St. Paul’s Island Station under new ownership

The 9.56-acre Island Station site may be moving toward redevelopment.

After decades of sitting idle, the derelict Island Station power plant on St. Pauls riverfront has a new owner and may soon be demolished. In September the Twin Cities-based Breckner River Development sold the landmark structure and 9.56-acre property to an Arizona-based group for $4.05 million.

At this writing, it is not immediately clear what kind of development the new owners may have in mind for the site. The City of St. Pauls Great River Passage Master Plan envisions that the site will be transformed through a public-private partnership, into a mixed-use center for adventure, recreation, access to the river, visitor services, residences, offices and a community park on the river. The plan also references the opportunity to attract the National Park Services regional offices and a visitor center to anchor the park redevelopment.

FMR supports the Citys public-spirited vision for the site and recently supported the City Councils decision to approve demolition of the old power plant in order to facilitate these plans. FMR explained its position on this issue in a July 2013 article.

For more on the recent sale of the property, see this article published by Finance & Commerce.