Last Thursday evening, members of the City Council, Economic Development Authority, Housing & Redevelopment Authority, Parks & Recreation Committee, Planning Commission and Public Works Committee met to collaborate with a panel of development professionals through the non-profit organization, Urban Land Institute (ULI) Minnesota.
ULI Minnesota calls the workshop, “Navigating Your Competitive Future” and walks those in attendance through a short presentation of the community’s demographics (ages, housing types, incomes, poverty rate), visibility and connections to transportation, and then guides a panel of development professionals through a discussion with City and community members. This team demonstrates how leaders and residents can discover and envision appropriate types of development, (using identified demographic information) and which policies and practices should be strengthened, to attract development opportunities that would benefit the community in the future.
This event was held, in part, to help the City as it updates the existing Comprehensive Plan, that was adopted in 2013. The workshop has already sparked conversations on: park planning; addressing under-developed property in planned unit developments and in the central business district; expanding the diversity of committee memberships, and; improving community engagement.
If you are interested in joining the conversation, or have suggestions/opportunities to share with the City of Pine City and its current leadership regarding this project, please call City Hall at 320-629-2575 or email: [email protected].