Business & Tech
City Puts Bike Tool Company On the 'Fast Track'
The city council approved Park Tool's site application Tuesday night, moving the company on the fast track process to build its new facility in Oakdale.
The Oakdale City Council put Park Tool on the fast track process Tuesday night for constructing its new facility in Oakdale.
Park Tool — a bicycle tool manufacturer and distributor — presented its site plans to the city council during a workshop Tuesday. Earlier this month Park Tool's president, Eric Hawkins, that he hoped to start construction in mid-August and move into the new facility by January. Now it looks like they will be following their plan.
"I think we met and exceeded all their criteria," Hawkins said. "We want to put up a good-looking building."
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The city requested the company provide a site plan to ensure the layout of the facility and landscaping worked well for the area, said City Administrator Craig Waldron.
"They hit a home-run in all of those," Waldron said, adding that the city also wanted to see that the company would take advantage of the natural features of the area.
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The city council approved the with Park Tool for $900,000 for 23 acres of land off of Hadley Avenue, north of 50th Street where Park Tool will build its 68,000 square-foot headquarters.
After the purchase agreement was approved the council stated they would be reviewing Park Tool's site plan.
"The presentation was one of the best I've seen on the council," said Mayor Carmen Sarrack. "It was pretty impressive."
Sarrack said that without the fast track option the process woudl take about two months longer. Now Park Tool can get ready to start digging.
"During the boom that's what put us all ahead of all the cities because we could eliminate a lot of government bureaucracy," Sarrack said.
Moving forward, Park Tool just needs approval from the watershed district regarding water runoff.
Though Park Tool will be moving into a larger facility, Hawkins said they are not planning on hiring additional people.
"There's no plan to say we have a bigger building so we need more people," Hawkins said. "We'll need more people when business demands it."
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