Braham moving forward with Lepinski Pallet property purchase

The city of Braham is moving forward with purchasing the Lepinski Pallet property off Highway 107.

"It's the first thing you see as you're driving into town, or the last thing you see as you're driving out of town," Braham mayor Nate George said in an interview last week.

The property is about 12 acres on the south end of Braham, which George said has been an eyesore for several years.

"For many years now, it's just been an eyesore on the city of Braham, just a blighted property," George said. "Overgrown, and lots of rusty equipment laying around, and it really hasn't been used."

George added that the city previously passed up on an opportunity to purchase the property.

Braham secured a deal with the property owner after about a year's worth of negotiations.

According to George, the city conducted environmental studies on the property to "inform a purchasing strategy and potential offer."

George said the city already has a contractor lined up to clear out the property, with minimal cleanup costs due to receiving credit for scrapping old equipment.

"Then it's just making sure it's shovel-ready and good to go for development," George added. "We do have one commercial developer that's expressed interest in that area."

The property is one of the few remaining developable areas within Braham city limits, and George said the goal is to pursue mixed commercial and residential use.

"What ultimately ends up going in there depends on the developers," George said.

The city will not have payments due on the property until 2027, due to using a tax abatement loan to finance the acquisition.

"That gives us a whole year and a half or so to find developers, and line them up to take that property, and recoup that money and pay off that loan before a payment is even due," George said. "It's a pretty good set-up, the best possible scenario for taxpayers."