Pahl family property in Rosemount is ready for more than plants and plows.

The 52-acre site is among the first in Minnesota to receive shovel-ready certification from the state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).

The new program highlights land that is ready for business. It was started last spring by the Positively Minnesota Marketing Partnership together with DEED to attract new industry and jobs.

The city of Rosemount partnered with commercial real estate firm Ryan Companies to seek the designation. The property is located in the Rosemount Business Park at the southwest corner of Biscayne Avenue and Boulder Trail.

Ryan Companies has worked with the property owners, the Pahl family of Pahl's Market, for nearly four years to fill the plot. In the meantime, the family is still farming there.

"It's very important for [site selectors] to know that the developer has everything figured out that needs to be," said Casey Hankinson, director of development for Ryan Companies. "You just want to check off all the obstacles."

To receive shovel-ready certification commercial and industrial sites must have completed all planning, zoning, surveys, title work, environmental studies, soils analysis and public infrastructure engineering.

The city and Ryan Companies split the $2,950 application fee, and with the certification will receive promotion at national conferences, trade shows and on the state's site-selection database and DEED website.

"That's really what we want - to get the name out there," said Rosemount Community Development Director Kim Lindquist.

Light industrial, office showroom, warehousing and assembly uses are targeted for the site, said Lindquist. The Pahl family owns another 150 acres south of the shovel-ready property that could also be made available for a larger tenant, she said.

Hankinson said while there is currently little demand for property, it helps be ready. In build-to-suit developments, companies must already wait a year or two during construction. Eliminating time-consuming technical and regulatory tasks is beneficial.

"Companies do not have the luxury of spending several months on a site search because global economic forces are motivating them to make market decisions fast," said DEED Commissioner Dan McElroy in a recent announcement of the first shovel-ready sites. "These cities have invested in this lean, yet rigorous process that significantly reduces time and money for companies that wish to grow in Minnesota."

The cities of Brainerd and Dayton also had sites to receive shovel-ready certification in the first round. Up to 10 site-certification applications will be reviewed by DEED per quarter.

Rosemount Mayor Bill Droste said the certification is important as other cities are also preparing for development. Nearby, Apple Valley recently created a mixed business campus in its 2030 Comprehensive Plan update and Farmington is adding infrastructure.

"There are areas right next to us people could go very easily," said Droste. "I think we just need to stay in front of the curve."

In addition to the certification, Hankinson said the size of the land, especially as other metro cities face total build-out, is a strong selling point. He also cited its proximity to Highway 3, County Road 42, Highway 52 and the Cedar Avenue corridor.

Lindquist said city staff is also taking other actions to be ready for development opportunities, including streamlining its zoning ordinances.

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