BELT LINE INDUSTRIAL PARK

The history of the area to be known as the Belt Line Industrial Park goes back to February 27, 1854, when the land was first platted by the U.S. Government. From 1855 to 1857, property was conveyed from the U.S. Government to Martin Van Buren Pratt. The approximate boundaries of that property were: Highway 7 to the north, Highway 100 to the west, 38th Street to the south, and approximately Belt Line Blvd. to the east. (Of course none of these reference points were in place at the time.) Although it appears that the property belonged to a Thomas Barton from 1857 to 1862, it came back to M.V. Pratt in 1865. In 1881, MV Pratt sold 60.3 acres to OK and Emma T. Earle for $1809. 7 acres were sold to the Minneapolis Box Lumber Co. in 1889, but the company was insolvent by 1892.

Henry H. Collins then bought the 60.3 acres for $30,000 from the Earles in July 1891 and the 7 acres from the Box Co. in August 1892. On July 14, 1892, Henry H. and Edith E. Collins filed the plat of the Collins Addition. The plat had 16 blocks and 370 lots. The plat was vacated on January 5, 1918. (Collins 2nd Addition, on the other side of Highway 100, was also platted in 1892.)

The Hedberg-Friedheim Co. was incorporated in 1922 with capital stock of $50,000. In 1931, the heirs of Henry H. Collins sold all of the former Collins Addition to Hedberg-Friedheim.

The La Salle Investment Co. was incorporated in December 1952 with capital stock of $40,000. In June 1954, LaSalle was changed to Belt Line Industrial Center.

In mid 1953, the Hedberg Friedheim Co. was divided into two separate companies, and the land was transferred from Hedberg Friedheim to Charles Friedheim.

In July 1954, the land was transferred from Friedheim to the Belt Line Industrial Center, Inc., and the Belt Line Industrial Park was formally presented to the public. The first manager was Gerome Bylund. The firm sought to develop 35 sites. In 1955, BLIC transferred land to the City to build 35th Street, Raleigh, and a service road to Highway 100, which would become Park Center Blvd. In 1956, Robert Ehrenberg was named general manager. In 1959, the name of the company was changed from Belt Line Industrial Center, Inc. to Belt Line Industrial Park, Inc. The Belt Line Industrial Park plat was approved on May 25, 1960.

The first tenant was the Westinghouse Electric Corp. Lamp Division (distribution center for light bulbs). It was located at 3501 State Highway 100 South, built in 1954. In 1961, the District Manager’s name, appropriately enough, was Watt Welker. In 1970 the location had 100 employees and the corporate representative was George A. Corcoral.

In 1955, Goodyear took up residence in the Park at 5100 W. 35th Street. In 1966, a new 45,000 sq. ft. addition was built. The manager in 1966 was L.A. Taylor, and the facility supported 48 employees.

In 1963, Charles Friedheim Sr. died. Charles Jr. was charged with the ready mix company, and the land north of 36th Street was left to his daughter Lucille Friedheim McCain.

In 1966, the second addition was built on a 13 acre tract on the eastern end of the part overlooking Bass Lake. Tenants at that time were:

Westinghouse
Goodyear
Decorative Plant Rentals
Placet Products
Snap-on-Tools
Linfor Inc.
3M National
IBM
Gangroth & Smith
Olympic Radio & TV
GE X-Ray
Qualitone
A.S. Aloe
Fafnir Bearing
Dexon
Flemiing Sheet Metal
Bell & Howell
National Truck Rental and Lend Lease Transportation. This company began in 1946 and moved to the 17,000 sq. ft. building in the BIP in 1966. Kenneth C. Glaser was president of the company.

The last building on the original campus was built in 1969.

Town’s Edge Ford (later Walser, Cities, Planet Ford) came to St. Louis Park in 1956 when R.J. Walser lost his Hopkins site as County Road 18 expanded. The site, originally a ball field, was originally slated to be developed into apartments, and much wrangling ensued between Walser and the City Council before a permit was issued. The lot opened for business in 1979

In 1987-88, some of the Industrial Park’s land was taken by the City for the extension of Belt Line Boulevard over the railroad tracks.

In 1989, Robert Ehrenberg retired, and management of the center reverted back to the family. Brothers Charlie and John McCain, sons of Lucille, now manage two businesses: Bridge Property Management and Belt Line Properties. The name change from Belt Line Industrial Park, made in 2005, reflects the changing use of the property from industrial to commercial. Three other brothers, Chris, Donovan, and James, are also involved in the two businesses.

A case in point was the $10 million redevelopment effort undertaken in 2004 at the northwest corner of West 36th Street and Belt Line Blvd. Wolfe Lake Professional Center includes a one-story, 9,872 sq. ft. commercial building (Wolfe Lake Professional Center West) on the portion of the property along West 36th Street and a two-story 54,742 sq. ft. office building (Wolfe Lake Professional Center East) along Belt Line Boulevard. Citizens Independent Bank moved its headquarters to the Wolfe Lake Professional Center East building in 2005. Aagesen Chiropractic Clinic and MedSpa moved into the west building.

Also in 2004, the 32,845 sq. ft. building that housed the Post Office, Nordic Textiles, and Dulux Paint was demolished and construction was started on a two-story, 54,742 sq. ft. office building.

Headquarters of the Belt Line Industrial Park are located at 3440 Belt Line Blvd., built in 1969.

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.