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10/21/2003 - City Council Regular (2)The Eagan Advantage: Project Presentation Abbh-- city of eagen PAT GEAGAN Mayor PEGGY CARLSON CYNDEE FIELDS MIKE MAGUIRE MEG TILLEY Council Members THOMAS HEDGES City Administrator Municipal Center. 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan, MN 55122-1897 Phone: 651.675.5000 Fax: 651.675.5012 TDD: 651.454.8535 Maintenance Facility: 3501 Coachman Point Eagan, MN 55122 Phone: 651.675.5300 Fax: 651.675.5360 TDD: 651.454.8535 wwwcityofeagan.com THE LONE OAK TREE The symbol of strength and growth in our community October 21, 2003 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Thank you very much for the interest you have expressed in considering a location for your facility in the City of Eagan. The City has always valued its corporate citizens and we would welcome your company as a part of our business community and as an employer. Your consideration of our community offers us the opportunity to extend our cooperative and facilitative approach to development to you and your project. The City of Eagan is proud of the opportunities it has to offer you. The City works diligently to provide its businesses and residents with quality services- at the lowest possible cost. Fiscal conservatism and prudent planning have resulted in stable tax rates despite the community's considerable amenities. We know that you are probably aware of these benefits, but we believe they bear repeating in the context of this proposal. The City looks forward to working with you to make your company's location in Eagan a reality. We are happy to outline the economic advantages available to you by locating within the City. This information is compiled in the enclosed proposal. We appreciate the opportunity to present the proposal to you. We hope that you will choose Eagan and give us the opportunity to engage in the kind of productive public-private partnership for which Eagan is known. If you have any questions or require additional information in the course of your deliberations, please contact our Community Development Director, Jon Hohenstein. Sincerely, Patrick Geagan Mayor, City of Eagan Encl. PG/js 0 2.5 5 10 Miles 411111-litV of eagan City of Eagan, MN Twin City Area Vicinity Map Eagan Overview Municipal Boundary Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of GIs Legend Miles 0 0.5 1 2 city of eagan Potential Sites City of Eagan, MN = Development Site Potential Development Opportunity Areas Lease Site DEVELOPMENT SITE 1 I - y Y IL I z:t? !" %-WR a7 ?`a, -; a,G' •_ ??.....a.?...: ?Y? 3?6+?_?„ ?.'".?.....?tF`?.w.y ..-r 4Y?i,`? 'tea-_""'?"'-.' - !'s Inver ML WXNaGTA - ?'?y .. •[ \ 4 i w.* ti Nv?.c. oel s?" r VIli e s?`z ry a *??c 3u r rt.s Sgt y V a ? ` ?? / Jay e ? `.: 1? f'', + /?. 's / • "01.1itv OF ea9an City of Eagan, MN Potential Development Opportunity Areas Development Site I Feet Legend 0 250 500 1,000 Potential Sites Q Development Site City Owned Parcel Parcel Line Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of GI Cedar Grove Corporate Center Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and Highway 13 Eagan, Minnesota building . Complete amenity package including underground parking, storage space, conference room, vending area, and locker rooms . Custom tailored space using Class A finishes . Excellent access and visibility at the northeast corner of Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and Highway 13 . Just minutes to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport . Abundant parking: 5 stalls per 1,000 scluare feet Dan Gleason United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerag 3500 W. 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-8884 dgleason@uproperties.com John McCarthy United Properties e Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 West 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-7591 jmccarthy@uproperties.com Cedar Grove Corporate Center Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and Highway 13 Eagan, Minnesota Building: Building Owner: Cedar Grove Corporate Center Highway 77 and Highway 13 Eagan, Minnesota United Properties Investment Company Property Management: United Properties Building Class: A Size/Stories: Approximately 150,000 square feet Five stories Location: Northeast corner of Highway 77 and Highway 13 Year Built: To be built Parking Ratio: Approximately 5 stalls per 1,000 square feet Net Rental Rate: $13.50 per rentable square foot 2003 Estimated Tax 5.10 per square foot and Operating Costs: ($8.25 psf in 2005 when fully assessed) Typical Floor Plate: Approximately 30,000 square feet Leasing Agents: Dan Gleason 952.893.8884 Sohn McCarthy 952.893.7591 Dan Gleason John McCarthy United Properties United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerage Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 W. 80th Street - #200 3500 West 80th Street - #200 Cedar Grove Corporate Center Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and Highway 13 Eagan, Minnesota Click on aerial image for large printable version Excellent visibility at Highways 77 & 13 Dan Gleason United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerag 3500 W. 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-8884 dgleason@upropordes.com John McCarthy United Properties e Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 West 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-7591 jmccarthy@uproperties.com Cedar Grove Corporate Center Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and Highway 13 Eagan, Minnesota Dan Gleason United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 W. 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-8884 dgleason@uproperties.com John McCarthy United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 West 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-7591 jmccarthy@uproperties.com Dan Gleason United Properties Vice President - Office Brokerag 3500 W. 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-8884 dgleason @ uproperties.com John McCarthy United Properties e Vice President - Office Brokerage 3500 West 80th Street - #200 Bloomington Minnesota 55431 952-893-7591 imccarthy@uproperties.com z J w U) DEVELOPMENT SITE 2 .? w . #? ,fig' o t s fit, F' r ` Ilk ?`uRy %t Gel ,,?>w-glue„, t i`T 1i Ilk Fig all EtOTA ?qqi Ap r1.. ' Y a' 4f '7' .• ! r r Feet Legend 0 150 300 600 city aF eagan Potential Sites City of Eagan, MN Q Development Site Potential Development Opportunity Areas Acquired Parcels Development Site 2 Parcel Line Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of Glf n l?l 0 U m awm AJMQ a) a) U 4) rB L- 0 Q L- 0 U c M O 0 0 N r n O V N 0 0 0 W n r3 C- a) U a) ra 0 0 U M a--- O O N rn O V N ?\ L W 4-1 m 0 ??V++ kqhl AMM Q) U Q) ra 0 CL L- 0 U fo o 4-o a) N ^ ` L MD DEVELOPMENT SITE 3 Development Site Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of reet Legend 0 150 300 600 city of enc?nn Potential Sites City of Eagan, MN M Development Site Potential Development Opportunity Areas Parcel Line New 110,000 square foot Class "A" office building Situated in a pristine wooded site overlooking Minnesota River Valley Complete amenity package including underground parking, storage space, conference room, vending area, and locker rooms Custom tailored space using Class "A" finishes % Dan Gleason p S 952-893-8884 tsip, d lesson@u ro erties.c 9 P P om Excellent access and visibility off 1-494 and Pilot Knob Road Close proximity to Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport High-growth professional and technical labor base Abundant parking: 5 stalls per 1.000 square feet Dan Nechanicky, CCIM 952-820-8765 dnechanicky@uproperties.com UNITED PROPERTIES 1-494 t Minnesota River Valley a N Lone Oak Road Map of area just off 1-494 at Pilot Knob Road in Eagan EAGAN WOODS DRIVE Riverwoods Corporate Center development location DEVELOPMENT SITE 4 Unisys Bldg,. N1NA Holdings.: 1. _ % 44 wr Central Park and Community Center r ii M _ \1* if x: - ... -ol Pkwy : rrl 7 Cen r W j, r ?y ?ArgosyUnl Nit, /."" ,j . ht 'r"•' ,. ; ?i _ I ,, bj '`F r ? r+r TM,erw ?`4 I* r • 0 Jw' ?' • .^?lr,- >: - , r. • ,1-, •,..r s'?er r.xy.tyi" C 00 Lockheed Martin A??.. t d n _ ' .a !t oaf +S 2t? !'.,`y C %741- at 14 :v6, e f} "9t?• i ` rr Y... + `t \._ ?. /,5 ?? ???'u°. ?.rc''?'? , ?IF•..a,.-; Y t"r ` Yankee Doodle d - Feet 0 250 500 1,000 city of eagon Legend City of Eagan, MN Potential Sites Potential Development Opportunity Areas EM Development Site Development Site 4 Parcel Line Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of C LEASE SITE A z^'.\a( ?A+4i ?'??" S _ s t,T? y ?'r"J, w ? F..t t? Y "??.r w r r„ ?a ? ?'• I-A . , t t? ` r l 4 ? '.t4 42 :?? ?`ti nth L^ s •' r ?^F °•a .