St. Cloud Planning Commission Recommends Rezoning, Opens Door for Possible Cannabis Facility

(KNSI) — The St. Cloud Planning Commission unanimously approved a rezoning request Tuesday night that could pave the way for a cannabis cultivation and processing facility in the city’s industrial park near Apollo High School.

The property at 14 and 16 McLeland Road would return to I3 Planned Industrial zoning from C5 Commercial, reversing a change made just last year. The rezoning itself doesn’t approve any specific business; it simply restores the industrial designation to the 6-acre site.

Community Development Director Matt Glaesman told KNSI immediately after the meeting, “Tonight’s action would not in any way, require or even allow that cannabis facility. This is a first step of what would be two or more that would be required to allow the cultivation.”

Trantina Properties is requesting the change with the intent of turning the property over to Grow One, LLC, which would potentially operate a cannabis cultivation and manufacturing facility in the former Fingerhut/CompuCredit call center building.

Glaesman explained the existing C5 Commercial zoning only permits retail cannabis sales, not cultivation or processing operations. “The intention of the applicant is really to open a cannabis cultivation and processing facility, not a retail facility, so that’s where the industrial zoning district, the I3 that’s proposed, is required to grow and process cannabis.”

Two economic analyses submitted with the application project the facility would create 85 to 93 full-time unionized positions with an average wage of $63,000. The project could lead to an $11.5 million private investment in the currently vacant 112,000-square-foot building, which would house 20,000 square feet of indoor cultivation space plus processing operations, all completely enclosed.

An analysis by St. Cloud State University showed annual tax revenue is projected at $631,000, including $140,000 in property taxes split between Stearns County, St. Cloud Area School District 742, and the City of St. Cloud. When accounting for multiplier effects, the facility is projected to generate $19.6 million in total annual economic output across the St. Cloud Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Unlike retail cannabis dispensaries, the proposed facility would be a closed-loop manufacturing operation with no public access. Security measures would include an eight-foot-high, screened privacy fence, no public visibility of plants, engineer-stamped odor mitigation systems, and 24/7 surveillance with controlled access.

The facility would still need to meet state separation requirements of 500 feet from parks and 1,000 feet from schools. With Apollo High School nearby, the city council may need to grant a variance for the final plan to move forward. “There are some proximity issues where a variance might be required for this proposed cultivation facility,” Glaesman said.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation will go to the St. Cloud City Council for a final decision, which will include another public hearing. If approved, Grow One would still need additional permits and approvals before beginning construction.

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