by Dennis Dalman
A former Sartell community director and assistant city administrator, Anita Archambeau, spoke at a special meeting of the Sartell City Council recently, updating plans for development of the former paper-mill site.
She worked for the City of Sartell for 20 years until July 2019, at which time she resigned to move on to another job opportunity.
Archambeau, who has her own consulting business in Illinois, was hired in February 2023 by Sartell to provide a “Mill Property Master Plan and Redevelopment Strategy.”
The paper mill, a virtual bedrock landmark of Sartell for a century, closed permanently in 2012 after a fire and explosion killed an employee and damaged the facility, after which its owner, Verso Paper, decided to shut it down completely. Most everything on the site was demolished by a company that bought it and then recycled much of the waste. The city now owns the large site on the east side of the river.
In her update to the council, Archambeau reviewed the history of the paper-mill site and talked in detail about a survey about how residents would like that site to be developed. One thousand people took the detailed online survey prepared by Archambeau and city staff. Most want a mixed-use development plan for the site: recreational, commercial, some kind of housing.
Archambeau updated the council on next steps: concept plans, opportunities for open-house meetings with the public and noted she will have complete the full report by the end of this year.
The city council, in turn, gave input to Archambeau. The city wants to be sure there will be sufficient access to the site, along with housing so any businesses there can be compatible with residents living on the site.
Archambeau will provide more updates as fall approaches.
Anita Archambeau
