Sauk Rapids Community Profile
Sauk Rapids: City on the Rise
It began with a single house in 1851, nestled among oak, maple and basswood trees. Within just four decades, Sauk Rapids was rapidly becoming one of the most important cities in the young state of Minnesota, with the first state newspaper, ample regional commerce, its own schools, and several churches.
With plenty of land available at the time, the citizens of this city could have abandoned it when a tornado plowed through in 1886, destroying almost every store and settlement, and killing and injuring hundreds. While some did settle to the west to support the emergence of St. Cloud, those who remained have sustained a historic legacy that now contributes to one of the fastest growing regions of the state.
With its unofficial motto, “Rising Above the Rest,” Sauk Rapids still offers the kind of affordable, small-town life that urbanites seek with a commitment to education, recreation and smart growth. With a new visioning task force and comprehensive planning group collaborating on its course in the coming decades, Sauk Rapids is becoming a renewed city of opportunity.
Vital Stats
Located off U.S. Highway 10, about 70 miles north of the Twin Cities, Sauk Rapids is home to more than 10,000 people and was listed in the 2000 Census as the fastest growing city in Benton County. The city offers a town center of local services winged by industrial parks and residential communities between Minnesota Highways 23 and 15. Sauk Rapids also has maintained its historic connections to the Mississippi River, a source of pride among residents. “We have16 city parks, and much of this land is along the river,” notes Todd Schultz, community development director.
Sauk Rapids is an established community with tremendous growth potential. An estimated 66 percent of residents own their homes, and building permits for housing in 2005 are ticking well ahead of 2004 numbers, according to city records.
With retail trade listed as Benton County’s largest industry, Sauk Rapids is where Minnesota-based Coborn’s Inc. established its first grocery store in 1912. In 1993, a pilot Corborn’s super store was introduced at the site of an existing store downtown. Sauk Rapids also is the headquarters to several companies recognized in recent years for their strong business skills. They include:
Playhouse Child Care Center, a multi-pronged childcare services firm, 2003 Small Business of the Year
Bauerly Bros., an aggregate, concrete and asphalt supplier, 2001 Entrepreneurial Success Award recipient
C& L Distributing, an Anheuser-Busch distributor, 2000 Small Business of the Year
Source: St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce
C&L Distributing set up primary operations in 1980, and has additional locations in Glencoe and Brainerd. The company is currently completing an expansion project. “Sauk Rapids is centrally located for our whole territory,” says Bernadette Perryman, co-owner, vice president and general manager. “It’s a great place to grow and there are a lot of new businesses around us that we use for basic essentials.”
Sauk Rapids is the primary city in Benton County for industrial and commercial development, says Nancy Hoffman, the county’s economic development director. “The city provides the bulk of our industry, with three nice industrial parks and good employers that are very diverse,” Hoffman said.
Education also is a strong component to life in Sauk Rapids. District #47 includes an early childhood center, three public elementary schools, a middle school and high school. With annual growth averaging three percent, the city completed a new high school, which opened for the 2003 school year, and coordinated effective re-use of existing school buildings. The campus near the high school includes a park and athletic fields that will be used jointly by the district and community, promoting wise use of taxpayer dollars.
The city also offers two parochial elementary schools, Sacred Heart Catholic School, and Petra Evangelical Lutheran School. Prince of Peace (formerly Trinity) elementary school moved to a St. Cloud campus in fall of 2005.
Future Focus
Strong leadership is at the foundation of a visioning task force funded through a $10,000 Initiative Foundation grant. Called “Celebrate Sauk Rapids,” the task force of about 25 citizens continually seeks public input and acts as the voice of the community for the city’s future growth and way of life. A comprehensive planning group, hired by the city, provides plans of action to provide pedestrian safety, crosswalk signage, and new welcome signs to the city.
The city has already taken action on several projects that will support sustained growth. A new water treatment plant was completed in the fall of 2003 at Minnesota Highway 15 and Benton Drive. A two-phase public works facility was also completed that winter. A new water tower, near the high school, was built to support adequate water delivery to the city. A new fire station will be constructed to replace the old facility, which will be in the way of the new Sauk Rapids Bridge. In addition to the fire station and bridge, Benton Drive will be reconstructed in 2005 and 2006. The new plan includes efforts to make the downtown more attractive by adding medians, and more green space and trees.
To prepare for future residential and commercial development, Sauk Rapids established an orderly annexation agreement with Minden Township in 2002. The agreement was designed to allow annexation as needed and avoid leapfrogging developments and sprawl. Because of this agreement, planners expect the city to grow east along Highway 23 and Mayhew Lake Road. Several developments have already occurred in this area, and several of them are multi-use combining single-family homes, multi-family homes, and in some cases, commercial development. Several parcels of land within the annexation corridor have been rezoned agricultural, a more restrictive classification, to allow adequate consideration of appropriate future use, according to Schultz. “It’s like a clean slate,” he said.
