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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Anoka County Considers Property Acquisition and Eminent-Domain Authority for Andover-Area Road Project
ANDOVER, MN (September 16, 2026). Anoka County transportation officials are advancing a resolution that would authorize the acquisition of property rights from 47 parcels for a planned reconstruction of Flamingo Street NW between 181st Avenue NW and Viking Boulevard NW.
Nine of the listed parcels are in Andover, while 38 are in neighboring Oak Grove.
The project would reconstruct Flamingo Street NW, designated County State Aid Highway 78, from County Road 58 at 181st Avenue to County Highway 22 at Viking Boulevard.
Proposed improvements include grading, aggregate base, new pavement, drainage-system improvements, concrete curbs and gutters, turn lanes and related work intended to improve safety and traffic operations.
Construction is currently scheduled for 2029.
The Anoka County Committee of the Whole’s Transportation Committee considered two related measures September 15. Resolution 2026-TR19 would authorize preparation of the formal highway right-of-way plat. Resolution 2026-TR20 would authorize the county to begin acquiring the property interests required for construction.
The affected properties include land along Flamingo Street, 181st Avenue, Bluebird Street and Hanson Boulevard. The county may need permanent right of way, permanent easements or temporary construction easements, depending on each parcel’s location and the final design.
The proposed resolution directs county officials to attempt to obtain the necessary property interests through the normal acquisition process. If negotiations are unsuccessful, however, it would authorize the county to use eminent domain.
The resolution specifically invokes Minnesota’s “quick take” procedure. That process can allow a government entity to obtain title and possession of required property before court-appointed commissioners have completed a final compensation award.
Use of quick-take authority does not allow the county to take property without compensation. Affected owners retain rights under Minnesota law concerning notice, valuation, compensation and challenges to the amount offered.
The county says it needs the acquisition authority early enough to secure the property before the scheduled 2029 construction season.
Funding for the project is expected to come from County State Aid Highway funds, the county transportation tax and Minnesota’s Transportation Advancement Account.
The September 15 committee documents recommend approval, but committee consideration is not the same as final authorization by the full Anoka County Board. The proposal must reach the County Board before the eminent-domain authority described in the resolution becomes final.
That distinction is especially important for affected property owners. The published documents establish the county’s proposed course of action, but they should not be interpreted as confirmation that condemnation proceedings have already begun against every listed parcel.
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