Thomson Reuters to sell most of Eagan campus to developer Ryan Cos.

Press Release

Local real estate developer Ryan Companies entered into a purchase and sale agreement with Thomson Reuters on Thursday for a large part of the publishing company’s sprawling Eagan campus.

The agreement is for Minneapolis-based Ryan to take over 179 acres of Thomson Reuters’ 263-acre campus located off Dodd Road, including a 1.1 million-square-foot office building, three data centers and 90 acres of undeveloped land, according to a news release from the developer.

“Having access to nearly 180 acres within a major metropolitan area is rare and we believe there is tremendous potential in redeveloping this site to bring new jobs and opportunities to the city of Eagan,” said Tony Barranco, North region president for Ryan Cos. in the release.

Earlier this month, Ryan received approval from the Ramsey County board to purchase 40 acres of Rice Creek Commons in Arden Hills for $12.8 million, which it plans to market to prospective tenants as a potential corporate campus, research and development center, or a mix of manufacturing and distribution facilities alongside retail and restaurant space, among other possibilities.

Thomson Reuters announced this time last year that it would sell a majority of its Eagan campus, attributing the change to an employee survey that revealed workers would rather split their time between office and home.

The global legal publishing firm has held a footprint in Dakota County since 1996 when it bought West Publishing for $3.4 billion. Prior to that, West Publishing had a facility in Eagan since 1978 and officially moved its headquarters there from downtown St. Paul in 1992.

West Publishing, originally known as John B. West, Publisher and Bookseller, was founded in St. Paul in 1872 by John Briggs West. At the time, the bookseller specialized in law treatises, dictionaries and office supplies.

In the 1970s, the company began moving its manufacturing and distribution operations to Eagan, much to the chagrin of St. Paul leaders.

More at

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/thomson-reuters-sell-most-eagan-213100916.html