Editor’s note: This Speakout was submitted by Brookings Mayor Oepke Ope Niemeyer.
We hear you, Brookings.
We know you want an additional grocery store option in our growing community. Thats why the City Council voted unanimously (7-0) on Nov. 14 to approve changes to a development agreement for the Brookings Marketplace.
The City Council and I believe the revised agreement is the best chance we have to bring a national chain grocery store to Brookings. Why? Because the grocer is already in talks with Ryan Companies, the Minneapolis-based developer that is working with the city. The grocer has specific location criteria; for Brookings, that includes a Sixth Street site only. We look forward to announcing the name of the grocery store in the future.
In March, the City Council entered an agreement with Ryan Companies to develop 18.53 acres of the Marketplace, which is city-owned land on the north side of Sixth Street and just east of Interstate 29.
Ryan Companies planned to bring in a large retailer as the anchor tenant in the development. Unfortunately, due to national economic changes and other circumstances beyond the councils control, the anchor tenant chose to not move forward.
News like this is one of the harsh realities of retail development. Weve all been disappointed before when retail plans for the Marketplace have fallen through.
Trust me Im as disappointed as you are. As a City Council member and now mayor, Ive been working to help develop this property for at least a decade. During this time, Ive learned that successful retail development requires an abundant supply of patience. Even under optimal conditions, it can take years for all the right pieces to fall into place.
As elected officials, we are tasked with helping grow our communitys economy. The city council is currently in a unique position to stimulate economic growth by working with a national real estate developer to transform the long-dormant Marketplace land.
The Ryan Companies is a highly reputable and experienced developer that has built successful retail projects throughout the country. While the revised agreement calls for development of 10 acres instead of 18.53, this is only the initial phase of the firms plans to fully develop the remaining acres.
Can I promise there wont be bumps in the road ahead? No, I cannot. But as mayor, I want to assure Brookings residents that the City Council is committed to continuing its efforts to develop the Marketplace into a retail center that serves you and our neighbors well.
If youd like to learn more about the councils agreement with Ryan Companies, I encourage you to go to www.cityofbrookings-sd.gov/CityCouncil to find links to the Nov. 14 meeting agenda, documents and video.
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