Owner of former OJ Juice site outlines delayed grant application, plans demolition this fall

Phil, the new owner of the former OJ Juice site, introduced himself to the Lindstrom City Council and described his plan to slow the project timeline to allow neighbor coordination and a stronger state DEED grant application. City administrator Dan introduced the item as an informational presentation; no council action was requested at this meeting.

Phil said his family business focuses on senior-care and underutilized-site redevelopment and that the commercial portion of the site will be approached carefully. "We are gonna take down the building this fall," he said, adding that demolition will allow the site to be presented more clearly to potential commercial users. He told councilors he expects to return in roughly a year with serious land-use applications and to complete the DEED grant application by the Feb. 1 deadline.

Council members raised neighborhood, contamination and timing concerns. A councilor asked whether previous industrial uses could have caused cement contamination; Phil said hazardous-waste teams had cleared the building and that testing and any necessary remediation will be part of the process. Phil said he has begun light conversations with adjacent property owners and intends to include neighbors in planning.

Dan explained the sequence: a DEED grant application would come first, followed by land-use applications if funded. Staff said the August grant round looked competitive and that delaying to build a more shovel‑ready application could improve the project's chance of funding. Council members reiterated support for workforce housing on the site while emphasizing the need to grow the city's commercial tax base.

The presentation concluded with an invitation for Phil to engage with staff and neighbors. Phil said he is open to further conversations and will work with city staff on permits and the application package before returning to council.