A new neighborhood of single-family homes with a focus on first-time buyers could replace the Ponds, the nine-hole golf course in Maplewood that Ramsey County leaders closed in September 2021.
The county asked developers to submit proposals to purchase and build single-family homes on the 88-acre property.
“We are looking for proposals devoting a minimum of 10 units to first-time home buyers,” Jean Krueger, Ramsey County’s director of property management, said in an email. “Proposals are due January 17, 2023 for this prime development opportunity.”
The county could select a developer by March, according to county documents.
The county announced plans to close the course in 2019, citing operating losses and the county’s four other golf courses. It quickly became a battlefield where several factions clashed.
The golfers, with the support of Maplewood leaders, sought to stay the course. Park advocates have called for the preservation of green spaces, emphasizing a observation of the endangered rusty bumblebee on the property, while county leaders earmarked it for redevelopment to create affordable housing.
Maplewood Mayor Marylee Abrams said the city’s first choice was to remain a golf course, but she said low-density housing was their second choice. The property has extensive wetlands, meaning only about 40 acres of the 88-acre site are developable.
“It’s a beautiful property,” Abrams said. “We’re obviously going to preserve the wetlands. We’d like to have trails so we can enjoy them.”
Municipal leaders have substantial control over what happens on the site because they control the zoning of the property. It is currently zoned for agriculture.
This is the second time the county has issued a Request for Developer Interest (RDI) for the site at 601 Century Av. S. Last January, county leaders solicited ideas for the parcel, but rejected the three development proposals they received, saying they didn’t match the commissioners’ priorities. These three proposals were for a private golf course, a single-family home development, and a senior and multi-family home development.
The county then proposed to sell the course to the town of Maplewood, but town leaders refused, saying they had not budgeted for the purchase.
The county council voted to create the golf course in 2001 on county corrections property as an innovative work program for inmates serving time in the neighboring county’s workhouse. It’s now one of several properties the county is looking to develop.
The county also owns a 77-acre undeveloped parcel just north of the county correctional facility, bordering Battle Creek Regional Park. The county issued an RDI for this site last year, but received no response. The future of this property has also sparked debate.
Environmental and natural groups have puts pressure for it to be added to Battle Creek Regional Park. The property is a nesting ground for prairie birds, an endangered species. So far, the county has not announced any additional plans for this site.
