City Council Meeting, July 20, 2026
Approves Preliminary engineering report and call for 2027 improvement hearing, 7-0
What happened
The Willmar City Council meeting contained no zoning or land-use entitlement decisions; the most substantive real-estate items were an informational presentation by Kandiyohi County Economic Development (KCED) Director Sherry Wagner on a potential purchase and redevelopment of th…
- Jurisdiction
- Willmar, MN
- Governing body
- Final authority
- Date
- July 20, 2026
- Decisions
- 8 zoning decisions
- Outcome
- Approved, 7-0
Free sample: decision 1 of 8
KCED Uptown Mall redevelopment investigation update
KCED Director Sherry Wagner presented an update on investigating the possible purchase and redevelopment of the Uptown Mall (bounded by First Street and Fifth Avenue), which is roughly 55% unoccupied. Plan contemplates parceling off sections (JC Penney block, Kmart box, privately owned top section) with a comprehensive plan, stormwater/soil-and-water improvements (cistern, tree boulevards, green space), and structural repairs (roof, HVAC, parking lot, mechanicals). Funded via brownfield (50% match) and soil-and-water (10% match) grants and bonding, with intent to sell to local investors over ~2 years; no tax abatement requested. No vote taken; no commitments made. Owner's property taxes cited at ~$207,000-$270,000 annually.
The other decisions are listed below by title. The full write-up, verbatim conditions, and the audio at each vote are in Pro.
Meeting Summary
The Willmar City Council meeting contained no zoning or land-use entitlement decisions; the most substantive real-estate items were an informational presentation by Kandiyohi County Economic Development (KCED) Director Sherry Wagner on a potential purchase and redevelopment of th…
Key Decisions (8)
KCED Uptown Mall redevelopment investigation update
Award of General Obligation Bonds Series 2026B
Call for 2026 assessment hearing
Preliminary engineering report and call for 2027 improvement hearing
Accept in-kind donation of exterior painting on Rack 8 city building
City administrator hiring process amendment
Selection of city administrator candidates for interview
Accounts payable report with Hometown Fiber payments withheld
Development Activity (1)
Uptown Mall redevelopment
Commercial
Market Signals (4)
Commercial Demand
The Uptown Mall in downtown Willmar is roughly 55% vacant…
Infrastructure
The city is issuing $7.525M in AA3-rated GO bonds at…
Infrastructure
Chronic drainage and flooding issues from a mall built on…
Sentiment
Council could not implement a wheelage tax (state law allows…
Who Spoke (15)
On the record: the mayor, 6 councilmembers, 6 staff members, and a witness.
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