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Anoka Enterprise Park essentially full of businesses continued from Page 1 three major property owners ad~jacent to the park that did- n't want it to work," said Kirchner. In 1993 the city went through a land use develop- ment plan, hired a consultant and in what is considered a strategic move, the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission began denying requests for rezoning at the park. The city also embarked on a economic approach that basically traded land for jobs. With sound consulting and "Just-in-Time" (JIT) planning, which allowed the city to customize lots, Lurid Industries, Inc. became the first company to' take advan- tage of the free land Opportu- nity. Lund Industries, an auto- motive accessories manufac- turer built a 228,000 square- foot manufacturing facility and were quickly followed into the .park by two of its suppliers. In 1995, the city construct- ed more roads and additional companies began to call. ,We would provide land for $1 and offer a tailored made site," said Kirchner. "We basically used land as an incentive.". The city also developed a screening criteria. Requirements include an average value of $250,000 per acre (most average more than $300,000 per acre) with com- panies providing 10 jobs per acre. Kirchner said the city wanted to get the best use of land and had intentions of keeping 'out pole barns and metal buildings. Has it worked? With four .remaining lots already committed for 1999 and the city recovering expenses on average under seven years (sometimes in three to five years' time) the numbers speak ,loudly to its success. The bottom line is the city is receiving taxes on land that ' once stood vacant, according to article for the National Council for Urban Economic Development. As an example of how much taxes are received, Kirchner said that $1 million facility, taxed at a 3.5 percent rate would pay $35,000 in taxes, a return that has allowed the city to give back to the community. Rise, Inc., a nonprofit shel- ter workshop for develop- mentally disabled adults, was allowed to build in the park. "It really was the frosting on the cake for me," said Kirchner. Additionally, the jobs at the park have created a demand for housing, "With all of the development we had $1 million in permit revenue," said Kirchner. With the success also comes criticism. Many resi- dents believe that businesses get too many breaks and they end up paying the price. Kirchner believes the ben- efits foir both residents and the city will continue to unfold over the years culminating in an increased tax base,' more jobs and affordable housing, he said. The focus for economic development in Anoka is now shifting from enterprise park. The city is looking at issues involving the flood- plain, redevelopment of prop- erty, historic preservation of downtown and land use for a parcel north of Anoka'Senior High School. "Essentially, we're goingback to doing what we were doing before focusing on e.nterprise park," he said. Anoka has a strong history of economic development which Kirchner said started as early as 1880 when the city of Anoka formed the first board of trade to attract industry to Anoka. In his position as econom- ic development director, Kirchner said he considers himself fortunate to have worked on an enterprise park that has succeeded.