Lakeville Just Green-Lit an $8.3 Million Road and Sewer Project
TLDR
- The Lakeville City Council voted 5-0 on Aug. 3 to move forward with the 215th Street and utility project (City Project 26-09).
- It builds a new industrial road, extends sewer under I-35, and runs water west of County Road 70.
- Total cost is about $8.3 million. Most of it gets billed to the businesses that benefit, not general taxpayers.
- Bids come back in about a month. Construction happens over two seasons.
If you do not spend much time in Lakeville's industrial area, this one might fly under your radar. But it is a big deal for the businesses out there — and for the city's plans to grow jobs. On Monday, the council gave the 215th Street project a unanimous thumbs up.
What is actually getting built
There are two main pieces here: a road and some pipes.
The road part builds and paves 215th Street as an industrial roadway. It is designed for trucks and business traffic. It will be a rural-style road with drainage ditches on the sides, not curb and gutter. The project also upgrades some old or undersized storm pipes to cut down on flooding.
The pipe part is the tricky bit. The city will extend sewer all the way across I-35 using directional drilling — basically boring a pipe underground so they do not have to tear up the freeway. They will also run water to the west side of County Road 70, where the city expects new development.
Who pays for it
Here is the question most people care about. The total cost is about $8.3 million. But most of that does not land on the average homeowner.
Roughly $4 million or more gets billed directly to the industrial properties that benefit, through what is called a special assessment. That is a charge added to those specific properties. The city's trunk funds — money set aside for big shared pipes — cover the extra costs, like boring under the freeway.
For the benefiting properties, staff gave rough estimates per foot: about $300 for streets, $20 for storm sewer, $100 for sanitary sewer, and about $115 for water. Those numbers are not final. They get locked in after bids come back. The city is also talking about letting owners defer, or delay, the utility charges for three to five years.
When it happens
The council's vote Monday was to order the project and start the detailed plans. Next, the city opens bids in about a month. Then there is a second public hearing — likely in early October — to set the final assessments. Construction gets phased over two seasons. Crews start at the east end and work west, with the freeway-crossing work happening in the spring.
One council member asked about the 10% cushion in the budget for possible hazardous waste, given the area's past uses. Staff said that is a normal contingency and that testing so far has not turned up any contamination.
Why it matters
This project is really about setting the table for growth in Lakeville's job corridor. The city has been landing big industrial projects, like the 1.3 million-square-foot Prime 35 park. Roads and utilities have to come first. If you follow local road news like the 185th and Kenwood roundabout debate, this is another piece of the same puzzle. You can find more local updates on our home page.
The Bottom Line
For most residents, this is a quiet win — new infrastructure to support jobs, paid for mostly by the businesses that use it. If you own property in that industrial area, watch for the second public hearing this fall, when the real dollar amounts get set. You can track city road work on the construction projects page.
