Maple Grove ‘Project Libre’ Company Remains Mystery, Expects to Bring 500 Jobs
A 30-acre tract of undeveloped land at the northwest corner of Highway 169 and Interstate 94 in Maple Grove will soon be home to a Twin Cities company that is expected to bring 500 employees with it, city officials tell CCX News.
“It fits in very well for our goals to bring in jobs to the city, not just jobs but high-paying jobs to the city,” said Joe Hogeboom, Maple Grove’s community and economic development director.
The Maple Grove Planning Commission recommended approval of the development dubbed “Project Libre.”
Hogeboom said he could not yet reveal the identity of the company that wants to build on the site. But he did say that it’s a company currently located in the Twin Cities that has plans to expand with the move to Maple Grove.
The available land is on the south end of the city’s gravel-mining area. Hogeboom said he hopes it’s a catalyst for similar developments in that area of the city.
Rendering of proposed building for Project Libre.
“Probably 5-10 years from now this will look completely different, filled with businesses,” said Hogeboom. “It’s very lucrative because this is one of the last undeveloped pieces of land left in the Twin Cities on the beltline highway, so we think we’re in a pretty good position. But it fits in really well with our goals for the city.”
He also acknowledged that this region of the Twin Cities is a tough market for landing a development like Project Libre due to a variety of factors. He said higher land prices in Maple Grove make it hard to convince businesses to locate here instead of points farther northwest of the metro that also have access to major highways and residential development.
“We’re also right next to Brooklyn Park and Plymouth, which have very robust economic development in those two cities as well,” he said. “It helps us as a region, but at the same time there are businesses that we look at that are looking at other cities so we have to remain competitive as well.”
Work on is being done to prepare the site, including the removal of cottonwood and box elder trees, Hogeboom said. Planning documents show the design for a 244,000-square-foot, 2-story building that wraps around an existing wetland.
If approved, Hogeboom says the building could be open and operational within the next two years.
Rusty Ray reporting
Also See: Proposed Business Park Concept Aims to Attract High-Paying Jobs to Maple Grove