Development to the east is a primary focus of the comprehensive plan as well as redevelopment of older parts of the city and a vision for downtown. Now that the bridge is finally coming, the city has been able to plan for reconstructing the new downtown, which will feature architectural design standards for new construction, more green space, ornamental lighting, decorative crosswalks and other amenities that will make the new downtown a more desirable place to conduct business.
The city will be responsible for relocating up to 20 businesses due to the new bridge design, which will reroute traffic over the railroad tracks and align it with Second Street for a straight shot to Minnesota Highway 10. The plan also includes upgrades to Benton Drive, which together with the bridge, should significantly improve transportation in and around Sauk Rapids.
Bruce Campbell, former HRA chair, believes Sauk Rapids has one of the best situations. Campbell says the city has the ability to create a downtown that will use the river as an attribute. “It’s really a beautiful setting. At the same time, we don’t want to lose [any businesses], so our challenge is to find the best locations for accessibility and to make it pedestrian friendly,” Campbell said.
Planning also takes money. To assist with some specific improvements, the city passed a half-cent sales tax increase in November of 2001. Residents voted on future uses of the tax to include a possible community center, riverfront and downtown improvements, and upgrades to the city ice arena. It became clear a community center was unfeasible after the cost estimates, so the city chose to focus the money on the riverside parks and the downtown.
Local Flavor
To have a true community, there must be more to it than places to live and work. Sauk Rapids has relied on a combination of natural resources and involved citizens to enhance its way of life.
To have a true community, there must be more to it than places to live and work. Sauk Rapids has relied on a combination of natural resources and involved citizens to enhance its way of life.
You see it in the close-knit neighborhoods where children still turn out in droves for Halloween. The post office, bank, or gas station offer familiar faces among staff and customers. Local events draw current and former residents back to the river and area parks with their children and grandchildren.
Sauk Rapids is home to "Rapids River Days," an annual three-day event in June. It features the Miss Sauk Rapids Scholarship Pageant and the Rapids River Days Parade, combined with the popular Rapids River Food Fest. All provide a fun-filled, family atmosphere to celebrate the spirit of Sauk Rapids.
The Miss Sauk Rapids Scholarship Pageant kicks off the festivities at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School in the Performing Arts Center. Admission tickets are sold at the door. More than a dozen candidates vie for scholarships including $1,500 for Miss Sauk Rapids, $750 for First Princess, $500 for Second Princess, and $250 for Miss Congeniality. Cash and prizes are awarded to the Evening Gown/Poise/Personality winner and the candidate selling the most raffle buttons. Candidates are juniors or seniors in high school and must be residents of Sauk Rapids or Rice. Candidates are judged on several categories: Personal Interview, Community Service/Involvement, Essay, Evening Gown/Poise/Personality, and response to an impromptu question.
Thousands line the streets for the Rapids River Days Parade. The route begins near Pleasantview Elementary School, follows Sixth Avenue, and ends on First Street South near the Sauk Rapids-Rice Middle School. The parade features numerous marching bands from across the state and region, providing superb musical entertainment for all ages. Local businesses and organizations participate with floats and units, highlighting the business community and those serving the area.
The Sauk Rapids River Food Fest is hosted in the city’s tree-filled Municipal Park along the Mississippi. Organizers recruit 25 food vendors, live music, craft booths, amusements, and kids' games. The Sauk Rapids Fire Department hosts a water ball fight with several area departments, helping onlookers beat the heat. Free admission, free parking, and free shuttle bus service is provided. Tokens are purchased for food, beverages, beer garden, and games. The Sauk Rapids River Food Fest raises thousands of dollars for local community groups such as scouting, churches, civic groups, and sports teams who assist on the day of the event.
Sauk Rapids also is home to the annual Benton County Fair, which encompasses several days of carnival, livestock, and community attractions in August, and showcases the tradition and evolution of agricultural and domestic skill in the region. The fair has been a summer staple here since 1912.
There’s more. Sauk Rapids is home to 16 city parks offering playgrounds, a wading pool, picnic areas, walking trails, ice rinks, ball fields, and tennis and basketball courts. Residents can bike, walk and ski along the river as well as enjoy pocket parks built into their own neighborhoods.
For armchair sports enthusiasts, Sauk Rapids offers a unique venue on Golden Spike Road that has entertained residents and visitors since 1961. The popularity of NASCAR auto racing in recent years has further increased interest and attendance in the summer stock car races Sunday nights at Golden Spike Speedway.
Attracting between 900 and 2,000 fans each week, the short third-mile, banked clay track offers a three-hour show of various race classes, including a new teen class for drivers ages 14 to 17. Owner Aron Peterson, who purchased the speedway in 1978, says drivers and fans travel from across the state to participate. Area companies are showing their support with increased sponsorships and advertising.
