Cold Storage Project Advances

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is taking the next steps on the newly acquired Blake Road Cold Storage site.

The district closed at the end of September or beginning of October, Eric Evenson, the district administrator, told the on Tuesday.

It’s now in the process of developing a management plan for the site, which businesses will continue to use at least until the last of the leases expire in three years.

Safety is the district’s first priority, Evenson said. The building uses anhydrous ammonia, a chemical classified as toxic and dangerous for the environment. The company that previously managed the building will help develop that plan.

“We aren’t experts in running a cold storage building,” Evenson said.

The next step will be to put out a request for proposals to market the building for development. Evenson said there is already interest in the site among the development community.

The city, which envisions the Cold Storage property as a key part of community development, will work with the watershed district on marketing.