Bailey Nurseries is selling 184 acres of land to be redeveloped for residential and business use, according to the city of Woodbury.

The sale includes land east of Century Avenue to become a mixed-use development that would include residential, retail and business park land uses.

Bailey Nurseries is selling 184 acres of land for the development of mixed residential, retail and business park uses in Newport and Woodbury. (Courtesy of the city of Woodbury)

The proposed project would include up to 360 attached residential units, 89,600 square feet of retail and up to 660,400 square feet of business park, according to an environmental review of the project.

Bailey Nurseries, founded in 1905, is a family-run business that supplies plants nationally and is known for its Endless Summer Hydrangeas, First Editions Plants and Easy Elegance Roses.

The business’s former president and chairman of the board, Gordie Bailey, died in January. He is remembered for his love of plants, hatred of buckthorn and substantial contributions to the agricultural landscape of Minnesota.

Bailey Nurseries is not the developer of the project, said Ryan McEnaney, a fifth-generation family member and owner who serves as the company’s director of marketing and communications.

“We (Bailey Nurseries) are the seller of the property, working in collaboration with the cities of Woodbury, Newport and Maplewood,” McEnaney said.

There is no master developer of the project just yet, project broker Luke Appert of Cushman and Wakefield said, though developer deals are under review. It’s likely that multiple developers will come on board as the pieces fall into place.

To sell the property and prepare for development, Bailey shifted some operations to other parcels of land owned by the company, Appert said.

“Nothing’s changed on their end,” Appert said. “We want to make sure that’s crystal clear that this isn’t a sale because the business isn’t viable anymore. It’s a strategic way, because there’s been a bunch of interest in these properties for quite some time.”

The project

The project includes a phased extension of Century Avenue south of Carver Avenue to Bailey Road.

About 30 acres on the east side of the project area is slated to be a public/semi-public recreational area for New Life Academy, a private Christian school located at 6758 Bailey Road. The area is proposed to include parks and sports complexes that could include baseball fields, softball fields, soccer fields, football fields and tennis/pickleball courts.

The development also would include light industrial business spaces and a mix of high-, medium- and low-density housing.

The project has been in development for over five years, according to Woodbury city planner Eric Searles.

“The proposed retail uses will provide additional shopping opportunities in southern Woodbury, which has been a frequent request from local residents,” Searles said. “Furthermore, the project will provide new housing options with great pedestrian access to the future retail and Carver Lake Park.”

Appert said the project includes close to 15 acres of retail, but what exactly those retail businesses will be, he said, they aren’t certain of just yet.

Timeline

Bailey Nurseries is selling some of its land along Century Avenue in Woodbury and Newport for a mixed-use development. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Appert said at some point in the spring and summer, formal plans for development are expected to be submitted for the project, and construction may begin in the late summer or fall.

“I look forward to discussing the Bailey Development proposal at a future city council meeting,” Woodbury Mayor Anne Burt said. “From a big-picture view, our well-planned growth over the past several decades has provided us with the robust residential, commercial, retail, employment and services that make Woodbury one of the best places to live not only in Minnesota but the entire country.”

The development has a construction timeline of two to four years, according to the project’s environmental assessment worksheet, though Searles said it may take longer.

“While a specific completion date is not yet known, the full build-out will likely take over five years due to the size of the development,” Searles said.

The first phase of the mixed-use development will be 46 acres in Newport, just north of Bailey Road, said Newport Mayor Laurie Elliott. That development, called Bailey Farm, is expected to consist of two industrial buildings, a multi-family apartment complex and a Kwik Trip convenience store, she said.

“We’re very excited to have a Kwik Trip come into the community,” Elliott said. “What’s nice about the Kwik Trip is that it brings with it a wider selection of groceries and fresh-food items and a number of other convenience items.”

Another project, not part of the Bailey development, is being constructed on Century Avenue in Newport, south of Military Road. The Cherrywood development includes 117 residential units on about 35 acres, some of which are unbuildable bluff areas, according to Newport city officials. The residential units will be split between 69 single-family detached villas and eight townhome buildings with a total of 48 attached units. The Cherrywood development included the paving of Century Avenue in Newport, Elliott said.

“That was the last gravel road in the city, and now that it’s paved, Cherrywood is going to bring new single-family and townhomes to the city, which haven’t really seen a new development since Bailey Meadows was built around 2018,” she said.

Public comment

The city of Woodbury is taking public comment on the Bailey Development project from now until March 26 on the city’s website, woodburymn.gov.

Related Articles

Forest Lake: Scammers sending emails impersonating city planning zoning staff

Washington County: Township annual meetings, elections set for Tuesday

Hugo woman accused of threatening Demuth and Dellwood lawmaker

Washington County warns residents that scammers are impersonating county staff

‘Heart sank’: Mom speaks at sentencing of Woodbury day-care worker who broke 9-month-old’s leg

Two new crime novels in the authors’ series today, both including sons of mob bosses, and a look at the benefits of urban gardening in a children’s picture book.

