No deal

Stock Building Supply will not be building at the Northern Pacific Center site in east Brainerd after all.

The company notified the city of the change in a letter earlier this month. At its Monday meeting, the Brainerd City Council noted the JOBZ zone designation is no longer necessary for the site at this time. The JOBZ program is designed to stimulate economic development activity by providing local and state tax exemptions.

Even though Stock Building Supply will not build a facility at the Northern Pacific Center, it will continue to work with the city. In a letter to the council, Stock Building Supply cited the relationships the company developed with the city in the nearly year-long effort to develop a new facility here. The company said it spent in excess of $50,000 on land and environmental specialists, construction consultants and legal fees working on the Northern Pacific Center site.

While terms could not be made with the Northern Pacific Center, Stock Building Supply stated it intends to work vigorously toward finding a viable site for its company in the Brainerd area.

City Administrator Dan Vogt said the city is continuing to work with Stock Building Supply by looking at other properties.

RENEE RICHARDSON can be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852.