For sale: private island in the Mississippi River, sandy beach, artsy driftwood, grove of mature native trees, going for the bargain price of $2,200.
But buyer beware: this 2.3-acre diamond-in-the-rough could also be described as a clump of trees on a sandbar that floods during high-water season.
However you see it, the purchase would still come with the bragging rights of owning a private island.
Just east of the Pine Bend bluffs in Inver Grove Heights and west of Lower Grey Cloud Island, the property has been a ward of the state since 1987 when its owner, Pine Bend Development Co., failed to pay its property taxes for six years and had to forfeit it.
State law prevented counties from selling property next to public waters, so the island sat in limbo until the rule changed in 2016, said Michael Johnson, Dakota County deputy director for property taxation and records.
“It would have taken an actual bill to give a county the ability to sell,” he said. “It was pretty commonplace for these parcels to sit.”
New legislation loosened the restrictions, so the island made it onto the county’s auction list along with 40 other parcels. No date has been set for the auction, but Johnson estimates it will happen on a weekend either at the end of January or beginning of February in the county board room in Hastings. He recommends watching the Dakota County website or a Hastings newspaper for the auction date.
An interested buyer would just need to show up and fill out some paperwork.
And, it’s possible the island will sell for less than market value, Johnson said.
The market value price “is not necessarily reflective of the bid price,” he said. “Typically it’s lower than that. Our goal is never to make money, but to get (land) back on the tax rolls.”
The unnamed island simply goes by its property identification number 20-03500-26-010. Its pending sale has generated some online buzz. County Commissioner Joe Atkin’s post about it generated almost 100 comments. Atkins joked that it would be a perfect Christmas gift for that person who is hard to buy for.
Boaters and duck hunters seem most interested. A couple of folks were familiar with it.
“Currently this island is used by recreational boaters for beaching and partying,” said commenter Victoria Sheehan. “There is also an extensive sandbar that trails off the south end which comes and goes with the river depth. Over the years, boaters have created trails, camping areas, and fire pits in the center of the island. There was once a volleyball pit in there as well.”
Commenter Jeffrey Thompson Sr. said he remembered boating out to the island in the 70s to set up a duck blind.
“The hunting was ok and there were some makeshift shelters on the island,” he said.
As of Saturday, there were no shelters standing on the island. The bluffs create a barrier to noise, so at least in winter, the island is a quiet retreat, populated only by ducks and the occasional bald eagle.
Summer may be a different story.
“It would appear it is a pretty well known spot for boaters in the summer,” Johnson said.
Although it remains the property of the state, the county holds it in trust on behalf of the state. The profit from the sale would be split between the county, the city and the school district using a specific formula, he said.
The Department of Natural Resources looked it over and could still intercede before the sale, as could the city or any other county office, he said, though it’s unlikely since it’s been unwanted for over 30 years.