by Dennis Dalman
news@thenewsleaders.com
A purchase agreement for a former landfill site that is currently owned by American Iron and Steel Development was approved by the Sartell City Council at its Oct. 11 meeting.
The 167-acre site, once used as a landfill by the Verso Paper Co., is located on Fourth Avenue S., south of the former Sartell Police Department.
The reason for the city’s purchase agreement is to obtain control of that former landfill site because some years ago AIM Development intended to open it again as a landfill. Because that land is in the heart of Sartell and because of its location near the Mississippi River, in 2016 the city of Sartell began litigation with AIM to prevent it from using the acreage as a landfill.
Sartell plans to dig up and/or close the landfill, plat that land and sell it for future development, which could recoup the purchase costs for the city.
The council’s agreement does not guarantee a sale. Rather, if any amendments are requested to the agreement by either party, it will come back to the council for approval. However, if the purchase agreement is agreed to by both AIM and the city, both parties will have 90 days to meet the proposed conditions of the agreement and then proceed with closing the deal.
It should be noted the land in question does not include the former Verso paper-mill site, which is also owned by AIM. However, the purchase agreement does require that AIM plat the paper-mill property in preparation for a known sale to a private party for future development.
On Memorial Day morning of 2012, there was an explosion and catastrophic fire at the Verso paper mill. It took 14 fire departments several days to extinguish the fire completely. One male employee was killed; four were injured. In August 2012, the Verso Co. announced the mill would close permanently, sending shock waves through the area. For 107 years, there had been paper-production at that river site on the west side of Benton Drive. It provided well-paying jobs and a solid tax base for Sartell. The industry went through various owners and names throughout the decades: Watab Pulp and Paper, St. Regis, Champion International, International Paper and Verso. At various times, the facility produced newsprint, paper for magazines and books and other forms of paper used by printing companies.
After the explosion/fire and its permanent closing, the Verso property (including the landfill property) was purchased by AIM Development, which demolished the buildings on the paper-mill site, sold salvageable items and recycled all of the rest over a period of months.
For years, there were discussions in the city of what that site could contain someday, such as a new industry, commercial developments, a park with recreational amenities and other options.
