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Town Hall Meeting on the Proposed Target World Headquarters in Brooklyn Park ISAIAH’S Northwest Caucus, in conjunction with the African American Action Coalition (AAAC), held a public meeting Thursday, April 12, 2007, at the Church of St. Gerard, about the proposed Target World Headquarters to be built in Brooklyn Park near Highways 610 and 169. Over 120 interested citizens attended the meeting, seeking information and answers about this large scale development. This proposed corporate campus will be situated upon a 350 acre tract of land. Target Corporation envisions a third downtown area being created in this northwest suburb, where up to 15,000 employees of Target and another 15,000 employees for related businesses will be working. The development will include commercial and office buildings, streets, 3000 new housing units, government facilities, parks and trails, and all the amenities of a large mixed-use development. In order to make this possible, the City of Brooklyn Park has entered into a development agreement with Target Corporation, authorizing $20 million in tax abatement financing over the years. In the agreement, Target has agreed to make 20% of the new housing affordable as workforce housing (both rental and ownership units,) which will allow those of lesser means to be able to obtain affordable housing in the development. Target is also looking for up to $20 million in tax abatement financing from the Hennepin County. The Town Hall Meeting brought together a panel of parties interested in this development. Target Corporation was represented by Andrew Babula, the Real Estate Group Project Manager; the City of Brooklyn Park sent Mayor Steve Lampi and Community Development Director Bob Schrierer; and Metropolitan Council Representative Mike Pistilli appeared to discuss regional issues. Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat was unable to join us. Affordable housing builders were also on the panel, with CommonBond Communities’ Elizabeth Flannery, Community Housing Trust’s Gina Ciganik, and John Duffy of Duffy Development offering insights as to how such affordable housing can be built as part of this development. After ISAIAH’s presentation focusing on our faith values of acting out of hope, not fear; embracing community not isolation; rejecting the myth of scarcity and recognizing God’s abundance; and moving toward a world of greater economic, racial and social justice for all, the panel members each described their relationship to the project. They offered their viewpoint on the merits of the development and the opportunities it will present for employment, housing, transit and community. The panel was then questioned by the participants and the crowd on a variety of subjects, including: what are the housing goals and how the affordable housing required in the development agreement might be financed and built; what planning has been done for workforce employment of local citizens, including women and minorities; what provisions are being made for public transit; how environmental concerns will be addressed. The crowd expressed many concerns that the development needed to meet the needs of all citizens of the community, not just corporate interests. The representatives of Target and the City of Brooklyn Park stressed that this project will develop over the next 15 – 20 years, that not all the plans are in place yet, and that they will strive to work to develop the project to serve the community. This town hall meeting is part of a continuing dialogue, between ISAIAH, the AAAC and other community partners, with Target and our public officials regarding this development. We are looking to implement our faith values, as described in the ISAIAH worldview, in the public arena. We encourage our members and others in the community to join us in this conversation, as we seek to guarantee that the Target World Headquarters is a successful development that will be a great asset for all people. Tim Brausen is the co-chair of the Northwest Caucus and a member of Faith Lilac Way Luther Church in Robbinsdale.
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