[...] Of the two Ramsey Town Center (RTC) sites submitted for the project, one has been eliminated, said Deputy City Administrator Heidi Nelson.
It was eliminated because it was “not located within a reasonable distance of existing amenities.” The letter did not specify what the amenities were or what is considered to be a reasonable distance, she said.
“We are very hopeful and excited to be part of the proposal and hope our site will be selected,” Nelson said.
[...] The VA eliminated everything east of Ramsey Boulevard.
[...] In a message relayed through [VA Public Affairs Officer Ralph] Heussner, the contracting office “anticipates completing the procurement process shortly after Jan. 1, 2010.”
Once a site is selected, the developer would construct the building and the VA would lease it for 20 years.
According to Nelson, the city would work with a developer to construct the building.
An investor associated with the developer would own the building and lease it to the VA, she said.
If Michele Bachmann is working behind the scene to favor any one site over another, it's not public info. No indication of any such effort exists, other than her having arranged three meetings in Elk River, but as Ramsey's mayor explained, they have a VFW post meeting site there, so it was a sensible venue.
The Sakry report was longer, but the excerpt is the gist of Town Center - city effort, and the link is given above the quote for anyone wanting further detail.
If anyone is privy to the identity of which developer and/or investor Nelson was referring to, (if that's not a yet-to-be-specified part of things, with nobody committed at present), and cares to share such relevant info with all of us mushrooms out here, send an email or post a comment with the facts, please.