BROOKINGS In recent interview with the Brookings Register, City Manager Paul Briseno touched on a variety of topics, including that construction is going very well at the $86 million Brookings Marketplace development.
What Ryan Companies told us is that well see steel and wall starting to go up in mid-July on Target, and so thats going to be exciting to see, he said. Footings are going in right now as we speak on Aldi. What we know is that Aldi and Target should be completed mid- to late summer of 2026.
Briseno added that, Kwik Star wont start construction until next spring just because of their timing, but as you saw on the south end of town, Kwik Star doesnt take much time to build their facilities. About this time next year, we should be getting ready for some ribbon cutting.
Regarding the fourth parcel of land at the Marketplace, he said Ryan Companies has the option to purchase those three acres of city-owned land and is pursuing commercial tenants.
The reality is, they hope that the momentum with Target opening, Aldi opening, Kwik Star, that site fully developing, that that will help them perpetuate that development of that site, Briseno said.
Looking ahead, its possible development could also begin in the years ahead on the city-owned Wiese Addition, which is directly north of the Marketplace land. He said the City Council has to decide what its plan is for that land before that can begin, though.
Up to this point, its been, Lets just wait and see, Briseno said, adding that once the Marketplace development fully matures, itll really open up some possibilities.
New police, fire facilities
Briseno said the citys responsibility with taxpayers dollars has paid dividends, with nearly $17 million socked away over the years for the eventual construction of a new public safety facility.
Most cities dont have this type of reserves built up, he said. Because the city of Brookings is so financially conservative and responsible, weve built up reserves for required projects the City Council wants to do.
Plans for a new public safety building are one such example. Most communities will pay through a bond, increased property taxes for such a facility, Briseno said. Weve raised enough cash through reserves, by saving money, to pay for that almost entirely with cash. Thats how fiscally responsible and prudent we are as a municipality.
The project has an overall cost estimate from the architect and engineer at $18 million, according to Briseno, who also pointed out those numbers might need a wee bit of updating.
That of course was two, two-and-half years ago now, and so we assume some of that has increased in price, he said.
Briseno further noted that other factors could play a role in cost, too.
It also depends on where its located as well, what infrastructure is needed, the price of land, he said. Weve looked at six different sites so far for that police facility. Were actually in the process of looking at an additional site on some private land right now. I cant really speak too much publicly about that, but its an ideal site.
Briseno pointed out that all of the sites the city has looked at so far are a mix of publicly-owned and privately-held land.
All that said, the main fire station which is located in the same building as police department at 307 Third Ave. also needs to be replaced.
Were looking at city-owned land for that one, but its not a park, Briseno said.
He wouldnt elaborate further on the potential location. I cant really speak to that right now, but itll be forthcoming. We want to make sure that we have a public process in determining the appropriate sites for both the police and the fire facility. At the same time, the fire facility really has to be located within a certain area for response times.
Briseno used Decembers downtown fire as an example. As you can see with the fire we had over New Years, its important that we have it within proximity to the infrastructure and the houses and within a certain radius for response times.
The same limitations dont necessarily apply equally to a site for the proposed public safety building, he explained.
The police really work on beats now, he said. We have the city divided into quadrants or halves, and so the police officers really should be out there 24/7 monitoring the community, driving around.
He continued, Usually they only come to the station for police briefings and to check in, and usually for the most part theyre out there in the community. So its not their home base, if you will. They actually have equipment, such as computers, and everything they need as a mobile center in their own vehicles.
What is essential to the new public safety building is its dispatch center, which operates 24/7, and it cannot be located near certain types of infrastructure, such as rail lines and grain bins essentially, metal structures so that is a factor in the future site of a new police station.
Civics zoning worries
Responding to concerns about the new civics zoning designation regarding city parks land, Briseno said it had nothing to do with the construction of the proposed new public safety building. Rather, it truly is about protecting parks.
But first, a bit of history: He said the idea for civics zoning initially came about five to seven years ago via the citys comprehensive plan. Then, about three years ago, Briseno spoke with Community Development Director Mike Struck about further moving toward the concept.
What really brought it into focus though, Briseno said, was the city working with the Brookings School District on the acquisition of city-owned land at Hillcrest Park roughly 2 to 2.5 acres during the construction of the new Hillcrest Elementary School. Ultimately, the city was able to gift the land to the school district, and the two entities are currently working with the state to find a way for the district to provide a land and value equivalent to the city in return for the gifted acres.
He said the Hillcrest Park land in question was zoned R-2 at the time, which is some of the most expensive land in the city. As such, the cost to the school district to replace the park land it had acquired would have been higher. Thats where civics zoning designation comes into the picture it would protect parks, parks infrastructure and so on, while at the same time ensuring their overall value.
Briseno further pointed out that the current zoning designations for the parks in the city range from R-1 to R-2 to business to industrial.
Civics zoning actually protects the parks, he said. I think people are misconstruing things the public should really know that civic zoning really protects the parks as opposed to what they are currently zoned today.
Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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