“Through the early ‘80s, I couldn’t walk into a business and expect people to understand what we were doing here,” Peterson said. “Now I hear from four or five new businesses each season that are interested in being involved. It’s exciting.” Gates at the track open at 4 p.m. Sundays between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends, and the racing starts at 6:45 p.m.
Sauk Rapids also has a strong focus on volunteerism, evidenced by the recipients of the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award since1987. The award recognizes outstanding community service in the Sauk Rapids area. Recipients are chosen based on their community dedication and volunteerism. For more information about the Chamber’s Citizen of the Year award, contact the St. Cloud Area Chamber at 251-2940.
School Keep Pace with City's Growth
The population of the City of Sauk Rapids grew over 50 percent between 1990 and 2004. That kind of growth affects all aspects of a city, including education.
In a unique arrangement, the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District and the City of Sauk Rapids joined forces to purchase property on the east side of Highway 10. The result is a $47 million, 360,000 square foot, two-story high school situated in a 250-acre park preserve. Superintendent Greg Vandal refers to it as “the jewel of the whole community.”
From an educational standpoint, the school, which opened fall 2003, was designed and built with maximum flexibility, according to Vandal. There are spaces that can fit learning environments of all sizes, from one-on-one to large groups, not just classrooms that fit 25-30 students. “We can mix and match spaces much more cost effectively,” Vandal noted. From the nature perspective, this collaborative effort allows for recreation of all sorts, from hiking and cross-country skiing to baseball.
The new high school can hold over 1,500 students in grades 9-12. Enrollment this fall is about 1,300. The school’s design is separated into three houses, creating a smaller school feel. The administrators and architects planned for future growth because the design will also accommodate a fourth house, which would increase the total possible enrollment to 2,000. “We want to make certain that all of our students have the benefits of a small school environment and yet have access to the programs and services of a larger, comprehensive school,” Vandal commented.
Because the project came in under budget by about five percent, the planning team was able to make some upgrades on the durability of the building. The floor is finished with terrazzo, a 75-year product, instead of vinyl, tile or carpet. Burnished block was used instead of concrete block throughout the facility. In addition, the heating was upgraded to a higher efficiency. “Adding to the life of the building translates into long-term savings for the tax payers,” Vandal said.
The opening of the new school caused a domino effect with the remainder of the school district’s buildings. The “old” high school was reopened in the 2004-2005 school year as a beautifully remodeled middle school with a building capacity of 1,200. The old middle school was renovated into Mississippi Heights Elementary, which serves a K-5 population. Pleasantview Elementary School also began serving K-5 students in the fall of 2004. In November of that same year, the oldest building in the school district was reopened as the Hillside Early Childhood and Adult Basic Education Center. Extensive renovation has given new life and grace to that 1928 facility. Even Rice Elementary, which remained a K-5 program, has seen the positive effects of building construction. The school, located in Rice and currently serving just under 350 students, added air conditioning—just as the rest of the buildings now have—during the summer of 2005.
In addition to the public school system, Sauk Rapids has two private elementary schools:
* Sacred Heart Catholic School for kindergarten through grade 6 with an average enrollment of 190.
* Petra Evangelical Lutheran School (Wisconsin Synod) for pre-K through grade 8 with an average enrollment of 20-25.
Diane Hageman is owner of Hageman Marketing Communications in St. Cloud.
Parks, Bridges Will Spur Economic Growth
Growth in the City of Sauk Rapids has nearly filled the city’s three Industrial Parks.
Sauk Rapids Community Development Director, Todd Schultz, says that the Housing and Redevelopment Authority has been investigating sites for the next city industrial park. “Right now, we have focused on two different locations and are in the process of investigating the costs of providing the infrastructure,” Schultz said.
In July of 2003, the city began a complete revision of its Comprehensive Plan. New factors, including an orderly annexation agreement with Minden Township to the east of the city, and renovation of the local bridge leading to the downtown area, have changed the picture of future growth and development. The plan was completed and adopted in early 2005 and also includes a plan for the downtown, the first time that the city has had such a vision for this area. The downtown plan features architectural design standards for new construction, significant green space, and emphasizes movement of pedestrians in the downtown area.
Schultz expects the downtown to remain the primary center for local services such as banking, floral, dry cleaning, and grocery, but as areas to the east develop commercial pockets will be allowed to help support the number of people living there. He speculates that eastern development will likely include more services to support the new residential areas, anything from convenience stores to a neighborhood pizzeria.
To help the downtown survive the impact of construction of the new bridge, the city has received $8 million from federal and state sources to mitigate the affect that the bridge will have on the downtown. “We will use that money to rebuild the businesses that are lost because of the bridge project, but they will be rebuilt with the new architectural design standards in mind. We have a great opportunity to make Sauk Rapids downtown a destination place in the St. Cloud area,” Schultz said.
