This drawing shows the layout of the proposed business park which will be located on the north side of Wells.

Though still in its infancy, plans for the Wells Business Park, formerly known as the North Industrial Park, is gaining a lot of momentum.

Already, ideas for the eight-lot business park, which is located across Highway 22 from Herman Manufacturing in Wells, have begun to take shape.

City Administrator Robin Leslie says Wells has tried development previously in that specific area of land not once, but twice already.

However, this time, Wells may actually see the project come to fruition.

“If the plan goes all the way through, then we will have to start working on utilities first. Once roads and utilities start, sales and land transfers can happen,” said Leslie.

Plans for the Wells Business Park have included creating preliminary and final plats for the project as well as a preliminary engineering report.The plat drawings and engineering report were reviewed by the Wells Economic Development Authority (EDA) just this past Wednesday.

“The EDA gave their blessing and approved the preliminary and final plats and preliminary engineering report last night,” said Leslie. “Next, the project will go to the Wells Planning and Zoning board on June 6, then to the City Council on June 13. After that, they are recorded at the county level.”

Earlier this year, Wells even received a grant from Minnesota’s Transportation Economic Development Program to the tune of $550,000.

Those dollars are said to be used to create two turn lanes off of Highway 22 and to help develop the business park lots.

The plans are in place for the park, but what about the businesses? If Wells builds it, will they come?

Leslie shares the Wells Business Park already has interested buyers in building on business park lots on both local and retail levels.

Leslie shares Ron’s Plumbing, HVAC & Electric in Wells has expressed interest in purchasing at least one lot, if not two to lease out the other one for a renter. She also emphasized retail businesses have also called expressing interest in purchasing lots available in the new park.

“The reason retail businesses are already asking us about the park is because it is prime territory for them. It is right on Highway 22, where there is at least 5,000 cars of traffic on that stretch of road every day,” says Leslie.

But, before Wells gets too excited, they have to know that with a new development comes new utilities and possibly new taxes.

A key component to any large project is money, which is what stopped the development from happening twice before. But, Leslie thinks that is well-covered, too.

Besides the grant dollars rewarded to the city, the city’s audit came back in good financial standing, which means the city may have wiggle room in their budget to keep moving the business park project forward.

Originally, the entire project was set at $2.8 million, which has now come down to a maximum of $2.4 million according to Leslie.

“We hope to bond for no more than $1.5 million and then use other funds if possible,” she says. Leslie’s hope is to impact the city’s tax levy as little as possible when funding the business park project.

Even if everything is in place for the development plan, there have still been mixed feelings from the citizens of Wells.

Leslie, who is aware of those mixed feelings, says that development is necessary for the future of Wells.

“In order for any city to grow, we need development. We have a brand new school, and have invested many dollars in city projects over the past few years to improve our city. If we can fill the Wells Business Park, not only will we have more jobs, more people and more houses being filled in the city, the load of the tax burden will be better dispersed for the tax payers.”