Sartell’s Mill Development May Include This Parking Solution

The city of Sartell continues to move forward with plans to develop the old paper mill site.  Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum joined me on WJON.  He says the vision for the property includes trails, green space, residential, commercial and some sort of activity/sports feature.  Fitzthum expects the property to be a gathering space and he acknowledges the need for parking.  He says there is a possibility they would create a parking garage to accommodate this need. Fitzthum says they'd like to not have numerous surface parking taking up space on the property.  He says to prevent this they'd like to create an appealing facade making the parking garage less of an eye sore.

Fitzthum says there are over 330 homes that are on the Mississippi River between the Sartell Dam and the Rice Bridge with no recreational ability or any stopping point. He says this will be a great draw for boaters and those living in the community.  Fitzthum's intention is a make this location a year round destination.  Some possible options could include a curling facility, pickle ball, and/or a brewery.

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Fitzthum says the plan is to make the Mill District property available on the market early in 2025 with the expectation to sell the property to a developer that same year.  He says the first step is to have a someone act as a realtor who would represent the city to find a developer interested in the property and to sell it at a fair price.

If you'd like to listen to my conversation with Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum, it is available below.