9.27.10 | Thomas Lee

Heavy floods may delay construction of Elk Run BioBusiness Park

Is it my imagination or does the Elk Run development project in Pine Island, Minnesota, seem a little… what’s the word I’m looking for?… oh, yeah… cursed?

Don’t believe me? Well, let’s examine events from the past 12 months or so.

Last October, federal agriculture officials had sharpshooters kill the 560 elk that lived on the property after discovering three of the elk had contracted chronic wasting disease.

A poor economy has repeatedly delayed construction on the Elk Run BioBusiness Park, backed by San Francisco-based investor Steve Burrill.

And now this: heavy rains and floods wreaked havoc on Pine Island and surrounding communities last week.

Pine Island Mayor Paul Perry estimates that 150 homes in the city have suffered flood damage, according to the Post-Bulletin in Rochester. The city’s waste water treatment plant was shut down because of the flooding, prompting city officials to ask residents on Friday to limit their use of water for laundry and showering.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty already has declared a state of emergency in the area and will seek federal aid.

Tower Investments, the real estate firm developing Elk Run, had hoped to break ground on the project in October. But given the damage to Pine Island’s infrastructure, that looks increasingly unlikely.

Chronic wasting disease? Massive floods?

What’s next? An earthquake?

Thomas Lee

Thomas Lee was the Minnesota Bureau Chief for MedCityNews.

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Tags: Elk Run BioBusiness Park, Minnesota, Steve Burrill, Tower Investments

Comments Post a comment

I just felt the earth shake…..

Comment by David Swensen — September 27, 2010 @ 10:30 am

Tom: Your article above along with its title contains wrong information. I have no idea how you arrived at your “conclusion” that the Elk Run project will be delayed? Please re-read Jeff Hansel’s blog at the PB to get the real news. Or better yet contact City Hall or others like Tower Investment people directly to get the true story. This way you will be really reporting facts instead of personal musings.

Abraham Algadi, Pine Island CIty Administrator

Comment by Abraham Algadi — September 27, 2010 @ 7:18 pm

Please see below contrasting Tom’s article with actual reporting
Source: Jeff’s blog “Pulse On Health” Rochester Post Bulletin

Flooding doesn’t affect Elk Run timeline…

The project manager for the Elk Run biobusiness park in Pine Island, Minnesota says flooding in Pine Island will not affect construction of the first building at the site.

“Our land didn’t get flooded. We’re high and dry,” said Geoff Griffin, who works on a contract basis on behalf of California-based developer Tower Investments, Inc.

Griffin said the Marks family, which owns Tower, “wired in money” and set up a storage facility for use during the flooding. According to Pine Island city administrator Abraham Algadi, Tower donated $10,000 for flood relief to the city. A payloader and backfill material such as gravel was also made available by Tower

If you need to use the payloader or to get backfill or other assistance, call the city at 507-356-4591.

Pulse on Health
By Jeff Hansel, member Association of Health Care Journalists
Health Reporter for the Post-Bulletin newspaper, 18 1st Ave. S.E. in Rochester, Minnesota 55904
Twitter Hansel’s Pulse: @Jeff Hansel

Comment by Abraham Algadi — September 27, 2010 @ 9:31 pm