(Courtesy of the author)

“The Boy in the Wall”: by Jeffrey B. Burton (Severn House, $29.99)

Cory Pratt, dog trainer and part-time college student, is at an elementary school with his dogs Alice, a serious bloodhound, and Rex, a goofy springer spaniel who loves the spotlight. But the innocent visit turns ugly when Alice keeps growling at a wall. Cory trusts Alice’s talents and he crawls into a tiny space inside the wall to discover the body of a missing teenage boy.

(Courtesy of the author)

So begins the third in St. Paulite Jeff Burton’s Chicago K-9 Thriller series. It’s a two-track plot, part of which goes back years to when a naive young waitress is dazzled by a rich, handsome visitor to the hotel where she works. What happens to her — a deadly warning from the man’s criminal boss father — sets in motion two generations of retribution masterminded by one of the cruelest characters Burton has given us.

In chapters set in contemporary times, Cory’s sister Crystal, a detective with the Chicago Police department, gets on the case of the dead boy and learns his older brother committed suicide. Now a kidnapper is after the little sister of the dead men and she’s saved by Alice and Rex, who are not attack dogs but can still inflict pain. So Cory and the dogs are targets of the two big men in masks and they hide out in a motel, where Cory has lots of time to think about his life’s direction and whether he’s in love. His visits with the little girl, who loves the dogs, are especially touching. Alex and Rex, meanwhile, think they are on summer vacation when they’re at the motel where people show them lots of love.

Burton has an easy writing style. Any grimness is offset by Cory’s love for his canine best friends who are as carefully drawn as the humans. As it should be.

Teaser quote: “My bloodhound spun and leapt, landing between Charlotte and this second mystery man who’d appeared from nowhere. He jolted backward as Alice snarled and barked. Yes, she knew threats and body language and was ready to rip into him.”

“Heartbreak Hollow”: by Frank F. Weber (Salty Books Publishing Company, $18)

(Courtesy of Frank F. Weber)

Did Eliana Castillo see a 40-foot monster as she regained consciousness in a park near Shady Hollow in Detroit Lakes? Eliana is the victim of a brutal assault that included rape. That brings Bureau of Criminal Apprehension officer Jon Frederick into the case in this new book in the Jon and Serena Frederick series.

Eliana doesn’t remember the attack, but Jon Frederick works his way through Eliana’s life and relationships looking for clues. There is Carmel, her best friend; Donny, the indifferent father of her six-year-old son, and sex addict Lorenzo Caruso, her fiance and son of a mobster who has been helpful to Frederick in the past.

(Courtesy of the author)

One of the clues Frederick follows is the burned M on Eliana’s heel, which brings incels and their enemies into the story. (Incel stands for involuntary celibate, young men who believe they can’t attract women because all of them are taken by rich, handsome men.)

Frederick’s investigation takes him from Detroit Lakes and nearby towns such as New York Mills and Pierz (where the author lives) to St. Paul’s West Side and Minnetonka.

This is more than a crime story. It veers into tenderness as Jon worries about Serena, who is sometimes his investigative partner and is experiencing post-partum depression after the birth of their third child. She feels ugly and unworthy of Jon’s love. Jon patiently tells her none of that is true and even when he’s out of town he writes her encouraging and loving emails. Eventually she comes out of her sadness and helps her husband think through his case when it’s stalled.

As Eliana tries to put her life back together, she’s attracted to one of Jon’s friends but Lorenzo won’t let her go. They are all caught in a web of deceit and revenge.

Weber is a forensic psychologist specializing in homicide, sexual assault and domestic abuse cases. So it’s not surprising that forensic details such as directions of blood spatter help build a case against the perp, whose identity was a surprise to this reader.

Teaser quote: “A gigantic troll stuck his tongue out at me. I stopped dead in my tracks and waited for him to grab me and crush me, but he remained motionless. It felt like I was in some weird Alice in Wonderland dream but the pain was too real. I cowered away from the monster and limped on.”

“Pearl’s Garden”: by Carolyn Olson (Minnesota Historical Society Press, $18.95)

(Courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society Press)

Can onions and squash, carrots and cucumbers bring an urban neighborhood together? “Yes” is the answer in this picture book written and illustrated by Duluth-based Olson.

Pearl begins a garden with the help of the city’s gardener, who provides soil, plants and seeds, but she has to do the work herself. Pearl’s two brothers are busy so the girl waters and weeds the vegetables all summer by herself. As her parents and grandparents watch her work, they remember tending large gardens when they were young.

(Courtesy of the author)

When it’s time to harvest Pearl makes fresh salsa from onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers from her garden. The whole family loves the fresh flavors and when Pearl asks for help again they are happy to lend a hand. In the end, Pearl’s family hosts an end-of-harvest party, sharing the bounty with neighbors who start to think about planting their own gardens.