- ? mot. F All r t b I r i? •. ?" r All I liniho CA w o' R1 R, IIPI- ?; ? ? t _ rat 55555PPPPP ? = s < , • Feet Legend 0 250 500 1,000 city of eclgon Potential Sites City of Eagan, MN Lease Site iV Potential Development Opportunity Areas Parcel Line Lease Site A Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of GIS FOR PROPERTY FEATURES 481,000 square feet on 89.65 acres 920 parking stalls, expandable Attractive pond at property entrance that contains smallmouth and largemouth bass Heavily wooded site isolated from traffic and conjestion Softball field and walking trails Workout facility Card key security throughout PROPERTY LOCATION Excellent access to 1-494,1-35E, and Highways 149 and 55 Five minutes from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport Seven minutes from The Mall of America Premier business park located within The Waters, which features massive waterfalls and rolling prairie topography BUILDING A (61,000 SQUARE FEET) Classroom and office space Three stories Main entrance with executive offices and boardrooms BUILDING D (40,000 SQUARE FEET) Central facility which links each building of the campus Two stories, meeting rooms, and loading area 10,000 square feet of office space Full-service cafeteria BUILDING E (180,000 SQUARE FEET) 40,000+ square feet of raised floor data center space Seven stories, three stories of infrastructure to support the data center Redundant fiber and power BUILDING F (200,000 SQUARE FEET) Conference rooms and office space 5,000 square foot workout facility Seven stories and seven atriums 16,000 square feet of data center space C O M P A N I E S Innovation from the ground up. www.mnspaace.com FOR The above information has been obtained from the property owner or other sources that we deem reliable. Although we lu+ve no reason to doubt its accuracy or completeness, no representation or warranty is made regarding the information and the property is offered "as is." This submission may be modified or withdrawn at any time by the property owner. COMPANIES' AVAILABLE FOR SALE THE WATERS CORPORATE CAMPUS 655 Lone Oak Drive Eagan, Minnesota Building Square Feet: 481,000 square feet on 89.65 acres Building A 61,000 square feet total ¦ Classroom and office space ¦ Three stories ¦ Main entrance with executive offices and boardrooms Building D 40,000 square feet total ¦ Central facility which links each building of the campus ¦ Two stories, meeting rooms, and loading area ¦ 10,000 square feet of office space ¦ Full-service cafeteria Building E 180,000 square feet total ¦ 40,000+ square feet of raised floor data center space ¦ Seven stories, three stories of infrastructure to support the data center ¦ Redundant fiber and power Building F 200,000 square feet total ¦ Conference rooms and office space ¦ 5,000 square foot workout facility ¦ Seven stories and seven atriums ¦ 16,000 square feet of data center space Sale Price $38,500,000.00 For more information contact: BILL RITTER, CCIM, SIOR TED CARLSON SCOTT FREDERIKSEN, cclM, SIOR 952.897.7743 952.897.7788 952.897.7737 britter@welshco.com tcarlson@welshco.com sfrederiksen@welshco.com www.mnspace.com Information contained herein has been obtained from the owner of the property or from other sources that we deem reliable. We have no reason to doubt its accuracy, but we do not guarantee it. 7807 Creekridge Circle, Minneapolis, MN 55439-2609 TEL 952.897.7700 FAX 952.842.7700 www.welshco.com fir.. ¢+ut ter`. ?= y ltltllr , rut m"? IV: ?? rt t WOW t:. z - 1 k jv# WLIM TOWERS a NEV D 170 + STALLS D FAaLITIES cl NG A CCN BUILDING 0 0 r4i ,,uo 0 NEW TO F BUILDING F SOFTWARE DIVISION aD LEASE SITE B ir•.3ti ¢ 1i .;.] iX .? a,? -;"? .ra .?,?_'?1- ' lit 1 "?^`7u"+Pw-W .mot '- +.... • _l li. x^.I`.:."u«J+ .. ""•Y";i.',, ' .J .. y.-. .. .J`? - w•:;i +_' { °°'..?bii?v?w?"?Fun `a • t ••tl`t F Corporate Center Dr - y • J ?? , ila t • .1•"1 ?r • ,? . h?,_ ?fir.'.: Ilk -99W > 1.74 1 A da •t glwT 1 it ti' 'tit to l Feet Legend 0 150 300 600 city of eagan Potential Sites City of Eagan, MN Lease Site N Potential Development Opportunity Areas Parcel Line Lease Site B Aerial photo September 2002 provided by Dakota County Office of w W 0 c 0 IOU a-J W ^V) W 0 C 0 C6 V 0 4) C D m M O N O T-i C 0 ¦ 2 4W m 4) 4) L a 4 0 0 . 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U (1) . r--1 0 L 0 0) L- ca J U C 4) 0- x W U a.+ V 'i 4kJ 0 L p1 .r a' ¦MMEN SIMON ( W ¦?, O di i V C. .- L ¦? x W '-' V 0 V 4- O O w MWOMM cm ._ U) O ULM 70] 0 Elmo 0 0 V H L CL E 0 U a G U. 0 AJ 41 C 0) W W V 0 1 0 C 0 U) Q) cy- %ft .IJ L 0 CLs '- o Q ? _ IW 10001 4W_ 4W V ?H 0 H C 0 c 0 0 U) c 15 V O IMMISM L L F- ? L c5 -ate Q .C V _W ? ? O ¦ 2 B&j L 0 - CL L E ra L 0 L %IBBB 4- O L > 0 ? (5 ¦- L -W m W Q' TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION II. PROPERTY TAXES & ECONOMIC GOVERNMENT III. INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SERVICES IV. QUALITY OF LIFE V. LOCAL SUPPORT VI. APPENDIX - CANDIDATE SITES INTRODUCTION EAGAN AND ITS BUSINESS COMMUNITY Eagan is a young, dynamic, resourceful city that is home to many significant businesses and major employers because of its many advantages. Through its combination of natural amenities and planned regional, county, and municipal facilities, the City of Eagan has developed a working and living environment of exceptional quality. Your company will be an integral part of that environment. Over the years, the City of Eagan has made a substantial investment in the improvements and services your business will need. This has come about through the positive, working relationship that Eagan and its development community have enjoyed. By locating its new facility in Eagan, your company will become a part of this mutually beneficial partnership. It will also be a part of an exciting period of business development in our City. The City of Eagan realizes how important it is to keep the costs of development to a minimum. The costs of a site and its development are like any other capital investment. Decision makers must weigh all of the factors. Businesses in Eagan know that the benefits they receive for their investment are without equal. PROPERTY TAXES AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT PROPERTY TAXES In the metropolitan area, the discussion of property taxes focuses on TAX RATE tax rates. Since no taxing authority can control all of the factors affecting taxes in perpetuity, a business considering location or relocation must view its decision from a long term perspective, in light of historical precedent and anticipated trends. Your company's work depends upon doing high quality work at the lowest cost possible. Eagan and Dakota County have reputations for delivering high quality services at a cost far below what can be expected elsewhere in the long term. The City of Eagan's tax rates are consistently among the lowest of the major cities in the region and Dakota County is among the lowest taxing counties in the metropolitan area. While the region's fiscal disparities system impacts the actual tax to Eagan businesses, your company's property tax rate is likely to be well below that for other metropolitan locations you could consider. While no one can guarantee that taxes will remain exactly as they are from year to year, broad differentials from taxing authority to taxing authority cannot be expected to narrow substantially. The financial and political sensibilities in our community have caused EFFICIENT Eagan and Dakota County to operate extremely efficiently. This has SERVICES effectively moderated increases in tax rates historically. At the same time, the rapid expansion of the area's tax base, particularly in Eagan's commercial sector, tends to spread relatively stable tax rates over the community's broadened ability to pay. Therefore, businesses that expand in Eagan will receive excellent local services at a lower relative cost over the life of the investment. For example, Eagan's per capita spending is the lowest of all 14 Minnesota cities with 50,000 or more in population, according to the Minnesota State Auditor. Eagan has significantly lower city property taxes than the average of 18 metro cities. A recent study indicated that Eagan has the fewest general fund employees per 10,000 population of nine comparable cities in the region and yet its services are rated among the best as noted below. While subsidies and other financing structures may artificially affect costs in the short term, they must be considered over the economic life of the investment. Of the properties in the region which meet your company's location criteria, we believe that, over time, the Eagan sites will continue to provide an extremely high public service return at the lowest ongoing cost available. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Eagan is a great place to do business and many aspects of the local economic environment make Eagan an attractive community in which to locate your company's new facility. First and most important is the availability of suitable properties. The City of Eagan has a number of developable properties, zoned for Business Park uses with major roads and utilities in place to serve them. Proper zoning and preliminary development of the candidate sites will keep incremental costs to a minimum. Second, the size of the available properties permits your company to plan with few if any constraints. You will have flexibility to develop your facility at a size and in a configuration which will meet your needs into the future. Third, the nature of the properties will result in a relatively low cost of construction and expansion. The absence of obstacles, both natural and otherwise, makes the properties far more easily developable than would be the case in most restrictive environments. In addition, costs of construction in suburban locations tend to be less than comparable construction in downtown locations due to the extra precautions associated with the proximity to urban activity, split deliveries of construction materials and similar considerations. Eagan's experience with corporate headquarters locations and major business facilities shows that the City and its businesses are capable of forming working public-private partnerships. Not only is Eagan home to several large corporations such as Thomson-West, Northwest Airlines and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, it also has major facilities for Lockheed Martin, Unisys, NCR, the United States Post Office, United Parcel Service, Midwest Coca Cola Bottling, major trucking companies and more. Business interests are also represented by the Northern Dakota County Chambers of Commerce, which is also headquartered in Eagan. LOCAL ECONOMY CORPORATE LOCATIONS Eagan values the part its businesses play in the local economy, business community and social fabric. The City is ready to work with you to meet your company's needs now and in the future. INFRASTRUCTURE AND PUBLIC SERVICES EDUCATION The highly educated work force is a product of the significant investment Minnesota's state and local governments have made in education and training. In return for this investment, Minnesota students typically have among the highest achievement test scores among college-bound graduates in the nation. The quality of education in Eagan is supported by 35 to 40 percent of the local tax levy. The local school districts apply the money well as indicated by the numerous national academic awards they have received. Eagan's students attend some of the newest and best equipped schools in the state in one of three different award winning school districts. The