Future of Eliot Site Gains Some Clarity

The now-vacant Eliot School building could be on its way to becoming a high-end apartment complex, but any final decision is still a ways off.

On Monday, the St. Louis Park City Council met with school board member Larry Shapiro and Garfield Clark, who is working with the district to complete a sale, to discuss the latest with the site, which has been empty since February 2010. Shapiro and Clark said at least three serious offers have been made for the site—including one that could bring a high-end, $20 million apartment complex to the area—though no formal paperwork has been signed.

One big factor that could influence a final decision is whether the city wants to provide any financial assistance, such as tax increment financing (TIF), to a potential developer. Shapiro and Clark said knowing that the city would at least be willing to consider assistance could sway a developer, but council members generally said they would want to see a final plan before committing to anything.

“It’s hard having this discussion without having something on the table,” councilwoman Julia Ross said.

City staff said that any final plans could still be a ways off, as the school district and potential developer need to have more formal discussions.

In November, the council established a set of for the site. Those guidelines called for a residential development with six to 30 units per acre, with a mix of condominiums, town homes and single-family housing. City zoning supervisor Meg McMonigal said current proposals for the site have more or less met these guidelines.