Proposed Japs-Olson Plant Expansion May Prompt Land Swap Among Minnesota Cities

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN—February 27, 2015—Direct mail printing specialist Japs-Olson aims to expand its current 510,000-square-foot facility to accommodate another 192,000 square feet. But here's where it gets tricky: the overall property would then straddle two Minnesota cities—St. Louis Park and neighboring Hopkins.

According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, the two cities are in talks that would exchange land parcels along their border. The proposed expansion would extend into Hopkins' property near the planned Blake Road Station on the Southwest light rail line. The city of Hopkins prefers to keep that land for non-industrial use.

The newspaper said that St. Louis Park officials are proposing to trade three parcels of land to Hopkins in order to get the land north of the property owned by Japs-Olson.