A 125-job, 550,000-square-foot industrial project is considering developing its site on a piece of agricultural land in Big Lake.

The Burlington, Wash.-based construction service company Fisher Construction Group wants to build factory, warehouse and office space on the 115-acre site near Norwood Drive, about halfway between Highway 10 and Highway 25.

The company is also looking at other potential sites the company is considering across the country. Big Lake is the only Minnesota location they are considering so far.

I’m very excited about the potential of the project and what it could mean for the Big Lake community if it moves forward, said Big Lake Mayor Paul Knier. It would be the largest private investment in the city’s history and would create significant job opportunities.

He noted they have seen a lot of development in the last two years from the industrial park nearly being filled to a variety of commercial and residential development projects.

He touted the hard work of the City’s Economic Development staff as helping with this trend. Additionally, he didn’t know if it had an impact, but he noted they had streamlined their City’s codes and ordinances a couple years ago, including changes that made things simpler for development.

There’s a lot developers and a lot of dirt moving in Big Lake, Knier said. I think the word on Big Lake is getting out. We’re one of the safest communities in the state, our taxes are reasonable, our schools are great and we have land available for development.

The worksheet also notes 4,600-foot rail spur could enter the northwest side of the building, which the company will have build and connect to the train rail line right next to the property.

A 2018 rail study initiated by the city of Big Lake, the City of Becker, Sherburne County and other organizations identified this portion of Big Lake, along with other parts of the county, as well-suited for industrial development around rail.

Big Lake Community Development Director Marie Popp noted the developer had been interested in the site because it had convenient access to both a nearby highway and a nearby rail.

The comment period for the Environmental Assessment Worksheet lasts through Aug. 27.

The Big Lake City Council will hold a public hearing at their Sept. 16 Council meeting to consider whether to accept the worksheet or require more work, whether to approve the landowner’s request to rezone the site for residential and whether to approve a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for the site.