area also has a wealth of post-secondary opportunities which are considered among the nation's best. Eagan businesses and residents have access to nineteen four-year colleges in the metropolitan area, including the University of Minnesota, as well as two nearby community colleges and the Dakota County Technical College (DCTC). DCTC's Customized IT Training Center, which is located in Eagan, provides specialized, hands- on education to expand IT and computer skills for community's residents and businesses. The changing skill requirements and technologies of the modem ADAPTIVE SKILLS work place demand that employees be adaptive and the area's educational system is able to help them change. The Technical College, as part of the best developed vocational system in the nation, has responded to the specific training needs of area employers through its Training and Development and Adult Vocational Training Programs. The resources of these programs could be made available to your company, if appropriate. TRANSPORTATION Another of Eagan's strongest assets is its transportation network. This network has made the Twin Cities the transportation hub for the Upper Midwest and Eagan's highway, air, rail, and river access is among the best in the region. This is especially important to facilities where the capacity to move products, information and people efficiently is the key to the effectiveness of its service. From Eagan, you can get almost anywhere and you can get there quickly and easily. Many cities have grown at the intersections of major highways. Eagan is located where such intersections have been developed less than twenty years ago. Interstate 35E, completed through the City in 1985, and Interstate 494, finished through Eagan in 1986, connect Eagan with an interstate highway system that crosses the continent. The section of Interstate 494 in Eagan completed the Metropolitan Area beltline and substantially enhanced travel to and through Eagan. The construction of the Cedar Avenue bridge and freeway in 1982 provided an additional connection to the interstate system and a second crossing of the Minnesota River. Most developable office and business park locations are less than two miles from these major arteries. In addition, a well-developed, well-maintained system of state and county roads and City streets serve the office and business park sites and the rest of the community. As the City has developed much of its infrastructure in anticipation of growth, only minor, if any, improvements to this transportation system would be anticipated at any developable location. Many developable sites have already been analyzed as a part of an Environmental Impact Statement or Alternative Urban Area Wide Review (AUAR), as well as the City and County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The transportation system is enhanced by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, a local transit agency, which integrates express service to the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul with radial service to key population and employment centers. To the extent that such service would meet a new facility's needs, opportunities may exist to route service to the property. Dakota County and its cities are also actively pursuing the development of bus rapid transit and expanded transit services to and through Dakota County. The region's first light rail line, connecting downtown Minneapolis with the International Airport and the Mall of America, is within a few miles of Eagan and will be connected to the City by a number of bus routes. In addition, the road system allows the efficient transfer of freight and parcels. The UPS Hub facility is situated in the east- central portion of Eagan and numerous other freight and package forwarding services are within minutes of most developable sites in Eagan. INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS LOCAL AND REGIONAL TRANSIT A unique and very desirable feature of Eagan is its convenient access to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, one of the safest in the country. Located less than ten minutes from Eagan, the airport serves Nineteen national and international airlines and six regional carriers. Charter flights are also available. The proximity of the airport gives employees and decision-makers direct access to hundreds of cities across the United States and around the world. This is especially valuable to a facility in terms of access to customers and prompt availability of equipment and supplies. TELECOMMUNICATIONS The City's traditional transportation assets are supplemented by the availability of state of the art telecommunications facilities. The reality of today's business demands the use of high quality telecommunications. The high speed transfer of data is an essential part of business activities. Once again, Eagan provides the infrastructure to meet your needs. Qwest has state of the art equipment at its Eagan hub facility providing maximum capacity. High speed digital equipment carries business information throughout the City's information network at a rate of 512 thousand bits per second. Going a step further, Qwest has installed secure fiberoptic networks throughout business/office parks within Eagan. They are capable of carrying information at rates in excess of 1.5 million bits per second. Comcast also provides service over the Qwest network. Customers can tailor services to meet specific demands for speed, service, security, quality and cost while insuring continuous service. In addition, Eagan is a part of an initiative to make Dakota County the first in the state to be certified as E-Commerce Ready. Overall, Eagan's transportation and telecommunications infrastructure offers high quality service through a variety of alternative delivery systems. Whether by physical or electronic means, a company will be able to conduct business at its Eagan facility efficiently and effectively. That means high productivity at a lower cost. INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIBER OPTICS PUBLIC SERVICES Eagan is a full-service community conveniently located equidistant from the two metropolitan downtowns, with direct access by the interstate highway system and with a population of 66,000 residents; it is the eighth largest city in Minnesota. The City has high quality public services capable of meeting business specific needs and has planned for the ultimate future. This is especially important to development schedules that do not need to wait for services to be developed. Public utilities are in place around and into nearly all developable sites, reducing the out-of-pocket expenses of developing the site. Sanitary sewer is immediately available adjacent to and into most sites. Development will require detailed plans for lateral extensions dependent upon the level of service necessary to the proposed facilities. All sanitary sewer outflow is treated by the Seneca Waste Water Treatment Plant located in the City of Eagan. The plant has adequate capacity to handle this and potential future development of all developable sites in Eagan. Eagan has an abundant supply of clear, clean water. The City's water comes from a series of 20 municipal wells with a pumping capacity in excess of 13,000 gallons per minute. The average demand is approximately ten million gallons per day (MGD). The City has two water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 22.5 million gallons per day. A current expansion of the Coachman Road facility will increase this capacity by 10 MGD, to 32.5 MGD. These facilities remove manganese and iron from the water supply providing good clean water for manufacturing and other industrial uses. It is anticipated that the quantities of water required by a corporate development can be handled by our existing water supply and distribution system without requiring any significant modifications. Trunk water main facilities of sufficient size and pressure are available adjacent to most developable sites, with existing capacity to provide adequate fire flow and water distribution needs. SANITARY SEWER CLEAN ABUNDANT WATER STORM SEWER Storm sewer requirements associated with proposed development sites are managed through the City's Water Quality Management Program. This system requires either on site retention of financial support of downstream improvements to insure storm drainage and water quality enhancement. Sufficient downstream capacity exists in the system once the site specific ponding issues are addressed. UTILITIES In addition to its Qwest telecommunications service described above, Eagan is served currently by Excel Energy, Dakota Electric Association and Aquila. These utility companies have worked effectively with Eagan businesses in the past and stand ready to cooperate in the future to develop service programs to control a facility's energy costs. The companies' efficient delivery systems will continue to be enhanced by their innovation and flexibility as service providers. Arrangements for redundant systems to insure uninterrupted service and minimal down time also have been made with a number of businesses within the community. Aquila's and Excel Energy's natural gas rates for large volume users are among the lowest in the nation. The companies' varieties of service programs can help to insure an abundant supply of natural gas at the lowest possible cost. CITY SERVICES Eagan's city services are not limited to streets and utilities. The DEVELOPMENT Eagan City Council and its staff form a highly effective team POTENTIAL which encourages quality development throughout the City. The management team has accepted the important responsibility of shaping the community for today and beyond. With 90% of its 22,000 acres developed, most over the past 25 years, Eagan remains a relatively young community that has effectively developed into an exemplary city with exceptional potential for the remaining developable areas. Some of its greatest potentials exist in its office and business park zones within the redevelopment areas adjacent to the Cedar Avenue Freeway and I-494/TH 55/TH 149, where developable property with great