Getting Sites Document Ready
Getting Sites Document Ready
Document Ready Sites Strengthen the Region’s Business Development Program
“(MCCARA) is the largest shovel-ready site in the State of Minnesota, and this recognition makes this specific spot more attractive to companies and site-selection consultants looking for locations for business startups, expansions, and relocations…Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson”
Led by the Greater FM EDC and funded by Fueling Our Future and local property owners, currently, two regional sites are ready to begin marketing as Document Ready Sites, sometimes referred to as “Certified” or “Shovel Ready” sites.
The EDC has worked with multiple partners over the last two years to build the program and qualify sites in Moorhead and Fargo as document ready, which means that a significant amount of pre-work, identification and location of utilities, and technical reporting on the properties is complete. For example, to be deemed document ready, a site has completed a litany of technical work such as soil surveys, environmental assessments, wetlands mapping or endangered species assessment. The more technical reports completed, the higher the document ready certification – Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze.
MCCARA, Moorhead – Platinum Site
Moorhead’s MCCARA site is 197 acres and is at a Platinum level (the highest level available). The site is located just south of I-94 on HWY 52 in Moorhead.
Holmquist, Fargo – Silver Site
Fargo’s Holmquist Site is 111 acres and is at Silver level. The site is located at 37th Street N and 52nd Avenue North, the site is 111.7 acres.
In addition to these two sites, additional sites in Mapleton, Fargo and West Fargo have been identified for future certification.
“Having marketable business and industrial sites has always been important to a company’s site selection process, and to economic development in general, but it has become more critical than ever both because so many communities around the country have rapidly upped their game in preparing and marketing ready-to-go sites to companies considering expansion, and also since the pandemic, companies’ have had to doubled down on their speed-to-market which in turn has made the availability of document-ready sites an integral part of their location decision process – and therefore now essentially table-stakes for economic development efforts”, said Phil Schneider, Schneider Strategy Consulting, LLC. Schneider, a global site selection expert, has been consulting on the project and is certifying the documentation of the regional sites.
Document Ready Site Info
Of course the document-ready sites can also be found on our online commercial property and demographic GIS database, LOIS.
Tooled Up to Find the Perfect Commercial Property
Location One Information Systems (or LOIS), an online commercial property database, allows any prospective business to look for available properties. With the ability to layer on demographic and regional data, a prospective buyer can find the property that best fits their needs.
“Having a great relationship with the Great Fargo Moorhead EDC allowed us to provide the most up to date listing information available. The system is easy to use for potential businesses looking to come to our market. The LOIS system provides great demographic information for clients when we are recruiting new businesses to the area,” Justin Gustofson, COMEX President.
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