Dion Warne News Today

(Willmar MN-) A member of The Willmar 10 Investment Group says Willmar city leaders seem to be going against a trend of trying to help keep struggling shopping malls alive.

Councilors approved placing the question of whether or not to move the community center and city hall to a renovated JCPenney building at Uptown Willmar on its next meeting agenda, with some cautions.

Andy Weiner is the president of RockStep Capital, which owns the Willmar and many other mall and retail outlets in the U.S. Three members of the Willmar City Council said this week they don't trust mall ownership.

The Willmar City Council decision that will be made at its Monday, July 17, meeting will allow Willmar Municipal Utilities to move forward with its long-term plans that have been delayed for months due to council indecision.

A very rough estimate of the cost to completely reconstruct the approximately 27-acre Uptown Willmar parking lot is $6.5 million to $10.4 million, which is more than the estimated taxable market value of the Uptown Willmar property. Grant funds toward a stormwater project are being sought this summer.

The proposal to renovate the former JCPenney building in Willmar into a city hall and community center has led to a lot of community discussion regarding the Willmar Ten Investors, the Uptown Willmar mall and its parking lot, as well as the JCPenney building itself. Some of the information that is circulating is simply incorrect.

Willmar Ten Investors design concept for converting the former JCPenney building at Uptown Willmar into a combined city hall and community center would cost approximately $18.2 million to $20.7 million.

Willmar Ten Investors on Monday presented its design concepts for a combined city hall and community center at the former JCPenney building at Uptown Willmar.

Since February of 1980, Willmar Ten Investors have been purchasing blighted properties in the city and redeveloping them into tax-generating properties.

One of the items included in the city of Willmar's extended contract with BKV Group, not to exceed $15,000, is a site concept and cost estimate for remodeling the JCPenney building in the Uptown Willmar mall.