In addition to recreating the downtown, providing more industrial capacity and retaining existing manufacturers was also a major goal when planning for future land use of the city. The Sauk Rapids economy has relied on a diverse mix of industry and will work to maintain it through diverse industrial sites. “Although we have a long history in certain industries such as woodworking, it wouldn’t be fair to say we are targeting a particular use or industry,” Schultz said.
For example, construction management firm R.A. Morton and Associates is completing a fifth phase on its Benton Business Park in Industrial Park South to support small office and office/warehouse tenants. Approximately 20,000 square feet of additional space is available this fall. Existing tenants include Curves for Women, EBSC – Employee Benefits of St. Cloud, Bridging Inc., and Charter Media.
Benton Business Park also has become home to R.A. Morton itself, says CEO Preston Euerle. “We were in downtown St. Cloud for 15 years. When we completed Phase IV it seemed an excellent time to move to this area where we have good access to major roadways and parking,” Euerle said. “The city has been easy to work with as well.”
In Industrial Park East, the city’s newest industrial site, Kay/Bern Properties, LLC in partnership with the Sauk Rapids HRA, has constructed a 140,000 square foot industrial building in two phases to accommodate several start-up and expanding businesses. This facility is the largest in Industrial Park East. The newest addition to this park started construction in July 2005. Pioneer Panels (manufacturer of window jams) and its subsidiary, Closet Logic (a closet organizing company), is expanding their business that is currently located in the city’s oldest park, Industrial Park South. The new location will provide this company with the added benefit of higher visibility on Highway 10. The new building should be occupied by November 2005.
Additional expansions have occurred at the headquarters of C&L Distributing on Industrial Drive South, where 50,000 square feet of controlled environment warehousing and 10,000 square feet of expanded drive-through areas for trucks are expected to increase employment from 60 to 75 people in the next five years.
Good access to major roadways, combined with available land, should help Sauk Rapids retain its title as the fastest growing city in Benton County. The Minnesota Department of Transportation’s continued pursuit of an additional river bridge connecting Interstate 94 and Highway 10 could also support the city’s growth. “As the area grows, we expect to see more congestion to the south,” said Nancy Hoffman, Benton County economic development director. “A local connector just south [of St. Cloud] into Sherburne County would be beneficial.”
New Housing Hits Record High
The numbers may not seem staggering when compared to a Woodbury or Apple Valley, but new housing in Sauk Rapids has appeared at a record clip the past two years.
Sauk Rapids is an established community with tremendous growth potential. An estimated 66 percent of residents own their homes, and building permits for housing in 2005 are ticking well ahead of 2004 numbers, according to city records. Several new residential communities are adding to the inventory, while some existing homes are getting a makeover through redevelopment incentives.
Croat Kerfeld Homes, Inc. is developing a new neighborhood after great success with the Church Hill East neighborhood. Over the past two years, 75 percent of the home sites have been sold in the Church Hill East area, located off Golden Spike Road and 10th Avenue NE. Just to the south, Windsor Estates has approximately 48 new home sites. The plan includes two cul-de-sacs, an attractive feature to homebuyers. “The larger sites allow for a calmer play area for families,” says marketing director Joni Brown. Windsor Estates and Church Hill East have an adjoining walking trail, so the two neighborhoods can benefit from all the sidewalks. Both are located within easy walking distance of the new high school and Sacred Heart Church. In addition to the residential commodities, the two neighborhoods have easy access to Highway 10 for work, lakes, or a commute to the Twin Cities, according to Brown.
Autumn Ridge, another community within walking distance of the new high school, is a master planned neighborhood on 140 acres. A variety of homes are available, from single-family starter to upscale homes, patio homes and town homes.
As this new housing develops in the east, one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods could get a needed boost in curb appeal. In conjunction with the Sauk Rapids Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and a Minnesota Housing Finance program, four substandard homes on South Broadway were torn down and rebuilt for their owners, prompting surrounding neighbors to begin their own beautification projects, according to former HRA chairman Bruce Campbell. The next step is to acquire a grant through the Department of Trade and Economic Development that would allow the HRA to provide a combination of low-interest loans or grants to about 22 additional residents of South Broadway for housing improvements.
Such programs not only improve overall property values in the city, but also increase the availability of quality, affordable housing among older housing stock, Campbell says. “Affordable housing does not always mean brand new. We have a lot of older homes that with a new roof, siding, paint, heating and wiring, can be made safe and affordable.”
With new starter homes in the $140,000s, Sauk Rapids is already far more affordable than comparable housing in Twin Cities suburbs, making it an attractive location for people to stretch their housing dollars.
Reprinted with permission from September 2003 Business Central Magazine.