HIBBING — The Hibbing City Council approved a purchase agreement with the Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Hibbing at its Wednesday, July 10, Council meeting.
The move was anticipated after positive discussions at the previous Council meeting.
The purchase agreement with the HRA is for a 5-acre parcel directly east of Grace Lutheran Church. The agreement is contingent on the HRA receiving funding through a state program.
The location was chosen as an alternative site for the HRA housing project that was previously planned for Cobb Cook Park. The project is the first part of a plan to replace existing blighted housing.
Local organizers moved the Council to rescind its previous sale of the park for the project. In the process, a neighborhood park was saved and the partnership between the HRA and the city was strengthened, according to leaders.
The new parcel, which is larger than the park, was previously considered for the HRA’s project but was ruled out because of high development costs. After pushback renewed discussions between the city and HRA, the city agreed to cover the development costs that had previously eliminated the parcel from consideration.
At the meeting, the Council was given rough estimates of the costs: Just over $20,000 for initial predevelopment work and $575,000 for a road connecting the land to Ninth Avenue West.
Hibbing Public Utilities does not anticipate additional utility costs as much of the necessary infrastructure is already in place.
The primary road to access the property would extend from Ninth Avenue West along an existing right-of-way north of Grace Lutheran Church. The Council also discussed the possibility of extending Fifth Avenue West to the south.
The city plans to cover the costs using $1.15 million from the Legislature designated for housing development.
Three residents living near the new site addressed the Council, asking questions and expressing concerns about walkability and the impact of low-income housing on the neighborhood.
If the HRA does receive the grant funding it is applying for, HRA Executive Director Jackie Prescott said at the meeting the project would begin between spring and fall 2026.
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