visibility and easy access to the international airport provide a desirable climate for innovation and efficiency. Businesses such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lockheed Martin, Northwest Airlines, Thomson-West and Unisys have long recognized the potential of Eagan's industrial and office space to accommodate their growth and diversification. It is the responsibility of the municipal staff to give direction to CITY STAFF Eagan's development potential through its various departments and functions. Together, the departments of Administration, Public Works, Community Development, Finance, and Parks work to insure high quality developments in the best interest of the community. As Eagan developers already know, the City does this by maintaining a positive, working partnership with the business community. This relationship is important as it allows the staff to assist businesses to meet development requirements, secure plan reviews, pass construction inspections and define economic alternatives. The City staff has considerable experience with large developments and it has special expertise in security situations and with high-technology facilities. The City staff is able to process permit applications and plan reviews on a fast-track schedule when appropriate. The City's capacity to meet the public safety needs of the PUBLIC SAFETY community is exceptional. The Eagan Police Department consists of 100 employees, of whom sixty-nine are sworn police officers. The department is fully staffed and equipped from patrol, investigation, and administrative standpoints. The City of Eagan is part of the 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System with calls coordinated through the Eagan Police Department. Eagan Police Dispatchers dispatch for fire, rescue, police and ambulance. The Police Department has a response time to emergency calls of approximately three minutes. In addition to Eagan's extremely low crime rate, Minnesota State Crime Bureau statistics indicate an extremely high current average clearance rate of 59% for the City's Police Department in Part I and Part 11 crimes. Examples of such crimes are assault, burglary, robbery, theft and vandalism. This is a very high clearance rate for a suburban community. The Eagan Police Department has a commitment to enhance community interaction particularly in the development of crime prevention programs such as business and residential security, drug awareness, sexual assault and many others. The department has strong working relationships with the corporate security staffs of Thomson-West, Unisys, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Northwest Airlines, and meets regularly with them to formulate plans to deal with mutual problems. With the cooperation of the corporate security staffs, the Eagan Police Department has successfully dealt with problems in the areas of white collar crime, internal theft and disaster control. The department has signed mutual aid agreements with all law enforcement agencies in Dakota County, providing an available combined sworn officer total of over 400. These agencies would be available for any activity that could not be handled exclusively by the Eagan Police Department. The Eagan Fire Department consists of a volunteer force of 97 firefighters. First response vehicles answer calls in under three minutes from any of the five (5) fire stations that are currently located within the City. One of the stations is typically within two and a half miles of any potential development site. The City has mutual aid agreements with all surrounding communities, the Department of Natural Resources, Dakota County and the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Many weekly training sessions are held that emphasize specialized training for local industry, including high-rise firefighting. The City of Eagan has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with its corporate community for ongoing fire suppression techniques and training. The excellent fire service and extensive water distribution system allows an insurance rating of 3, providing low premiums for businesses and residents. The City's fire suppression equipment is more than adequate to provide service to any proposed corporate facility. For extreme emergencies which require the coordination of all public safety personnel, the Civil Defense Division has a fully- equipped command vehicle with communication and support equipment sufficient to direct disaster response anywhere in the City. The City also has prepared an Emergency Response Plan which provides for the maintenance of public services in the aftermath of natural or other catastrophes. A comparatively high 88% of Eagan residents surveyed view city services as an excellent or good value for the taxes they pay and we believe that is reflective of the attitudes of our businesses as well. 97% of residents surveyed feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. These results reinforce that Eagan is one of the best places in the state in which to live, work and do business. PROPERTY TAXES AND ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT PROPERTY TAXES In the metropolitan area, the discussion of property taxes focuses on TAX RATE tax rates. Since no taxing authority can control all of the factors affecting taxes in perpetuity, a business considering location or relocation must view its decision from a long term perspective, in light of historical precedent and anticipated trends. Your company's work depends upon doing high quality work at the lowest cost possible. Eagan and Dakota County have reputations for delivering high quality services at a cost far below what can be expected elsewhere in the long term. The City of Eagan's tax rates are consistently among the lowest of the major cities in the region and Dakota County is among the lowest taxing counties in the metropolitan area. While the region's fiscal disparities system impacts the actual tax to Eagan businesses, your company's property tax rate is likely to be well below that for other metropolitan locations you could consider. While no one can guarantee that taxes will remain exactly as they are from year to year, broad differentials from taxing authority to taxing authority cannot be expected to narrow substantially. The financial and political sensibilities in our community have caused EFFICIENT Eagan and Dakota County to operate extremely efficiently. This has SERVICES effectively moderated increases in tax rates historically. At the same time, the rapid expansion of the area's tax base, particularly in Eagan's commercial sector, tends to spread relatively stable tax rates over the community's broadened ability to pay. Therefore, businesses that expand in Eagan will receive excellent local services at a lower relative cost over the life of the investment. For example, Eagan's per capita spending is the lowest of all 14 Minnesota cities with 50,000 or more in population, according to the Minnesota State Auditor. Eagan has significantly lower city property taxes than the average of 18 metro cities. A recent study indicated that Eagan has the fewest general fund employees per 10,000 population of nine comparable cities in the region and yet its services are rated among the best as noted below. While subsidies and other financing structures may artificially affect costs in the short term, they must be considered over the economic life of the investment. Of the properties in the region which meet your company's location criteria, we believe that, over time, the Eagan sites will continue to provide an extremely high public service return at the lowest ongoing cost available. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT Eagan is a great place to do business and many aspects of the local economic environment make Eagan an attractive community in which to locate your company's new facility. First and most important is the availability of suitable properties. The City of Eagan has a number of developable properties, zoned for Business Park uses with major roads and utilities in place to serve them. Proper zoning and preliminary development of the candidate sites will keep incremental costs to a minimum. Second, the size of the available properties permits your company to plan with few if any constraints. You will have flexibility to develop your facility at a size and in a configuration which will meet your needs into the future. Third, the nature of the properties will result in a relatively low cost of construction and expansion. The absence of obstacles, both natural and otherwise, makes the properties far more easily developable than would be the case in most restrictive environments. In addition, costs of construction in suburban locations tend to be less than comparable construction in downtown locations due to the extra precautions associated with the proximity to urban activity, split deliveries of construction materials and similar considerations. Eagan's experience with corporate headquarters locations and major business facilities shows that the City and its businesses are capable of forming working public-private partnerships. Not only is Eagan home to several large corporations such as Thomson-West, Northwest Airlines and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, it also has major facilities for Lockheed Martin, Unisys, NCR, the United States Post Office, United Parcel Service, Midwest Coca Cola Bottling, major trucking companies and more. Business interests are also represented by the Northern Dakota County Chambers of Commerce, which is also headquartered in Eagan. LOCAL ECONOMY CORPORATE LOCATIONS Eagan values the part its businesses play in the local economy, business community and social fabric. The City is ready to work with you to meet your company's needs now and in the future. EDUCATION The highly educated work force is a product of the significant investment Minnesota's state and local governments have made in education and training. In return for this investment, Minnesota students typically have among the highest achievement test scores among college- bound graduates in the nation. The