WORTHINGTON - Nobles County commissioners on Tuesday approved a request from Cooperative Farmers Elevator seeking property tax abatement on a new $6.75 million construction project at Bigelow.
CFE requested a sliding scale tax abatement, with 75% of the taxes abated on its new construction in Year 1, declining 15% each year to a 15% abatement in Year 5.
The elevator plans to construct a three-million-bushel storage facility west of Bigelow on property that’s in the process of being annexed by the city. The flat storage facility with hoop barn will be 180 feet wide by 520 feet long and is intended for soybean storage. Soybeans will be marketed by CFE to Minnesota Soybean Processors (MnSP) at Brewster and to Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) in Sheldon, Iowa.
The project also includes construction of a grain leg, two dump pits, a new office and new scale.
Bob Frank, CFE’s regional operations manager, said the project will be constructed directly west of three grain bins constructed five years ago in a multi-million-dollar expansion project. Frank said the project is hoped to be completed this fall.
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County to seek state bonding for W.E.L.L. project Commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to submit an application to the state legislature requesting the Welcome, Education, Library, Livability (W.E.L.L.) project to be considered for state bonding. The first round of applications are due June 14.
Commissioner Justin Ahlers voted in opposition to the application, saying he’s heard from people “very much in favor of a new library” who do not support the W.E.L.L. project.
Following the vote, commissioners then voted - also 4-1 with Ahlers opposed - to support the W.E.L.L. collaborative project. At this time, the collaborators include the city of Worthington, which is creating an indoor sports complex in an existing building on the city-owned lot along Second Avenue, and ISD 518, which intends to have space for its community education, adult basic education and early childhood programming. The county’s participation would include a new library, as well as space for some community services to be offered onsite.
