St. Cloud City Council Unanimously Approves Annexation for Future Stearns County Justice Center

(KNSI) – The St. Cloud City Council voted to approve annexing land from St. Joseph Township that will house the future Stearns County Justice Center at Monday’s meeting, with county leaders making the pitch in person.

Council Vice President Dave Masters expressed disappointment that it didn’t happen sooner. “I’m just saddened by the process, because at no time did the county come to any kind of meeting with the city council to discuss moving county offices out of downtown St Cloud. And I felt that that was something that should have been done.”

Masters says he pushed for that show of cooperation to occur before the county put the issue up for a public referendum last November.

On Monday, the council listened to County Administrator Mike Williams give an address during the public hearing, and then Masters personally requested that the commissioners in attendance say their piece. Teryl Clark of District 1 and Bob Johnson of District 4 both spoke. The council vote ended up unanimous, 6-0, with one member absent.

The county will have the final say on who purchases the old property in downtown, but Masters would like to see an inclusive process to allow for as many options as possible. “I would like to keep it open to all options, and take a look at them and weigh what would be best. The courthouse is an iconic structure that can’t be demolished. It’s historic and so forth, and so that’s right in the center of that property, so something that would maybe tie in with that.”

Construction on the new justice center won’t be complete until at least 2029, so there is plenty of time to give the land along 1st/2nd Street North new life and create a destination landmark where the jail and courts are today.

The county is responsible for extending infrastructure and utilities out to the site at the corner of County Roads 75 and 134. The city controls much of the rest of the project’s timeline, as it is responsible for an environmental review of the site, rezoning, approval of a development agreement with the county, and issuing construction permits.

Monday’s vote by the council will allow the county to purchase the site as soon as this week.

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