The money would be used to clean up for 45 acres of theNorthwest Quadrant area. Past uses of the site have includedtrucking facilities, rendering plants and other industrial uses.The site also has contaminants from the old municipal MillerDump.

Medtronic plans to develop a 560,000-sf to 820,000-sf office andresearch complex by 2007, which will create about 250 new jobs,retain more than 1,000 jobs, and increase the city's tax base by$1.4 million, according to state officials. The city estimates thatit could take more than $4 million to clean up the property andprepare it for development.

The state and Met Council grants are designed to clean upSuperfund-level contamination on sites that could be quicklyredeveloped. Applications for the state grant were judged on thelevel of site contamination, the threat to public health andsafety, and the possible economic impact of the proposedredevelopment.