Deanna Kuennen faced a challenge when she became community and economic development director for the city of Farmington, Minnesota, two years ago: She needed to sell Farmington to developers and new businesses. And to do this, she needed to define what Farmington was and what set it apart.
The problem? No one could provide an answer.
So Kuennen talked to residents, government officials and business owners until she found it, that one thing that set Farmington apart from its neighboring communities.
“This community is filled with businesses and people who won’t let other businesses and people fail,” Kuennen said. “That’s the intangible. That’s what makes Farmington special.”
That left Kuennen and city staffers with another challenge: New development and growth are coming to Farmington. How can the city steer this development so that it provides residents with the businesses, restaurants and services they want without erasing the charm, somewhat-rural atmosphere and neighborly feel that Farmington has long boasted?
To Kuennen, it’s about balance.
“How do we balance our tax base without putting all the burden on residential?” Kuennen asked. “We must create business growth. But how do we do that while preserving the special thing that is Farmington?”
This is a challenge not unique to Farmington. Economic development organizations must juggle the need for growth with the desire to avoid sprawl, traffic jams and characterless retail or office developments.
Deanna Kuennen, Community and Economic Development Director, City of Farmington.
As Kuennen says, economic development is about the intangibles, such as creating a sense of place. It’s about connecting the community and preserving what makes an area a good place to live.
In the summer of 2023, the city of Farmington asked its community members a series of questions when creating its most recent comprehensive plan. This included asking residents what they loved about Farmington.
Not surprisingly, residents said that they enjoyed the parks and trails dotting the city. Many also said that they wanted the various neighborhoods of Farmington to connect with walking or bike trails.
“There is something unique about Farmington,” Kuennen said. “We are faced with growth pressures. We have Lakeville to our west, which is growing. Rosemont, which is exploding, is just to the north. Those growth pressures will impact us. How do we drive it ourselves? How do we move to a proactive versus a reactive community perspective?”
Kuennen said that her mission now? It’s all about being bold and selling the spirit and feel of Farmington to potential new businesses and developers.
“We are unexpectedly bold,” Kuennen said. “We are changing the narrative. People are excited to look at Farmington. They are considering our city when maybe in the past they wouldn’t have. They are ready to invest in Farmington.”
An example? Developer Yellow Tree in August of this year broke ground on Farmington Apartments, a four-story, 168-unit multifamily building at 21401 Dushane Parkway in the city.
The apartment building will include a pool, dog spa, fitness center, work-from-home spaces, community lounge, game room and patio with a bocce ball court. Other amenities will include a pet run, indoor parking and indoor bike storage.
Kuennen says that city of Farmington officials attended a conference held by Minnesota Real Estate Journal and networked with developers and brokers. That included Yellow Tree. Kuennen says that if Farmington officials hadn’t attended that conference and promoted the virtues of the city there, the Farmington Apartments project would not have happened.
“By getting out there and talking about who we are, we have created more interest from other developers,” Kuennen said.
Another example of being bold? In early December, members of the Farmington City Council in a 4-1 vote approved a contract for the Farmington Technology Park, which will be built at the Fountain Valley Golf Club property at 2830 220th St.
Tract, a Denver-based development company, will build up to 12 data centers covering about 340 acres.
“Who would have thought just two years ago that a potential multi-billion-dollar investment, and that’s ‘billion’ with a ‘b,’ would be happening in Farmington?” Kuennen asked. “It really is about showing up and telling our story, making sure that people understand that there are opportunities here. We want to find those partners who can come to our community and appreciate the unique nature of it and want to be a part of it.”
Kuennen said that Farmington officials continue to reach out to developers looking to expand their offerings in the Twin Cities market. As she says, city officials know how valuable the land they can offer is to developers looking for more opportunities.
Developers are not just interested in Farmington because of the area’s intangibles and available land, Kuennen said. They also appreciate that Farmington city officials are reviewing the city’s comprehensive plan.
“This demonstrates that we recognize that we want to drive our own future and proactively pursue that vision,” Kuennen said.
Farmington city officials are identifying opportunity sites to help accomplish its future development goals. At the same time, Kuennen and other city staffers are actively and proactively reaching out to developers to see if they are interested in exploring what Farmington offers.
“What it boils down to is that we know what we have to offer and we are trying to find those developers who can see themselves becoming a part of our community,” Kuennen said.
Kuennen said that the city of Farmington is not overly incentivizing possible projects. They are, though, willing to use financial tools that they might have relied on in the past to attract new businesses and developers.
“We recognize that if we want to accomplish certain things, we have to do more than just talk about them,” Kuennen said. “We have to become a partner in this.”
As a sign of its commitment to bringing in new businesses and developments, the Farmington City Council approved a $100,000 increase in the Farmington Economic Development Authority levy. This will boost the levy to $250,000 and gives the development authority more financial power to offer needed incentives to developers.
What types of new businesses would Kuennen like to see open in Farmington? At the top of the list is a grocery store. The City of Farmington, with a population of nearly 24,000 as of 2023, does not have a grocery store.
Kuennen said that she is meeting with grocery chains and developers that have connections with the chains in an effort to bring a grocery store to the city.
“We are not located on an interstate. We understand that,” Kuennen said. “But some businesses don’t need an interstate.”
A good example? Aerospace Fabrication & Materials, which is located at 5147 208th St. West in Farmington. This company designs, manufactures and installs multi-layer insulation blankets for aerospace and cryogenic applications. It did not need an interstate in its backyard and is thriving in Farmington.
These are the kind of success stories that the Farmington Economic Development Authority is emphasizing when it talks with other businesses and developers.
“We have an industrial park here. Every one of the businesses in it supports one another,” Kuennen said. “That is the kind of story we are sharing.”
