Belle Plaine enters into purchase agreement for former Emma Krumbee’s apple orchard land

The City of Belle Plaine has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire a former apple orchard and potentially turn it into a police station.

Emma Krumbee’s in Belle Plaine has stood as an apple-picking orchard with a slew of fall-themed activities for the last 43 years.

Dawn Meyer, the city administrator for Belle Plaine, said the owner of the land that Emma Krumbee’s is on approached the city earlier this year and proposed the idea of purchasing the property.

Meyer said the city entered into a $1.85 million purchase agreement in August but the sale won’t go through until late November. Then, the city may pursue the possibility of turning Belle’s Event Center into a police station.

Meyer stated that the event center fits the city’s needs as the option is more cost-effective because the building is already constructed.

As of right now, the city is looking at the feasibility of renovating that property for law enforcement’s use, Meyer added. The city completed structural and mechanical checks that show the building is stable prior to entering the purchase agreement.

It’s unclear when exactly Emma Krumbee’s closed.