City staff: vacant nursing-home property is hazardous; council told Feb. grant deadline cannot be met, staff will pursue August funding and MnDOT study

City staff reported that a vacant nursing-home property in Cannon Falls has been the subject of break-ins and vandalism and described the site as hazardous.

John, a city staff member, told the council that a different owner or partner on the property will be the primary point of contact going forward and that the city has advised that staff not enter the structure except for absolute emergencies. "The property is hazardous and ... we don't want to be sending staff in there unless it's an absolute emergency," he said. He added the owner is "actively trying to sell it."

John said he sent information and an application for the deed-redevelopment program, which can provide funding for demolition in order to prepare sites for redevelopment, but the council would not be able to meet the Feb. grant deadline because a council meeting and required documentation were not available in time. He advised the next deadline is Aug. 1 and said staff will work with the owner to secure the property and, if appropriate, pursue funding for demolition and redevelopment.

Separately, John said he and Bill submitted a request for MnDOT Local Partnership Program (LPP) funding through District 6 to pay for a design-alternative study at the intersection of Dow and 19, including the on-ramp. The stated goal of that study is to identify improvements that would better accommodate redevelopment of the nursing-home property in the future. No formal council vote or directive to award funds was recorded in the transcript; staff described next steps as outreach and grant preparation for the August deadline.