WILLMAR—The logistics company that had been planning on building a large facility in the Willmar Industrial Park has slammed the brakes on the project.

Aaron Backman, Kandiyohi County and City of Willmar Economic Development Commission director, and Sarah Swedburg, interim Willmar Planning and Development Services director, announced the news at Thursday’s EDC joint operations board meeting.

“They have decided to hold off on the closing of the land,” Backman said.

The company was to purchase several acres of land in the Willmar Industrial Park, between Trott Avenue and Willmar Avenue Southwest on the west side of Kandiyohi County Road 5. The proposal included the construction of a 100,000 square foot package sorting and distribution center which could have brought dozens of new jobs.

“It is unfortunate,” Backman said.

The city approved the sale of 14.46 acres for $650,000 in October 2018, but closing had not yet taken place.

A letter from Jones Development Company, which had been working with the end user on the project, notified the city Thursday morning of the end user’s decision. CBRE, a commercial real estate company, had also been working on the project, having initially contact the city about the possible project last year.

“Frankly, I think it was a surprise to the site development people and Jones Development,” Backman said.

Both city and EDC staff have been working on this project for months and are very disappointed it has been halted.

“So many hours that went into that,” Swedburg said. “It was an end user decision.”

West Central Tribune by Shelby Lindrud