Sartell Makes Bonding Request For Healthcare District

(KNSI) – Sartell officials welcomed state lawmakers on Thursday, pitching them on a vision for the Central Minnesota Healthcare Hub.

It consists of about 750 acres in the southeastern portion of the city, across from the CentraCare Plaza and future University of Minnesota medical school. Capital Investment Committee Chair Sandy Pappas told KNSI News on the tour she was surprised by how expansive the healthcare and medicine footprint is in the area.

“I was amazed at all the medical facilities here. When they talked about it being a medical hub, I thought two or three buildings. But we drove around for 20 minutes, and on every street corner, there was another medical building.”

Officials say if the city would finance the infrastructure improvements needed, it would cost about $70 million. The bus drove along Dehler Drive, which was redone with bonding money from a previous session. It helped pave the way for the expansion of St. Cloud Orthopedics.

The city wants help improving Leander Avenue, where a large daycare will open next year with a capacity of 170 children. The lawmakers were also shown the River Crossings development, now anchored by an Aldi grocery store. The district would cater to medical professionals and be a place where they could live, work, and find plenty of recreational opportunities.

The area is on the Sartell/St. Cloud border. Pappas tells KNSI News that showing a broad regional benefit is important when asking for state funds.

“We get a bigger bang for our buck when we do that, and we do like regionalization of projects. Clearly, this type of project impacts a great number of people in central Minnesota, and there’s a huge need for it.”

Lawmakers also heard requests locally from Holdingford, St. Cloud, and Sauk Rapids Thursday. It was part of an informational tour that covered the entire state.

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