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ARDEN HILLS EDA MEETING – October 23, 2023 3 vacant as well as the unnamed grocery store location and that she doesn’t have an understanding about how many businesses are vacant in the community. She wonders if this should be addressed under the EDA scope as well. EDA Commissioner Holden explained Pace wants a large amount of money for the property and said she is not willing to throw money after money just to pay someone the overprice for a piece of property. She noted there is a specific reason why the properties are vacant. EDA Commissioner Rousseau agreed and noted the environmental cleanup at Pace but stated she would like to use EDA time to have a discussion around this topic in the future. She said the last meeting talked about signs and asked when did the EDA produce anything of value? EDA Secretary Perrault stated the City participated in a business retention and expansion program previously. EDA Commissioner Holden noted multiple surveys had been provided to businesses and said that EDA members went out and talked to every business in the city. EDA President Grant said that the EDA facilitated installation of three gateway signs but didn’t recall the years. EDA Commissioner Fabel said the last minutes of the EDA had just one discussion about signs. He asked if the City was in the process of trying to get the EDA going again and recruiting people to sit on it. EDA President Grant stated there are already five people on the EDA. EDA Commissioner Rousseau asked if EDA Commissioner Fabel meant the EDC instead of the EDA, and then said the EDC would have its second meeting coming up. She noted the various topics the EDC would be addressing and stated she had been in contact with Ramsey County’s EDA as well as some of the City of Shoreview’s EDC members in order to obtain recommendations. EDA President Grant said he and Director Jagoe had been talking about this over the past couple of months and noted the area is ripe for redevelopment. EDA Commissioner Monson stated the City could rezone that area and make it more attractive for businesses to come in. EDA Commissioner Holden stated there has been development over the past several years such as businesses like Dunn Brothers, Starbucks, Lexington Station Phases I, II and III and that it was not like they haven’t done anything for years. She stated again that developers that have been trying to buy the Pace property can’t afford it because an out-state Pace rents it from someone in New York. She said Pace is paying the lease and they aren’t about to give it up until they can get a break from the owner. She said the detailer guy is making money hand over fist and that’s a good business right now. EDA President Grant commented that the Welcome Back to Lexington program probably wasn’t funded by EDA funds.