BLUE EARTH– At a regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 18, The Blue Earth City Council attained long-awaited closure regarding a project which the community has followed on the edge of its seat for years.

Rural Renaissance’s Project 3 Sisters LLC concerns the rehabilitation of three buildings located on Blue Earth’s downtown Main Street.

Rural Renaissance, a non-profit organization, founded Project 3 Sisters, a subsidiary of Rural Renaissance, in 2019, specifically for the purpose of owning the Main Street properties.

The organization entered into a purchase agreement with Blue Earth and its Economic Development Authority (EDA) board to gain ownership of the properties. The purchase agreement contained project timing stipulations which have since become a source of frustration for both the city and the Project 3 Sisters representatives.

After Project 3 Sisters failed to meet an extended Sept. 30 deadline, the Blue Earth EDA board met with the project representatives to discuss terms at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Oct. 14.

After a long discussion, the EDA board drafted a recommendation for the Blue Earth City Council regarding how they thought negotiations should proceed.

The EDA suggested that the Rural Renaissance Project (RRP) group provide the EDA board with several documents for review within the next 60 days.

The requested documents would include a list of entities under consideration by Project 3 Sisters for private ownership, a letter of commitment of at least $500,000 from a financial institution, and a list of all purchased equipment for the project to date.

The EDA suggested full ownership of the buildings be granted to RRP if they meet these terms. They also stipulated if RRP does not meet these terms, the city of Blue Earth and the EDA would have full ownership of the buildings and RRP would release all claims against the city and EDA.

Though this was the EDA s recommendation to the Blue Earth City Council, the council had the final say as to how they wished to proceed.

Council member Ann Hanna preferred a different response to the predicament.

“I must say I am tired of all the back and forth conversations,” Hanna said.

She continued, “I would like to make a motion to this council that we allow the title to go to the Three Sisters Project, Connect the Grey, Rural Renaissance, whatever name works, stating all items of the development agreement have been met or waived, with the stipulation that any of the above, or any new entities, will not be allowed to file for any monies from the city of Blue Earth, including the EDA or any other boards, for 10 years.” 

Though Hanna’s motion was discussed at length, the council ultimately passed her motion with a 5-1 vote, thereby granting ownership of the buildings fully to Project 3 Sisters.

Other business discussed by the council included:

–The condition of Blue Earth’s baseball dugouts. Baseball coach Brent Legred brought the dugouts’ poor condition to the council’s attention and requested funding for their renovation. The council agreed to keep the matter in mind as they discuss the 2022 budget.

— An idea regarding the construction of new tennis courts in Blue Earth. While plans are currently in place to construct the courts on Blue Earth Area High School grounds, council member Glenn Gaylord suggested constructing courts on HRA-owned property near Putnam Park instead. Gaylord reasoned planned improvements at the park could be merged with the tennis court project, thereby saving time and money. The council plans to communicate with the HRA regarding the proposal.