Golden Valley General Mills Research Nature Area—A Community Asset For 45 Years

Press release from the City of Golden Valley:

March 25, 2021

Fifteen percent of Golden Valley (more than 1,035 acres) is dedicated to parks and open space, and the City maintains nearly 50 miles of trails. This includes several privately-owned properties open to public use under special partnerships between the City and property owner. One such property, the General Mills Research Nature Area, provides 1.36 miles of trail for public use in Golden Valley’s northeast corner.

Brief History

When General Mills purchased a 112-acre, partially wooded site in Golden Valley, its intentions were to provide an ideal working environment for its employees while using all that Golden Valley and its central location had to offer, such as transportation, highways, communications, and public utilities.

The resulting James Ford Bell Research Center, known as “JFB” to its employees, welcomed its first group of 75 scientists, technicians, and service people Dec 19, 1960. Immediately, the Research Center focused its efforts towards development of new nutritious foods, exploring opportunities for diversification, and improving existing products.

Through the decades, additional wings were added to the facility to accommodate changes in research and the addition of new services such as consulting, analytical services, and more.

Today, JFB supports approximately 1,000 employees working to create food for people and pets across the world. It also supports a partnership with the City of Golden Valley that benefits the community to this day.

Public/Private Partnership

About half of the JFB land is open to the public and is known as the General Mills Research Nature Area.

The Nature Area became possible through a partnership between General Mills and the City of Golden Valley in 1976. The agreement states the City could construct and maintain a public-use trail system through the property. It also allows the City to police or supervise the trail to prevent unlawful use such as littering or riding motorized vehicles, horses, or other animals through the property.

Golden Valley residents and community members benefit from similar partnerships, including Sandburg Athletic Fields, which are owned by the Robbinsdale School
District #281; Perpich Center for the Arts soccer fields, owned by the State of Minnesota; and Glenview Terrace Park, owned by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board.

“These partnerships allow the Golden Valley community to enjoy the beauty, resources, and park amenities that some privately owned spaces have to offer,” said Parks and Recreation Director, Rick Birno. “They truly are a great asset to the City.”

Matching Future Use With Zoning

The JFB site–like all properties in the city–has both a future land use designation and a zoning classification. The Metropolitan Council requires that these two align, but for many years the land use has been listed as Light Industrial while the zoning remained Industrial. This inconsistency will be addressed as part of implementing the City’s 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

An additional layer of regulation at JFB is a Planned Unit Development (PUD), which is a master plan that allows for some zoning flexibility on the part of the City in exchange for some public benefit provided by the property owner. Any changes to the site require a City Council approved amendment to the existing PUD.

Modifying the land use designation to align with existing zoning will satisfy the Met Council’s requirements. The current PUD Permit will continue to dictate what can occur on the JFB property.

For more information on the James Ford Bell Research Center, click here.

To learn more about the General Mills Research Nature Area, visit the City website.

This press release was produced by the City of Golden Valley. The views expressed here are the author’s own.