A vacant Rainbow Foods in Inver Grove Heights will become a special-education school under a plan by a local developer and Intermediate School District 917.
The city council on Monday approved an ordinance amendment to allow a special-education school on the site, which is west of Concord Boulevard and east of U.S. 52.
Eden Prairie-based Interstate Development is planning to buy the 56,200-square-foot building, renovate it and lease it to Intermediate School District 917. The district is a consortium of nine south-metro school districts that provides special-education services for students at member district buildings and at four other sites in Apple Valley, Eagan and Rosemount.
The former grocery space will have classrooms to serve up to 70 students who have autism or mental health disorders.
The building was built for a Rainbow Foods in 2000 but has been vacant since the grocery closed in late 2014. No other grocers or retailers had interest in it, according to city officials.
Because the property will be privately owned, it will not be tax-exempt during the lease term, which School District 917 Superintendent John Christiansen described as being “long term.”
The plan is to have the school ready for the 2018-2019 school year, Christiansen said.