Freeborn County officials announced Thursday the Union Pacific Railroad has accepted the county’s $1.1 million offer to acquire 12 miles of abandoned line from Albert Lea to Hartland.

The sale is subject to approval by Union Pacific management and the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners, who would turn the land into a multi-use trail.

“We are very pleased with this agreement and look forward to completing the acquisition of the route,” said Commissioner Christopher Shoff, the board chairman, in a news release.

The $1.1 million will be paid through state and federal grants already obtained.

Shoff said the importance of the route to Hartland is that it intersects with the existing Front Street bike lanes near Lou-Rich Manufacturing. The bike lanes connect to the Blazing Star Trail at Frank Hall Park and ultimately to Myre-Big Island State Park. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans to extend the Blazing Star Trail to Hayward and eventually to Austin.

“The route represents a wonderful opportunity for redevelopment in the heart of Albert Lea,” he said. “This route, connecting with the existing routes, will only enhance and promote Albert Lea and Freeborn County as a destination point for outdoor enthusiasts.”

The completed trail is also projected to bolster property values and make adjacent properties easier to sell. The route starts at a junction within Albert Lea the railroads call Curtis, which is near the intersection of South Broadway, Southeast Broadway and West Seventh Street. It is where the abandoned Hartland spur splits off the Union Pacific’s Spine Line, a route connecting St. Paul with Kansas City, Mo. The abandoned railroad extends to 305th Street just south of Hartland.

The county has been working to acquire the land from Union Pacific since 2010, when Union Pacific officials sent out a letter to county, state and federal officials informing them of their proposed plan to abandon the line. The line had not been used for several years.

Though a majority of the line is outside Albert Lea, it does slice through a good portion of the city.

Contractors removed the rails and ties along the corridor in 2011, and in the months since, Freeborn County officials have been in negotiations with Union Pacific.

How the development of the trail will be paid for after the land is acquired has yet to be determined.