New Columbia Heights City Manager, Aaron Chirpich. (Kenneth Seaton)
Only 11 months ago, Aaron Chirpich and the City of Columbia Heights celebrated the opening of a new City Hall. The facility has been hailed as a unique public/private space that’s drawn attention from other Minnesota cities.
At the time, Chirpich served as the community development director and was instrumental in getting the project approved and driven to completion. That achievement was a likely springboard for Chirpich, who in June was named the new city manager for Columbia Heights.
Chirpich cut his teeth in public service while in Bemidji, Minn., serving first as a development specialist, and later as the development director. But after seven years there, he needed a change of scenery and new growth opportunities. He spent the next four years in New Hope as a community development specialist before landing in Columbia Heights.
Five years later, he finds himself as, effectively, the CEO of Columbia Heights.
According to Chirpich, that was his end game. “It was a goal that I was working towards with former City Manager Kelli Bourgeois since being in Columbia Heights.” Before he could achieve his goal, Chirpich had to convince the city council that he was the right fit at the right time.
His pitch was grounded in his earlier successes in development, his expertise in housing and economic development, and his knowledge of the current City Hall staff and project pipeline. He also leaned into his pragmatic nature and propensity to push boundaries to drive things forward.
“My whole career, there’s always a contingent of people that say ‘you can’t do that here, that’ll never happen’ and that’s where I’m most comfortable. To say, all right, that’s a challenge, let’s get after it.”
There are some unique things about Columbia Heights that Chirpich sees as a foundation upon which to revitalize the city and drive economic growth now and in the future. One is the geographic location of the city.
“I get goosebumps because we are so well positioned geographically to have an amazing revival. It’s a place where you can start a family and invest in the community alongside us. Grow here. A lot of people talk about a small city within a big city. We are still in proximity of downtown, but you feel like you can wrap your arms around Columbia Heights.”
That said, Chirpich is keenly aware of some of the challenges he faces. “One of our biggest challenges is that we can’t afford to do everything we want to do. So we’re going to have to be strategic and set priorities with the council. And show everyone that this is a long view. You can’t rebuild an entire city in one election cycle.
“You have to chip away based on priorities. Taxpayer resources are at stake and you always have to be mindful of that. But if you want to pursue a bold vision, it takes action.” His viewpoint, said Chirpich, resonated with the City Council.
“The council’s desire was to stop with the status quo and to push the envelope. To make a statement about where we’re going.”
A new approach isn’t always the best thing for job security. Navigating between old ways and new can be a difficult dance, with the potential to create, or alienate citizen factions. But Chirpich is strong in his belief that to achieve evolution, community thinking has to evolve.
“We embrace and hold in high regard the history and the people that have been here a long time. But we need to balance that with everyone that’s moving to the community and bringing new energy, wants and needs and desires.” Chirpich emphasized the importance of an aligned and long-term vision between the city manager and the City Council. The council sets the agenda, and it’s his job to execute. “I think the council has been very good about vision. There is cohesiveness around that. We also have good dissenting viewpoints, which is healthy. And finding the middle ground is what we’re here for.”
He’s also confident he has the right team in place. “We have such talented and passionate people from top to bottom. I can work with that. I can deploy energy and passion. I want to foster a culture of innovation.”
Chirpich and his team will have several high profile projects upon which to execute, including development of the former Medtronic site off Central and 53rd Avenues, a new public works building and the Rainbow redevelopment, a proposed combination of high and medium density housing and between 70,000 and 80,000 square feet of commercial retail. Ace Hardware and LA Fitness have tentatively signed on. The city is also in negotiations with a national chain grocer as an anchor partner. The project will likely be deployed in two phases with phase one anticipated to kick off in spring of 2025.
As Chirpich settles into his new role within the city, interim City Manager Kevin Hansen will return to his role heading up Public Works. He’s confident that Chirpich is well positioned to succeed. “We have some really exciting projects coming on board that can really help transform the city. I think Aaron is coming into a good place. We have a very cohesive staff,” said Hansen.