quality of education in Eagan is supported by 35 to 40 percent of the local tax levy. The local school districts apply the money well as indicated by the numerous national academic awards they have received. Eagan's students attend some of the newest and best equipped schools in the state in one of three different award winning school districts. The area also has a wealth of post-secondary opportunities which are considered among the nation's best. Eagan businesses and residents have access to nineteen four-year colleges in the metropolitan area, including the University of Minnesota, as well as two nearby community colleges and the Dakota County Technical College (DCTC). DCTC's Customized IT Training Center, which is located in Eagan, provides specialized, hands-on education to expand IT and computer skills for community's residents and businesses. The changing skill requirements and technologies of the ADAPTIVE SKILLS modern work place demand that employees be adaptive and the area's educational system is able to help them change. The Technical College, as part of the best developed vocational system in the nation, has responded to the specific training needs of area employers through its Training and Development and Adult Vocational Training Programs. The resources of these programs could be made available to your company, if appropriate. TRANSPORTATION Another of Eagan's strongest assets is its transportation network. This network has made the Twin Cities the transportation hub for the Upper Midwest and Eagan's highway, air, rail, and river access is among the best in the region. This is especially important to facilities where the capacity to move products, information and people efficiently is the key to the effectiveness of its service. From Eagan, you can get almost anywhere and you can get there quickly and easily. Many cities have grown at the intersections of major highways. Eagan is located where such intersections have been developed less than twenty years ago. Interstate 35E, completed through the City in 1985, and Interstate 494, finished through Eagan in 1986, connect Eagan with an interstate highway system that crosses the continent. The section of Interstate 494 in Eagan completed the Metropolitan Area beltline and substantially enhanced travel to and through Eagan. The construction of the Cedar Avenue bridge and freeway in 1982 provided an additional connection to the interstate system and a second crossing of the Minnesota River. Most developable office and business park locations are less than two miles from these major arteries. In addition, a well-developed, well-maintained system of state and county roads and City streets serve the office and business park sites and the rest of the community. As the City has developed much of its infrastructure in anticipation of growth, only minor, if any, improvements to this transportation system would be anticipated at any developable location. Many developable sites have already been analyzed as a part of an Environmental Impact Statement or Alternative Urban Area Wide Review (AUAR), as well as the City and County's Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The transportation system is enhanced by the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, a local transit agency, which integrates express service to the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul with radial service to key population and employment centers. To the extent that such service would meet a new facility's needs, opportunities may exist to route service to the property. Dakota County and its cities are also actively pursuing the development of bus rapid transit and expanded transit services to and through Dakota County. The region's first light rail line, connecting downtown Minneapolis with the International Airport and the Mall of America, is within a few miles of Eagan and will be connected to the City by a number of bus routes. INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS LOCAL AND REGIONAL TRANSIT In addition, the road system allows the efficient transfer of freight and parcels. The UPS Hub facility is situated in the east-central portion of Eagan and numerous other freight and package forwarding services are within minutes of most developable sites in Eagan. A unique and very desirable feature of Eagan is its convenient access to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, one of the safest in the country. Located less than ten minutes from Eagan, the airport serves 19 national and international airlines and 6 regional carriers. Charter flights are also available. The proximity of the airport gives employees and decision makers direct access to hundreds of cities across the United States and around the world. This is especially valuable to a facility in terms of access to customers and prompt availability of equipment and supplies. TELECOMMUNICATIONS The City's traditional transportation assets are supplemented by the availability of state of the art telecommunications facilities. The reality of today's business demands the use of high quality telecommunications. The high speed transfer of data is an essential part of business activities. Once again, Eagan provides the infrastructure to meet your needs. Qwest has state of the art equipment at its Eagan hub facility providing maximum capacity. High speed digital equipment carries business information throughout the City's information network at a rate of 512 thousand bits per second. Going a step further, Qwest has installed secure fiberoptic networks throughout business/office parks within Eagan. They are capable of carrying information at rates in excess of 1.5 million bits per second. Comcast also provides service over the Qwest network. Customers can tailor services to meet specific demands for speed, service, security, quality and cost while insuring continuous service. In addition, Eagan is a part of an initiative to make Dakota County the first in the state to be certified as E-Commerce ready. Overall, Eagan's transportation and telecommunications infrastructure offers high quality service through a variety of alternative delivery systems. Whether by physical or electronic means, a company will be able to conduct INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FIBER OPTICS business at its Eagan facility efficiently and effectively. That means high productivity at a lower cost. PUBLIC SERVICES Eagan is a full-service community conveniently located equidistant from the two metropolitan downtowns, with direct access by the interstate highway system and with a population of 66,000 residents; it is the eighth largest city in Minnesota. The City has high quality public services capable of meeting business specific needs and has planned for the ultimate future. This is especially important to development schedules that do not need to wait for services to be developed. Public utilities are in place around and into nearly all developable sites, reducing the out-of-pocket expenses of developing the site. Sanitary sewer is immediately available adjacent to and into most sites. Development will require detailed plans for lateral extensions dependent upon the level of service necessary to the proposed facilities. All sanitary sewer outflow is treated by the Seneca Waste Water Treatment Plant located in the City of Eagan. The plant has adequate capacity to handle this and potential future development of all developable sites in Eagan. Eagan has an abundant supply of clear, clean water. The City's water comes from a series of 20 municipal wells with a pumping capacity in excess of 13,000 gallons per minute. The average demand is approximately ten million gallons per day (MGD). The City has two water treatment plants with a combined capacity of 22.5 million gallons per day. A current expansion of the Coachman Road facility will increase this capacity by 10 MGD, to 32.5 MGD. These facilities remove manganese and iron from the water supply providing good clean water for manufacturing and other industrial uses. It is anticipated that the quantities of water required by a corporate development can be handled by our existing water supply and distribution system without requiring any significant modifications. Trunk water main facilities of sufficient size and pressure are available adjacent to most developable sites, with existing capacity to provide adequate fire flow and water distribution needs. SANITARY SEWER CLEAN ABUNDANT WATER STORM SEWER Storm sewer requirements associated with proposed development sites are managed through the City's Water Quality Management Program. This system requires either on-site retention of financial support of downstream improvements to insure storm drainage and water quality enhancement. Sufficient downstream capacity exists in the system once the site specific ponding issues are addressed. UTILITIES In addition to its Qwest telecommunications service described above, Eagan is served currently by Xcel Energy, Dakota Electric Association and Aquila. These utility companies have worked effectively with Eagan businesses in the past and stand ready to cooperate in the future to develop service programs to control a facility's energy costs. The companies' efficient delivery systems will continue to be enhanced by their innovation and flexibility as service providers. Arrangements for redundant systems to insure uninterrupted service and minimal down time also have been made with a number of businesses within the community. Aquila's and Xcel Energy's natural gas rates for large volume users are among the lowest in the nation. The companies' varieties of service programs can help to insure an abundant supply of natural gas at the lowest possible cost. CITY SERVICES Eagan's city services are not limited to streets and utilities. DEVELOPMENT The Eagan City Council and its staff form a highly effective POTENTIAL team which encourages quality development throughout the City. The management team has accepted the important responsibility of shaping the community for today and beyond. With 90% of its 22,000 acres developed, most over the past 25 years, Eagan remains a relatively