Potential Buyer Emerges for Former Seneca Foods Site in Rochester

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Olmsted County is entertaining an offer to purchase a portion of the former Seneca Foods property adjacent to Graham Park.

The County acquired the 10 acre site from Seneca Foods in 2019 after the company announced plans to close its canning facility in southeast Rochester. The property, purchased by Olmsted County for $5.6 Million, included the historic Ear of Corn water tower. In addition to the purchase price, Olmsted County also spent approximately $1.1 million on the demolition of the former canning plant and the restoration of the landmark water tower.

According to an item on the agenda for next week's meeting of the Olmsted County Board, the county has been approached by a business interested in purchasing a portion of the property for redevelopment. The undisclosed offer was subject to a closed meeting in mid December, during which the commissioners directed county staff to seek multiple offers for purchase of the property.

On Tuesday, staff will make a presentation to the county board on the Seneca Foods property before the commissioners hold another closed meeting on the subject. The agenda identifies the purpose of the closed session as determining the asking price and to develop or consider offers or counter offers for the property before requesting additional offers to purchase the site.

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Olmsted County previously entered into negotiations with Rochester-based Titan Development on a potential development agreement for the former Seneca Foods property. In December 2022, following a closed meeting, the County Board announced that the negotiations with the company were at an impasse.