Developer looks to turn former Burnsville garbage dump into sports complex

New vision for a former dump

A developer wants to turn a former garbage dump in Burnsville into a sports complex.

The proposed $45 million project along Interstate 35W and the Minnesota River would be called “Big Hits at the Gateway” with a three-story golf driving range, restaurant and pickleball complex with outdoor and indoor courts.

The project has raised environmental concerns with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

In a statement, the MPCA said pollutants in the ground could taint the Minnesota River and the drinking water supply in Burnsville and Savage, and the plan presented for this sports complex fell short of protecting people and the environment from contaminants.

Developer Michael McGowan says he’s hired four engineering firms who say otherwise. 

“Even using data the state has provided, all believe this is a buildable site and no different than many other brownfield sites that have been developed in the Twin Cities,” McGowan said. “This is a terrific opportunity for the city of Burnsville and south metro area.”

The MPCA says it’s open to development on the site — but only if remediation is part of the process.

“MPCA is supportive of cleaning up Freeway Dump and potential reuse of the property,” MPCA spokesman Dan Ruiter said in a statement. “However, the clean-up must address the source of the contamination into the environment and be protective of the current and future use of the area’s drinking water.”

If all goes according to plan, McGowan hopes to break ground on the project next spring.

The post Developer looks to turn former Burnsville garbage dump into sports complex first appeared on KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News.