young community that has effectively developed into an exemplary city with exceptional potential for the remaining developable areas. Some of its greatest potentials exist in its office and business park zones within the redevelopment areas adjacent to the Cedar Avenue Freeway and I-494/TH 55/TH 149, where developable property with great visibility and easy access to the international airport provide a desirable climate for innovation and efficiency. Businesses such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Lockheed Martin, Northwest Airlines, Thomson-West and Unisys have long recognized the potential of Eagan's industrial and office space to accommodate their growth and diversification. It is the responsibility of the municipal staff to give direction CITY STAFF to Eagan's development potential through its various departments and functions. Together, the departments of Administration, Public Works, Community Development, Finance, and Parks work to insure high quality developments in the best interest of the community. As Eagan developers already know, the City does this by maintaining a positive, working partnership with the business community. This relationship is important as it allows the staff to assist businesses to meet development requirements, secure plan reviews, pass construction inspections and define economic alternatives. The City staff has considerable experience with large developments and it has special expertise in security situations and with high-technology facilities. The City staff is able to process permit applications and plan reviews on a fast-track schedule when appropriate. The City's capacity to meet the public safety needs of the PUBLIC SAFETY community is exceptional. The Eagan Police Department consists of 100 employees, of whom sixty-nine are sworn police officers. The department is fully staffed and equipped from patrol, investigation, and administrative standpoints. The City of Eagan is part of the 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System with calls coordinated through the Eagan Police Department. Eagan Police Dispatchers dispatch for fire, rescue, police and ambulance. The Police Department has a response time to emergency calls of approximately three minutes. In addition to Eagan's extremely low crime rate, Minnesota State Crime Bureau statistics indicate an extremely high current average clearance rate of 59% for the City's Police Department in Part I and Part II crimes. Examples of such crimes are assault, burglary, robbery, theft and vandalism. This is a very high clearance rate for a suburban community. The Eagan Police Department has a commitment to enhance community interaction particularly in the development of crime prevention programs such as business and residential security, drug awareness, sexual assault and many others. The department has strong working relationships with the corporate security staffs of Thomson-West, Unisys, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Northwest Airlines, and meets regularly with them to formulate plans to deal with mutual problems. With the cooperation of the corporate security staffs, the Eagan Police Department has successfully dealt with problems in the areas of white collar crime, internal theft and disaster control. The department has signed mutual aid agreements with all law enforcement agencies in Dakota County, providing an available combined sworn officer total of over 400. These agencies would be available for any activity that could not be handled exclusively by the Eagan Police Department. The Eagan Fire Department consists of a volunteer force of 97 firefighters. First response vehicles answer calls in under three minutes from any of the five (5) fire stations that are currently located within the City. One of the stations is typically within two and a half miles of any potential development site. The City has mutual aid agreements with all surrounding communities, the Department of Natural Resources, Dakota County and the Metropolitan Airports Commission. Many weekly training sessions are held that emphasize specialized training for local industry, including high-rise firefighting. The City of Eagan has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with its corporate community for ongoing fire suppression techniques and training. The excellent fire service and extensive water distribution system allows an insurance rating of 3, providing low premiums for businesses and residents. The City's fire suppression equipment is more than adequate to provide service to any proposed corporate facility. For extreme emergencies which require the coordination of all public safety personnel, the Civil Defense Division has a fully-equipped command vehicle with communication and support equipment sufficient to direct disaster response anywhere in the City. The City also has prepared an Emergency Response Plan which provides for the maintenance of public services in the aftermath of natural or other catastrophes. A comparatively high 88% of Eagan residents surveyed view city services as an excellent or good value for the taxes they pay and we believe that is reflective of the attitudes of our businesses as well. 97% of residents surveyed feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods. These results reinforce that Eagan is one of the best places in the state in which to live, work and do business. QUALITY OF LIFE The well-developed infrastructure of transportation, telecommunications, public services, work force and education combined with a wealth of natural, public and cultural amenities make the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area one of the most "liveable" urban areas in the United States. With its friendly neighborhoods, award winning schools, wooded boulevards, extensive parks and walking trails and close proximity to the metropolitan downtowns, Eagan residents enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. Executives and professionals demand a highly stimulating and diverse living environment and Eagan's quality of life is unmatched. Whether your employees choose to live in Eagan or the surrounding area, their productivity and satisfaction can only be enhanced by the abundance of amenities and the theater of the senses that this community provides. Eagan's proximity and accessibility to the rest of the metropolitan area offers location and opportunity for businesses and residents alike. Eagan is made up of well-planned, attractive neighborhoods, both new and established comprising a wide variety of housing opportunities. The City prides itself on its balanced housing stock, meeting the needs of executives, management and line employees. Our residents enjoy the City's many natural amenities including ponds, woods and wildlife. For an ever increasing population, Eagan represents an enviable lifestyle at a cost competitive with those in the more developed parts of the metropolitan area. The same educational system which would support your work force is one of Eagan's best amenities as it serves the families of employees as well. From its extensive network of elementary and middle schools to high schools in three different school districts, the City's school system focuses on excellence and creativity to improve the educational experience for all students. Flexible and innovative educational systems will prepare both children and adults for the changing world around them. Eagan's schools continue to teach the City's current and future work force to think as well as to know. The educational system is complemented by the Dakota County Library's Eagan branch. Eagan employers such as you will continue to benefit from the well developed minds this system fosters. PLANNED NEIGHBORHOODS EDUCATION Like all Minnesotans, Eagan residents also have a sense of COMMUNITY community spirit and civic pride. Our residents are politically PRIDE active and participation extends to local governments and civic organizations which allow citizens to take an active role in the dynamics of their social environment. This pride and enthusiasm is revealed in the many community and regional festivals held each year. Eagan's own Fourth of July celebration draws thousands of people annually. Eagan residents also take part in such Twin Cities festivals as the Minneapolis Aquatennial, St. Paul Winter Carnival, Minnesota State Fair and many other celebrations. Not surprisingly, as a result of this feeling of belonging, home ownership is high in Dakota County because people tend to put down roots in this positive, safe environment. Dakota County also offers exceptional commercial and retail opportunities. In addition to its ready access to both metropolitan downtown shopping areas, Eagan and Dakota County offer spacious shopping centers, discount outlets, and retailers of every kind. Dakota County residents enjoy the availability of regional, subregional, community and neighborhood shopping facilities offering every kind of retail product and service one could want. In addition, Eagan is just minutes from the country's largest indoor retail shopping center, Mall of America in Bloomington. The south metro area is known for its restaurants and hotels. Eating out in the Eagan area can mean formal dining or fast food, domestic or ethnic cuisine, family dinners or business lunches in a variety of price ranges. Hotels and motels are also convenient for clients, guests, and others visiting your company in Eagan. A number of hotels in a range of price and service ranges are located in Eagan and the immediate area. In addition, the Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau can help you with your hospitality and meeting needs. Eagan also offers entertainment of all kinds. Eagan's exceptional location provides ready access to the wide variety of cultural and sporting venues in the metropolitan area. Eagan has what USA Today rated one of the top ten municipal water parks in the country, along with a top quality civic arena, and a newly opened community center with meeting and banquet rooms, exercise facilities, children's indoor play area, gyms and a walking track. In addition, Eagan has a wide variety