Canterbury cements development plans with purchase of Hauer farmland
Canterbury Park’s plans for a large, multiuse development project on property near its horse track and Card Casino solidified on Wednesday last week when the company signed a purchase agreement for more than 32 acres of land southwest of the track, owned by Hauer Farms Inc.
The proposed mixed-use complex would be built on Canterbury’s underutilized land near the racetrack and Card Casino and could include year-round retail and dining that would fit with both the horse-racing season and various special events hosted at Canterbury, providing guests with additional options. Canterbury opened a year-round expo center last year. The development could include destination and local retail shops, restaurants, entertainment and sports venues, a hotel, multifamily housing and other compatible uses.
In 2014, Canterbury entered into a contract with Hauer Farms that provided Canterbury with the option to purchase 32.35 acres of farmland near the racetrack. On Wednesday afternoon Canterbury signed a purchase agreement for the property and plans to acquire it later this year.
“The fact that we made the move is an indication that we feel confident with the progress we’re making,” said Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson of the development project. “In fact, we hope to be in the ground in a year.”
Canterbury and Kraus-Anderson — a major Twin Cities construction, real estate and development company — entered into a letter of intent in November to explore the possible development of a mixed-use complex adjacent to the racetrack. On March 18, the companies announced that after a feasibility study by Kraus-Anderson, they are ready to move on to the next phase — negotiating terms of a development agreement that would encompass financing and construction of the project.
The Hauer property in the purchase agreement does not include the family home and farm buildings owned by the Hauer family along Eagle Creek Boulevard. The farmstead is unique in that it is a fully functional farm located in the middle of urban Shakopee. Needing a Minnesota farm property as a backdrop to deliver a speech on the North American Free Trade Agreement in May 2000, President Bill Clinton came to the Hauer farm.
The property being purchased is the site of the popular Sever’s Corn Maze. However, Sampson said the attraction can remain, likely for at least a few years, as the development progresses. Canterbury did not buy the Corn Maze itself, only the property it sits on, Sampson said. “I see it as part of the [area’s] entertainment corridor for at least the foreseeable future,” Sampson said. “Gene [Hauer] is also a big supporter of the Corn Maze.”
The Hauer property has been part of the plans for Canterbury since development idea first took root in 2008, Sampson said. “The land was always part of the vision, kind of a missing puzzle piece. One that connects the dots,” he said.
Canterbury is working with the city of Shakopee on several aspects of the development plans, including acquiring a strip of land to the west of the track for possibly extending Shenandoah Drive southward.
Reported by: SWNewsMedia.com
The proposed mixed-use complex would be built on Canterbury’s underutilized land near the racetrack and Card Casino and could include year-round retail and dining that would fit with both the horse-racing season and various special events hosted at Canterbury, providing guests with additional options. Canterbury opened a year-round expo center last year. The development could include destination and local retail shops, restaurants, entertainment and sports venues, a hotel, multifamily housing and other compatible uses.
In 2014, Canterbury entered into a contract with Hauer Farms that provided Canterbury with the option to purchase 32.35 acres of farmland near the racetrack. On Wednesday afternoon Canterbury signed a purchase agreement for the property and plans to acquire it later this year.
“The fact that we made the move is an indication that we feel confident with the progress we’re making,” said Canterbury Park President Randy Sampson of the development project. “In fact, we hope to be in the ground in a year.”
Canterbury and Kraus-Anderson — a major Twin Cities construction, real estate and development company — entered into a letter of intent in November to explore the possible development of a mixed-use complex adjacent to the racetrack. On March 18, the companies announced that after a feasibility study by Kraus-Anderson, they are ready to move on to the next phase — negotiating terms of a development agreement that would encompass financing and construction of the project.
The Hauer property in the purchase agreement does not include the family home and farm buildings owned by the Hauer family along Eagle Creek Boulevard. The farmstead is unique in that it is a fully functional farm located in the middle of urban Shakopee. Needing a Minnesota farm property as a backdrop to deliver a speech on the North American Free Trade Agreement in May 2000, President Bill Clinton came to the Hauer farm.
The property being purchased is the site of the popular Sever’s Corn Maze. However, Sampson said the attraction can remain, likely for at least a few years, as the development progresses. Canterbury did not buy the Corn Maze itself, only the property it sits on, Sampson said. “I see it as part of the [area’s] entertainment corridor for at least the foreseeable future,” Sampson said. “Gene [Hauer] is also a big supporter of the Corn Maze.”
The Hauer property has been part of the plans for Canterbury since development idea first took root in 2008, Sampson said. “The land was always part of the vision, kind of a missing puzzle piece. One that connects the dots,” he said.
Canterbury is working with the city of Shakopee on several aspects of the development plans, including acquiring a strip of land to the west of the track for possibly extending Shenandoah Drive southward.
Reported by: SWNewsMedia.com
