ESSBY Industrial Park, North Branch

The ESSBY Industrial Park project is approximately 400 acres of land being developed by the City of North Branch. The project was started by the City’s EDA to provide for industrial and commercial grow within the City. The project started in 2004 when the City purchased a majority of the land and consulted WSB to complete an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR).

The AUAR provided the City with important planning tools such as transportation, utility, and storm water management plans. This comprehensive planning effort has been a key component to the City from an infrastructure standpoint as well as from a financial standpoint.

The key infrastructure planning and construction components of the project include:

1. Development of a regional storm water management facility that extends the length of the development. Construction of the regional pond is designed to occur in phases as development progresses, eliminates the need for individual ponds as sites develop. It is also designed as a site amenity including open space and a trail system. Lastly, the soils generated as part of the pond construction are utilized within the adjacent properties to provide adequate building sites consistent with an overall grading plan for all 400 acres.

2. Several transportation improvements, including:

• Reconstruction of Chisago CSAH 30 at 400th Street to allow for an at-grade crossing of 400th Street at the BNSF Railroad tracks
• Construction of 400th Street as a divided parkway with a landscaped median, irrigation, and trail system
• Construction of a roundabout at the entrance of the development that connects the primary collector roadways
• Planning for a future overpass of I-35 at 400th to provide a key connection between the east and west portions of the community

3. Construction of trunk municipal utility infrastructure to serve the development. This includes both onsite and offsite improvements, including the extension of sanitary sewer from the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility.

The infrastructure costs for the entire development, once completed, are estimated at $28 million dollars.

Client: City of North Branch
Completion: Ongoing