For Immediate Release — September 24, 2026
Partnerships Bring Significant Commercial Opportunity to Challenging Site
Former Superfund Site Set to Host Distribution Facility
Hermantown, Minn. – A former Superfund site will now be home to a shipping distribution facility, boosting local infrastructure and benefiting the community by repurposing the vacant land. The project, located in the Hawkline Business Park in Hermantown, began site preparation in May of 2026, with a competition scheduled for mid-2027.
“To reach a point where this development is happening on this site is something we can truly be proud of as a region,” said Chad Ronchetti, Hermantown’s Economic Development Director. “From private owners and outside developers to environmental partners, local government, and state support – multiple partnerships have helped create this meaningful opportunity in Hermantown.”
The City of Hermantown worked with private ownership of the property through an Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) to be sure the stringent environmental concerns of a former Superfund site could be appropriately handled for future development. Additionally, that public-private partnership also led to the awarding of a crucial $2 million grant from Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) to aid in bringing nearly $7 million of public infrastructure into the planning.
This successful work attracted Scannell Properties to the site, leading to the planned creation of a more than 230,000-square-foot distribution center that expects to create several hundred new positions. The development will provide significant job opportunities, not only for the initial construction of the project, but also for the operations of the facility for years to come.
“The City of Hermantown and its partners deserve credit for their careful, thorough work to remediate this former Superfund site and make it safe for future generations,” said Justin Olashuk, Development Manager at Scannell Properties. “We are optimistic about this site and excited to bring new life to the property through this high-quality development.”
With more than $30 million in private investment being paired with the public infrastructure additions, this development marks an amazing turnaround for the former Superfund site.
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For more information, contact Joe Wicklund, Communications Director, City of Hermantown, at [email protected] or 218.729.3600