. The immediate neighborhood already includes the Coborn's Plaza and many other
retail users.
3. After 10 years, the Parkside Commercial Center has not succeeded in attracting
tenants or buyers for "professional office" space and therefore almost 2 /3rds of
the development remains bare land. If the "front lot" is developed, we feel the
second office building will follow within a reasonable amount of time.
4. It is my opinion that many commercial developments were approved in the late
90's and early 2000's with drastic land use restrictions and covenants that now
make those projects unsuccessful. Parkside is a good example of that problem.
What might have made sense 10 years ago during a different economic climate no
longer- applies. We have seen many communities review, adjust and modify land
use restrictions that were too restrictive and no longer meet the real market
demand. Left unchanged or modified to meet market demands, those projects will
never succeed.
i The owners of Parkside fully support keeping the "professional office use" restriction for
the existing office building and the proposed "twin" building site that is next to the
residential neighborhood. We feel the second office building can be successfully
developed, if United Development Group is allowed to move forward with a high quality
retail building on the "front lot ". After review of Mr. Flynn's proposal, we hope you
agree that the highest and best use for the subject property is now, and always has been
retail. Approval of Mr. Flynn's proposal will ultimately be good for the city and its
citizens, his client, and the Parkside Commercial Center.
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Please feel free to contact me with 4ny questions or concerns and thank you for
considering our opinions about the actual market demands for commercial real estate and
the restrictive zoning for this particular lot in the Parkside development.
Regards,
Merlin Bird Properties, LLC (Owner of Parkside)
Granite City Real Estate, LLC
Jim Pflepsen, President /Broker
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