of neighborhood and community parks and a large regional park that preserve scenic green space throughout the City. The Minnesota Zoo to the south and Fort Snelling State Park to the west also allow residents to appreciate wildlife and history within minutes of their homes. Canterbury Downs, Valley Fair, and the Renaissance Festival are all located in the south metro area. SHOPPING AND COMMERCIAL RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS ENTERTAINMENT AND RECREATION For those who want a more active relationship with their environment, Dakota County offers exciting and scenic recreational opportunities from border to border. The Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers and a host of regional county and city parks offer some of the best boating, picnicking, camping, and sightseeing available in the metropolitan area. Fitness clubs and exercise classes are widely available. This environment encourages healthy living. Eagan residents can swim, skate, play softball, cross country ski, and enjoy countless other activities very close to their own homes. Our residents choose to be a part of their natural environment which is among the cleanest and least spoiled in the area. Minnesota has long been recognized as a leader in HEALTH CARE comprehensive health care. Your employees in Eagan are served by an excellent health care system anchored by Health East's full service life support ambulance staffed by paramedics twenty-four hours a day. A number of hospitals are in a proximity to supplement the care provided by an urgent care center and the numerous physicians and clinics in and around Eagan. With so much to offer, it is easy to understand why so many businesses and families choose Eagan as their home. Eagan gives your company the best location, access and amenities of any site in the Twin Cities, at the lowest cost in the long run. LOCAL SUPPORT In conversations with local officials, Eagan businesses and developers have expressed their appreciation for Eagan's responsive, problem solving approach and can-do attitude. The City is committed to continuing this positive, proactive relationship with your company. The City also understands that primary concerns include property taxes, development timelines and development limitations. Another reality, however, is that Eagan's development environment is so positive that your company can enjoy its competitively low tax rates. Your Company can enjoy facilities of extremely high quality in an environment where the costs of services tends to be lower than in most urbanized areas. Your company will continue to be treated as a valued part of the business community day in and day out, year after year, over the life of its investment in Eagan. The reality is that short term incentives must be measured in a long term context. CONCLUSION As outlined above, there are many reasons that your company will benefit by a location in Eagan. Your company's interest in Eagan is recognized and appreciated. The City of Eagan is committed to meeting and exceeding the needs and expectations of your company. Eagan and will continue to give your company its best effort with respect to its applications and proposals. Local officials are responsive to your company's interests and will continue to give prompt and positive attention to your company's needs. Your company can expect the same problem solving, can-do attitude that businesses have come to expect from Eagan's officials and staff. RESPONSIVENESS DEVELOPMENT REALITIES Eagan: An Inside Look Quick Takes on Eagan, Minnesota EAGAN AND DAKOTA COUNTY ? Eagan, conveniently located near the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport and interstates 494 and 35-E, is the 8th largest city in Minnesota with a population of more 66,000. ? Dakota County population is 372,000. PROPERTY TAXES ? Eagan's per capita spending is the lowest of all 14 Minnesota cities with 50,000 or more population according to the Minnesota State Auditor. ? Eagan has significantly lower city property taxes than the average of 18 metro suburbs. In fact, it was the lowest of any of Eagan's neighbors except the much smaller Mendota Heights. ECONOMIC ENVIRONNMENT ? Eagan is a great place to do business. ? The headquarters for the Northern Dakota County Chambers of Commerce is in Eagan INFRASTRUCTURE ? Eagan has a Customized IT Training Center as part of Dakota County Technical College, conveniently located on Lexington Avenue south of Lone Oak Road. WORK FORCE ? Not only is Eagan home to several large corporations (Thompson West, Northwest Airlines and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota), it also has major facilities for Lockheed Martin, Unisys, NCR, the United States Post Office, United Parcel Service, Midwest Coca Cola Bottling, major trucking companies and more. ? After conducting a worldwide search for where to expand its IT facilities, Thompson West-the major online supplier of legal citations and publisher of West Law books, chose to place its $25 million expansion in Eagan. > With the presence of Unisys, Thompson West, and others, already a high concentration of IT professionals live and work in Eagan. EDUCATION ? Eagan has 3 different award-winning school districts that serve its residents, plus extensive connections to Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills Community College. > Dakota County Technical College, for instance, has a partnership with the Minnesota Workforce Centers to recruit, qualify and train interns needed for specific company needs. ? Independent School District 196 is a state and nationally recognized K- 12 public school district located in the south suburban Twin Cities > District 196 is Minnesota's 4th largest district, serving approximately 28,500 students in grades K- 12. The 110 square mile district is one of three school districts (including 191 and 197) that serve Eagan. ? District 196 has six National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence and numerous state and nationally recognized programs in academics, the arts and athletics. ? For the 11th consecutive year, District 196 was recognized among the nation's top school districts as having the qualities parents want most. (What Parents Want Award, April 2002) > District 191 (Burnsville, Eagan, Savage) was named by Expansion Management Magazine as a Gold Medal winner among 1500 school districts nationwide in its educational quotient feature which ranks top performing school districts on how well students learn, stay through graduation, plus the financial commitment of residents to education, and adult education and income levels. > District 191 is also the only district nationwide to have received 3 different MAGNA Awards from the National School Boards Association, including an award for its Business-Schools partnership program ? And in District 197 (West St. Paul, Mendota Heights, Eagan) their Eagan elementary school has received a five star rating from the State of Minnesota in reading and math scores and the principal of Pilot Knob Elementary was named Minnesota Principal of the Year in 2002-2003. TRANSPORTATION ? Eagan's roads are among the finest, if not the finest in the metro area ? With easy access not only to Interstates 494 and 35-E, but also Highways 52/55, Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and also the Mendota Bridge/Highway 62, Eagan is easy to get into and out of. ? Eagan is only minutes from the Airport and Downtown St. Paul. TELECOMMUNICATIONS ? Eagan is part of an initiative to make Dakota County the first in the state to be certified as E- Commerce Ready. UTILITIES Dakota Electric, Xcel Energy and other local providers are experienced working with local companies like Thompson West to devise systems to avoid any downtime from power outages. CITY SERVICES ? A comparatively high 88% of Eagan residents surveyed view city services as an excellent or good value for the taxes they pay. ? A Brooklyn Park study of 9 comparable cities found that Eagan has the fewest number of general fund employees per 10,000 population, and yet its services (see below) are rated very highly. ? 88% rate city services as excellent or good in comparison to their previous city of residence. ? Eagan's Community Development and Planning departments work with your business to get the answers you need by the time you need them. They are focused on getting the job done in a helpful, professional, expeditious manner. > The Eagan Convention & Visitors Bureau can help you get the lowest cost for hotel rooms. QUALITY OF LIFE > With its friendly neighborhoods, award winning schools, wooded boulevards and extensive parks and walking trails, Eagan residents enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. In fact 95% of residents rate the quality of life in Eagan as excellent or good. > 98% of Eagan residents surveyed say they feel safe in their homes > 97% feel safe walking in their neighborhood > Eagan has what USA Today rated one of the top ten municipal water parks in the country, along with a top quality civic arena, and a newly opened community center with meeting & banquet rooms, exercise facilities, children's indoor play area, gyms and a walking track. > Find out why the Minnesota Twins General Manager, University of Minnesota professors, reporters for major television stations, leading IT professionals and more all choose to call Eagan home. LOCAL SUPPORT ? Both the current Governor and State Auditor are Eagan Residents Presence of the Mayor, the City Administrator, community partners, and the community development team indicate we're serious about your business. Don't Take Our Word For It: What Others Say Thomson - Thomson - Press Room - Press Release - Printable THOMSON TM Press Release Media Contacts Katie Neunsinger West Phone +1 651 848 9222 katje,neunsinger@thomson.com For Immediate Release Thomson Legal & Regulatory Begins Major Eagan Expansion Construction Project Will Upgrade Technology Facilities EAGAN, Minn., 05/0812003 Thomson Legal & Regulatory, Eagan's largest employer and a division of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOG, TSX: TOC), today announced a two-year, multimillion-dollar