Politics & Government

Rosemount Council May Partner with Bloomington Firm to Construct Senior Center

Rosemount city officials hope to save money by constructing the proposed senior center in conjunction with a private, $10 million senior housing project.

Bloomington-based Doran Companies originally set out to build an 80- to 90-unit senior housing complex in Rosemount. But Rosemount city officials, seeing an opportunity to save money, may enlist the company to construct a new, 5,000-square-foot senior center adjacent to the proposed housing project.

On Tuesday, the Rosemount City Council is expected to vote whether to approve a preliminary development agreement for the construction of a city-owned senior center on a 1.6-acre site north of the Steeple Center in downtown Rosemount.

If the council approves the agreement, the city will sell the site to Doran Companies for $1.

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In return, the firm would work with an architect selected by the city to develop design plans and specifications for the proposed senior center.

Because no design plans have been submitted, details on the senior center are few. Under the terms of the development agreement, however, the building would be at least 5,000 square feet in size, with an option for a second story that would effectively double the square footage of the center.

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By piggy-backing on Doran's pre-existing plans to build private senior housing, city officials hope to leverage roughly 20 to 30 percent in savings on the construction of the senior center. As part of the proposed development agreement, Doran's overhead and profits would be limited to 5 percent of the cost to construction the senior center.

Developer Kelly Doran had earlier suggested that the city consider including a pool or fitness area in the senior center, according to an article published by the Star Tribune. But under the terms of the preliminary development agreement, the city will not fund the cost for either proposed amenity.

A Doran representative told the Star Tribune that the three-story senior housing complex planned for Rosemount would include independent living, assisted living and memory care units. The building, which would also include a café and underground parking, would likely have an interior connection to the public senior center, according to the development agreement.

No preliminary cost estimate has been released at this point for the proposed project. If the Rosemount council approves the agreement on Tuesday night, Doran Companies would be required to submit a timetable for the financing, design and completion of the senior center within 30 days.


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