Council to Decide Fate of 244-Unit Apartment Project on County Road 74

(KNSI) – A proposal to build 244 apartments along County Road 74 in St. Cloud faces its final test Monday night, when the City Council holds a public hearing and votes on the project.

The council meets at 6:00 p.m. at city hall to consider rezoning 45.9 acres at 3125 and 3143 County Road 74 from highway commercial to a planned unit development, clearing the way for The Flats on 74th.

The land is owned by Jubilee Worship Center, which would sell a portion to Keepers Development. Plans call for five three-story buildings on roughly 17 acres, along with a rental office, playground, sport court, dog run and 499 parking spaces. The church would stay on its own 8.8 acre lot, and nearly 20 acres near 33rd Street South would be set aside for future commercial development.

The Planning Commission recommended approval on a 4 to 1 vote June 9th. Commissioner Bill Malinen cast the lone no vote, arguing the land is prime commercial property that deserves more time to attract retail or offices. City staff pointed to the city’s 2024 housing assessment and weakening demand for commercial space since the pandemic, noting roughly 50 acres in the area remain open for commercial development.

Traffic was the top concern at the commission’s public hearing. County Road 74 carries about 5,110 vehicles a day, and city staff estimate the apartments would add roughly 1,327 more, well within the road’s capacity of about 10,000.

The project comes with conditions to protect two environmentally sensitive areas on the site, a cattail marsh pond and an oak woodland. Stormwater from the development cannot be discharged directly into the pond, and a 20-foot buffer must be maintained around both areas.

The developer will be responsible for installing public and private infrastructure, along with sewer and water access charges and more than $200,000 in park dedication fees that must be paid before the final plat is recorded.

The council is actually voting on five related items Monday, including the rezoning ordinance, the development plan, a small easement vacation, the preliminary and final plats and a development agreement with the builder. Each requires a simple majority of four votes to pass.

___