Growth in the North Metro: How Coon Rapids and Anoka County Are Attracting New Investment

Anoka County is entering 2026 with visible signs of economic momentum, driven by industrial reinvestment, expanding commercial districts, and sustained job growth across multiple cities. From long-standing manufacturers deepening their footprint to new retail, hospitality, and housing projects coming online, the county’s economic picture is one of steady, broad-based expansion rather than a single boom tied to one sector.

Manufacturing Expansion Anchors Growth in Coon Rapids

In Coon Rapids, the clearest signal of that momentum is the expansion of Green Bay Packaging, a family-owned corrugated packaging manufacturer that has operated its Twin Town Division in the city since 1996.

City planning documents show that the Coon Rapids Planning Commission approved a multi-phase expansion at the company’s facility at 555 87th Lane, adding more than 100,000 square feet through four building additions. The expansion builds onto an already substantial industrial footprint and is designed to improve production flow, logistics efficiency, and long-term capacity. Company and city economic development updates indicate the project is expected to add approximately 20 jobs to a local workforce that already approaches 200 employees.

Beyond square footage, the investment reflects a broader modernization effort. Green Bay Packaging has aligned local upgrades with its national sustainability initiatives, which focus on energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and supply chain resilience. For local officials, the project represents a familiar but critical form of economic development: an established employer choosing to reinvest rather than relocate.

Parallel Growth Across Anoka County

While Coon Rapids remains a manufacturing anchor, similar growth is unfolding across the county.

In Ramsey, development activity is accelerating in the city’s central business district, known as The COR. Over the past year, new retail and service establishments including an ALDI grocery store, a Home2 Suites by Hilton hotel, and multiple restaurants have opened or advanced through construction. On the industrial side, SA Group, Inc., parent company of Water Control Corp., completed a 46,000 square foot headquarters expansion and was recognized as Ramsey’s 2025 Business of the Year. City planning documents also show additional projects in the pipeline, including a Chipotle restaurant, a Lightbridge Academy childcare center, and a 172,000 square foot climate-controlled U-Haul facility expected to be completed by mid-2026.

In the city of Anoka, fiscal revitalization has taken a different form. In 2025, the city finalized nearly $3 million in land sales, transitioning previously tax-exempt municipal parcels into private development. The most prominent project is the Highland Park redevelopment, which is slated to bring 31 townhomes to the area beginning in 2026, expanding the local housing base while adding to the city’s tax rolls.

Workforce, Population, and Housing Pressures

Countywide indicators reinforce the sense of sustained growth. Data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development show that Anoka County employment has continued to rise since the pandemic downturn, with particularly strong gains in manufacturing and health services. Unemployment has hovered around the high two percent range, below the statewide average, while manufacturing wages in parts of the county, including Coon Rapids, have posted year-over-year increases.

Population growth adds another layer of pressure and opportunity. County workforce planning materials report that Anoka County’s population has grown faster than the state average since 2020. A recent regional housing analysis estimates the county will need more than 18,000 additional housing units by 2030 to keep pace with job growth, helping explain the surge in multifamily and townhome proposals in cities such as Coon Rapids and Blaine.

Incremental Growth, Long-Term Implications

Taken together, these developments do not point to a single transformative megaproject. Instead, they reflect a pattern of incremental but cumulative investment: manufacturers expanding existing plants, cities converting land into taxable development, and retail and service businesses following rooftops and workforce growth.

For residents, the evidence of economic growth is tangible. It appears in new building additions along industrial corridors, cranes rising over mixed-use districts, and job postings tied to familiar local employers. For county and city leaders, the challenge moving into 2026 will be balancing that growth with infrastructure capacity, workforce housing, and long-term sustainability, ensuring that Anoka County’s expansion remains both durable and inclusive.

MinneapoliMedia