expansion of its data centers at its headquarters on the campus of West. The improvements represent a significant investment in Thomson's Minnesota operations and are designed to support the rapid growth of the company's online businesses, which include Westlaw®, Dialog®, Checkpoint® NewsEdge and FindLaw®. "Thomson Legal & Regulatory's online businesses have witnessed remarkable growth over the past several years," said Steve Buege, chief technology officer at Thomson Legal & Regulatory. "Additionally, The Thomson Corporation is leveraging the world-class data centers at our Eagan facility. These projects will significantly upgrade the electrical and mechanical infrastructure that supports these professional information and technology businesses. This investment affirms Thomson's commitment to its Minnesota-based operations and colleagues." The two data centers will be expanded in two phases. The first phase starts this month, and the second is scheduled to begin early next year. The project is expected to be complete by early 2005. "The City of Eagan is proud to be home to one of the world's premier information technology companies," said Tom Hedges, Eagan City Administrator. "We have had a strong relationship with this company for more than 25 years, and we think it is no accident that of all the places Thomson could have chosen for this expansion, the great, livable community of Eagan was selected." Hedges added, "Thomson is a first class corporate neighbor and we look forward to working with them and the families of their employees for years to come." Thomson Legal & Regulatory is one of four market groups within The Thomson Corporation. It employs 17,000 people - including more than 5,900 in Eagan - and has operations in 30 countries worldwide. Key brands and products include Westlaw, KeyCite®, Dialog, West km TM, ProLaw®, FindLaw, Lawtel, Consult GEE and West Legal EdcenterTM About Thomson Legal & Regulatory Thomson Legal & Regulatory (www.tlrg.com) provides integrated information solutions to legal, tax, accounting, intellectual property, compliance and business professionals around the world. With US$3.0 billion in 2002 revenues and 17,000 employees, Thomson Legal & Regulatory has strong market positions in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Thomson Legal & Regulatory is the largest market group within The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC), a leading provider of integrated information solutions to business and professional markets worldwide. About The Thomson Corporation The Thomson Corporation, with 2002 revenues of $7.8 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges (TSX: TOG; NYSE: TOC). Copyright © 2003 The Thomson Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright Notices I Terms of Use Privacy Statement Page 1 of 2 http://www.thomson.com/common/view news_release.jsp?title=Press+Room+-+Press+R... 10/22/2003 BY MARA H. GOTTFRIED _ from radiation therapy to irate- Pioneer Press rior design - movedfrom When-the doors opened for downtown St Paul or Min- neapolis to the suburbs in the the first time last month at 1980s and 1990s, and others Argosy University's new cam- made their start there. " a r ,pus in Eagan, it became the lat- Colleges try. to be good at est example of a private career knowing their markets,, and college settling - or resettling, , . they saw opportunities as the in this case - in the suburbs. suburbs grew," said Phil Lewen- All over the metro area, per- stein, Minnesota Higher Educa- haps in a strip mall or adjacent tion Services Office spokesman. to a highway near you, schools It's location, location, loca- - "x like Argosy are welcoming stu- lion," and it seems to appeal to dents. They cater to nontradi- many students. The only down tional students who often have side, some students and admen- _ . °ry u ----------a¢FK,M jobs and families and, because istrators say, is losing the feel of of their time-strapped lives, being in an urban setting. uµ appreciate the convenience of a Few . , students actually chool close to home where choose these schools solely JEAN PIERI, PIONEER PRESS they don't have to hunt for because they're in the suburbs. Argosy University student Leah Letson gives a parking. For most} the convenience is an Pomeranian its medication ina veterinary technician class. Some private career colleges The "meds" actually are water and; a treat. The school most of which teach trades, SUBURBAN COLLEGES, 9A moved from Bloomington to a larger site in Eagan. ; I 0 V b• d L+ Y e'"',w •O m RS w O w+ y m Q ?+ C) L. •? w d CO r3' i +? y" ^: 'C '° :a O r l .. o o o o o o y vA e0 C 0, l °? ° o ar3 3 d °' + w o d - - o - d = o m °'? ° .b 3 'c _ d b 0 be a o ar o and bm "•d .°.d6bwc3'?d? •o= ..?? 3ai?.?? ew bb.2= ? ° .°?dC C o m aiow ° m °ov °J t?c? u tb t 3°' o O•p .? O? x? • O Opd v a> O pp 0 ?. ?.0 p y p d cd ?+ ar'j'.". p^ m°L? bb- °oycd0- y ? d3 mac. °o °0? ° aW a; dbnd, sppa - 10, ? sum - --c6 °Ov od' -SETS en,o+3m? t,m,,0 p00A d I as y d c? O a a? w d .. m c..? •A d m• •? m y e? a? 0 ^" „mod, w? ;_, w C x o+•C•'y?"?`?w'? 'neobd?>?e2dy`A aCp? Ow d wy--y?d? 2gm,r,TR70 w O. 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Star Tribune Staff Writer Yet the Eagan location has given the school's 1,300 stu- r glevefand pf,Burns- der vill 'ca no e her fellow late classmates at the TGyui Cities` Universe ind the awe `?.e y e. ? • _a `? r nearest Kinl o s: i : 4: ° : stye That's because the Argosy campus, formerly in Bloom- ington, has relocated in Eagan, providing Cleveland and sever- al other students a chance to take classes close to home. "This is what we're used to," said the 19-year-old medical assisting student. The private school's move is indicative of a growing pres- ence of colleges and universi- ties in the-6 xpahding Twin Cit- ies' suburbs, where access to postsecondary 'schools has been limited. "Clearly schools will look at where there's -a market," said Phil Lewenstein, a spokesman for the Minnesota Higher Edu- cation Services Office. The agency runs the state's finan- cial aid program. "They're real- izingwhere the students are." During g=thepast decade, schools have increasingly set up whole campuses or satellite classrooms , in. the:, suburbs, many of 'Which"lacked any higher education presence, he said. Argosy did not relocate to provide that presence. Cramped quarters at the school's Bloomington home prompted the move to a new 90,000-square-foot building near Yankee Doodle and Pilot to the relative calm of I-35E, said campus piesident.William Cowan. "We really like our access to freeways that ,are pretty un-. clogged," he said.- In addition, the campus has more than enough parking and gives the area's growing popu- lation some nearby education- al opportunities, he said. . Mayra Caban, 38, of Burns- ville, an Argosy medical assist- ing student, said she wouldn't be attending school if her op- tions were limited to large, centralized sites downtown. Being in Eagan has provid- ed a more comfortable atmos- phere, she said. "I like the small class- rooms," she said. "We get more questions answered." Argosy is not alone in set- ting up shop in Dakota County. Apple Valley's former city hall along Cedar Avenue was converted this year into class- room space, which is now be- ing used by Dakota County Technical College, Inver Hills Community College and St. Mary's University of Minneso- ta. "It just makes darn good sense to have higher education where people will use it," said Apple Valley Mayor Mary Ha- mann-Roland. She noted that the city had lacked any higher education presence. first taste of a local postsecon- dary school .- Rasmussen Col;, lege's St. Paul campus moved to Eagan in 1989 - it will en- hance city services, said City Council Member Peggy Carl- son. .. The, school has already helped solve a space problem at the new Eagan Community Center, which sits across from the campus. Argosy's parking lots will be available to the center when its own lots are full. If not for this deal, the city would have need- ed three years to build an over- flow lot, Carlson said. At its on-campus clinic, the school - which provides courses in health sciences, psy- chology, and education- is also' offering low-cost dental services to area residents. The school's 24 dental chairs have been in frequent use, with local nursing homes providing the bulk of patients, Cowan said. . "We're serving a huge popu- lation of underserved people," he said. Tom Ford is at tford@startribune.com. O O cd y O O ? vo y O - U ti t 9 14 y U 0 ca 0 O p iy .y 5 [ U+ L4 ?p r?+a? . CL) ;z b0 16 p w bUp 4; y 'L7 1=0 141, ^d a) C." .?.., cp p O , L", y U y ?t° cd sUaU o U^y? ?a? c U d y Co O () •? 61 U w c d+? U• vii a'dA tOd '? o Co OCby?yy?Cd Ucd W.0 yid co CD = 0 U tC ,.> $ bD5w a) fy (1 c0'0 w p Wl E5 0.6 0 -9 o a) M. y? y yZ aa?i y p 5,Y e4 :Ea A, ed ? a n 3 ? O Q, °? co co h y e a? m .? 0 'C 2 r0. O bC cOn a) ' . m ,y y O C y 'a -.0 ow NO g W bD Lo a> > o U a5i¢ o bA? sUr ° cn ?? a,?. 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Z y G" y G W y?+ ul bD-5 in K) 59 CD So c" b EZ cd U ?C y ED Q) [ C O o y y '? e? y o >+ 0) +y+ O dvOy°? y yviy^Gva UC:•+bUCaeeO L' A L) Z - Co co -0 y rn ; o c,., a) =L a ?O?5?o?0?+ (D 7.1.00 U oco?r0 1 cd - g o t?.? vUi Q :=+ w U R V S'i 2 S CC, i:+ .? o c'a'n 510 We'll Help You Get It Done: City of Eagan Contacts CONTACTS Jon Hohenstein Community Development Director City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan MN 55121 Phone: 651-675-5653 Fax: 651-675-5694 email: jhohenstein@cityofeagan.com Mike Ridley City Planner City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan MN 55121 Phone: 651-675-5650 Fax: 651-675-5694 email: mridley@cityofeagan.com Tom Hedges City Administrator City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan MN 55121 Phone: 651-675-5013 Fax: 651-675-5012 email: thedges@cityofeagan.com Tom Colbert Public Works Director City of Eagan 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan MN 55121 Phone: 651-675-5635 Fax: 651-675-5694 Russ Matthys City Engineer 3830 Pilot Knob Road Eagan MN 55121 Phone: 651-675-5637 Fax: 651-675-5694 email: rmatth sy @cityofeagan.com z a (i a