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Developers eye former Ford garage site; Waverly EDA plans April outreach to downtown property owners
Summary
The Waverly EDA logged about 25 development inquiries, including interest in the former Ford garage for an auto-repair facility (up to 40,000 sq. ft.) and a possible 20-unit apartment; a downtown property-owner meeting is tentatively planned for April ahead of spring 2027 water and sewer work.
The Waverly Economic Development Authority discussed several developer inquiries for downtown parcels and plans an outreach meeting to connect owners and prospective businesses.
Consultant Robin Caufman said staff have tracked about 25 calls from people interested in development, building or property improvements. She described interest in the former Ford garage site from an auto-repair business that may need about 40,000 square feet and from a construction company exploring the same location between MnDOT property and the railroad. She also said a commercially zoned lot previously considered for apartments has an owner interested in a 20-unit apartment building; current zoning allows mixed-use but not straight residential development.
Caufman described a difficult residential lot near Lake and Elm where repeated attempts to develop multiple units were scaled back to a single-family sale because of poor soils requiring specialized foundations. She also said some property owners are considering expansions of quad-home rentals and that the city may create online property listings with zoning details and utility availability to make it easier for developers to find suitable parcels.
Commissioners discussed timing: the city plans water and sewer line replacement in spring 2027, which could present an opportunity for property owners to coordinate improvements with the city’s infrastructure work. The authority tentatively scheduled a property-owner meeting in April and discussed inviting City Council and Planning Commission members to participate to improve coordination.