Olson’s vibrant illustrations, based on folk art, show long, slender figures who fill the pages with color and activity. She will launch the book Saturday at the Duluth public library and host a story time at 10:45 a.m. on March 21 at Next Chapter Booksellers, 38 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul.

Related Articles

Readers and writers: Two adventures, one of which young readers can help draw

Readers and writers: Local literary community responds to federal surge

Readers and writers: Exploring the idea of ‘community’

Readers and writers: A treasure for young readers (and something for adults, too)

Readers and writers: An eye-opening read of people who are homeless, plus fiction and history

 

 

Today is Sunday, March 8, the 67th day of 2026. There are 298 days left in the year. Daylight saving time returns at 2 a.m. local time.

Today in history:

On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, setting off a massive and ultimately unsuccessful search. The aircraft’s disappearance remains one of air travel’s major unsolved mysteries.

Also on this date:

In 1817, a constitution was adopted formally creating the New York Stock & Exchange Board, forerunner of the New York Stock Exchange. The constitution laid out rules for transactions and brokers initially gathered twice daily in a rented room on Wall Street to trade 30 stocks and bonds.

Related Articles

How DHS retreated on immigration tactics after minneapolis

Faith leaders push for access to ICE detention centers during Lent and Ramadan

Trump, Minnesota and U.S. lawmakers grieve with families during return of soldiers killed in war in the Middle East

Today in History: March 7, Kathryn Bigelow is first woman to win Best Director Oscar

Man accused of tricking hundreds of teens into sending him pornographic images is brought to US

In 1917, protests against food rationing broke out in Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), triggering eight days of rioting that resulted in the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Russian monarchy.

In 1948, the Supreme Court, in McCollum v. Board of Education, struck down religious education classes during school hours in Champaign, Illinois, public schools, saying the program violated separation of church and state.

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

In 1971, in the first of three fights between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Frazier defeated Ali by unanimous decision in what was billed as “The Fight of the Century” at Madison Square Garden in New York.

In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.”

In 1988, 17 soldiers were killed when two Army helicopters from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, collided during a night training mission.

In 2008, President George W. Bush vetoed a bill that would have banned the CIA from using simulated drowning, or waterboarding, and other coercive interrogation methods to gain information from suspected terrorists.

In 2023, the U.S. Justice Department found that police in Louisville, Kentucky, had engaged in a pattern of violating constitutional rights and discrimination against the Black community following an investigation prompted by the fatal police shooting of an African American woman, Breonna Taylor.

Today’s birthdays:

Author John McPhee is 95.
Songwriter Carole Bayer Sager is 82.
Actor-musician Micky Dolenz (The Monkees) is 81.
Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Rice is 73.
Singer Gary Numan is 68.
TV journalist Lester Holt is 67.
Actor Aidan Quinn is 67.
Actor Camryn Manheim is 65.
Actor Freddie Prinze Jr. is 50.
Songwriter-producer Benny Blanco is 38.
Actor Montana Jordan is 23.
Actor Kit Connor is 22.
Actor Samara Lee is 18.

Minnesota United’s match against Nashville SC on Saturday portended to more difficult on Friday afternoon.

That’s when head coach Cameron Knowles shared captain center back Michael Boxall would be out with an adductor injury, and Nashville’s dynamic attack posed a bigger challenge to Minnesota without its New Zealand veteran on the back line.

A Cristian Espinoza goal sandwiched between two goals from Sam Surridge led to Nashville cruising in a 3-1 win at Geodis Park.

Minnesota (1-1-1, 4 points) suffered its first loss of the season, while Nashville (2-0-1, 7 points) remained unbeaten.

“Obviously you’re missing (Boxall, who) has tremendous experience and steady leadership and (is) an elite performer,” Knowles told reporters in a video call postgame. “He hasn’t missed a game in, I don’t know how long, in terms of being withheld though injury.

“It is an opportunity for guys to step up. On the whole, I don’t think you can pin it on just missing Boxy. I think collectively, our team’s defending was not up to the standard that we’ve seen so far this season.”

Minnesota was able to produce a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati last weekend, but it wasn’t air tight in the season opener, conceding two goals in a 2-2 draw with Austin on Feb. 21.

The Loons started Devin Padelford in Boxall’s spot next to Morris Duggan on the backline, with the same full backs in Anthony Markanich and Jefferson Diaz in front of goalkeeper Drake Callender from the Cincinnati win.

“We just made some simple mistakes against a very good team, and when that happens, you get punished,” Knowles said.

Loons midfielder Nectar Triantis’ stunning strike from 35 yards out was the only bright spot for Minnesota. It cut Nashville’s lead to 2-1 in the 35th minute.

“It was an absolute screamer,” Knowles said.

Related Articles

Loons at Nashville: Keys to the match, storylines and a prediction

Loons want to be ‘battle-tested’ after tough schedule to start 2026 season

Loons ride Kelvin Yeboah’s goal for a 1-0 win in home opener

Loons vs. FC Cincinnati: Keys to the match, storylines and a prediction

Why Minnesota United didn’t say more about local ICE raids