2. Memo to Council, Blake Road Redevelopment
MEMORANDUM
TO: Honorable Mayor and Hopkins City Council Members
FROM: Kersten Elverum, Director of Planning & Development
DATE: April 7, 2016
SUBJECT: Blake Road Redevelopment
The Blake Road area is poised for significant redevelopment, catalyzed by public investment
including Cottageville Park, SW LRT construction and the redesign of Blake Road. Private
development is also planned, including PPL’s Oxford Village development, which should break
ground this fall. Publicly-held sites, including the 43 Hoops property, Cold Storage and the Met
Council lift station, provide opportunities to realize redevelopment that meets goals outside of
purely financial.
The Blake Road neighborhood has been actively involved in establishing a vision for
redevelopment, and together with LISC and the City, hosted a series of community meetings
using the LISC Corridor Development Initiative (CDI) process to help articulate the community’s
goals for future development. Attached to this memo is a summary of the findings.
These recommendations, along with City staff input, were shared with a group of developers
through an Urban Land Institute (ULI) Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) in December 2015.
Members of the TAP shared their insights, from the perspective of the developers on the panel,
and compiled their recommendations into a report that they will present at the upcoming work
session. This report is also attached.
Based on the information gleaned from the LISC CDI process, the ULI TAP, and from past
planning efforts around the Blake Station area, Hennepin County funded work by LHB, Inc, to
develop a series of development concepts for the publicly-held site areas referenced above.
Planning & Economic
Development
The concepts have been tested against market and financial feasibility, the City’s Mixed-Use
Zoning code requirements and City and community goals. These concepts, which in some cases
take both a near-term and long-range view, will be shared at the work session by LHB.
The intent is not to prescribe exactly how development must happen on the redevelopment
sites, but rather to help articulate the broad vision. One of the goals of this process was to
provide development scenarios that have community and City support, and then look at them
through a financial feasibility lens to anticipate future gaps. This will help the City and
Watershed District plan for the best development scenarios and inspire the development
community to take the concepts and improve upon them. It is anticipated that the concept
work for the Cold Storage site will be used when the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District goes
out with a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to select a developer(s) for redevelopment of this
prime site on the corridor. Representatives from MCWD will be at the work session to provide
an update on their process and schedule.
The conversation that will follow this sharing of information is intended to clarify any
outstanding questions, discuss issues that have been raised through the concept work, and
move the stakeholders closer to a shared vision for redevelopment.
Two Attachments
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 1
Overview
Hopkins is a dynamic community of over 17,000 residents located just 13 minutes west of the Twin Cities.
Founded rich in tradition and growth, Hopkins offers the advantages and conveniences of a large city with the
security of a small town. The residents and the business community have an enormous sense of pride and sup-
port for their City. Travel any street and you will see and feel the reflections of pride and vitality.
Three of the Southwest LRT transit stations will be located in Hopkins, one of which is the Blake Road Station.
Already a mixed-use, higher density district, the transit stop will offer greater regional access to jobs and ameni-
ties. A partnership between the City of Hopkins, Hennepin County Community Works, the Minnehaha Creek
Watershed District (MCWD) and the Met Council, is transforming Cottageville Park to increase the amount
of green space along Blake Road, improve the water quality of the Creek, and make the creek more accessible
and visible to the community. Phase one of this $3 million project will be completed in October of 2015. The
new park will include new play equipment, trails, lighting, a permanent community garden with water source
and tool shed, and extensive new landscaping. When the project is complete the park will be nearly three times
larger.
Sponsored by:
Blake Road Corridor Collaborative
City of Hopkins
Hopkins
BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA
Development Guidelines
May 2015
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 2
With the advent of the light-rail transit investment, the Blake Road Corridor Collaborative and the City of
Hopkins partnered with Twin Cities LISC / Corridor Development Initiative to lead a series of community
workshops to explore development options and scenarios for existing or proposed redevelopment sites that
include public ownership near the Blake Road LRT station area. These development objectives are the result of
the community workshops, and serve to inform the future development of the area surrounding the Blake Road
LRT Station.
Through the CDI process, three key sites that include some aspect of public ownership were identified for their
redevelopment potential:
A. The Joint Development site, south of the Blake Road LRT Station (proposed for a park-and-ride and
possible joint development by Metro Transit)
B. 43 Hoops Basketball Academy site and adjacent parcel to the north of the Blake Road LRT Station (43
Hoops site is owned by the Hennepin County Rail Authority)
C. Cold Storage site (owned by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District)
All three sites will be integrated with Blake Road and its improvements in pedestrian, bike, and vehicle access.
0 200 400100 Feet
Blake Road Potential Development Sites
Freight Rail
Platforms
Roadways
Sidewalks
Tracks
Trails
Blake_Parcels
A
B1
C
B2
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 3
ASSETS
The City of Hopkins offers a wonderful quality of life through:
• Its spirit of community where people are treated with respect, and where the community participates in
building culture, character and common bonds;
• A thriving Mainstreet featuring an array of local shops, restaurants, the Hopkins Art Center, a movie
theater, and residential components.
• Support for business growth, and home of corporate campuses such as Cargill and SuperValu;
• Outstanding schools and a community that offers and values diversity and cultural heritages; quality
parks, housing and public services.
• Hopkins is home to over 20 community education facilities, including public, charter, private and adult
education schools.
• Numerous regional trails and parks that connect to downtown Minneapolis, the Uptown area, St. Louis
Park, and Minnetonka.
• The surrounding Blake Road area includes parks, educational institutions, athletic center, large and
small companies and retail businesses.
Above: Images from Downtown Hopkins
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 4
DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES
The Blake Road Station has been noted for its strong redevelopment potential along the Southwest LRT
Corridor in various planning studies. Factors supporting redevelopment in the Blake station area include a large
and diverse population base, good station access, several strategic sites available for redevelopment, a number
of underutilized properties, and open space amenities such as Minnehaha Creek and Cottageville Park. Near
the proposed station platform, the Hennepin County-owned 43 Hoops site presents a near-term redevelopment
opportunity for transit supportive uses. The Cold Storage site, now owned by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District, and several underutilized sites along Excelsior Boulevard offer additional redevelopment opportunities
near the station. A potential joint development project includes a park- and- ride ramp that may be able to be
incorporated with a mixed-use development facing Blake Road and the station platform, located just south of
the station.
The Joint Development (A) proposed for the three parcels, including the Pawn America site, immediately south
of the Blake Road LRT Station will house a structured parking ramp (245 parking stalls) to help increase access
and ridership of the Green Line. Currently, SPO and the City of Hopkins are partnering to explore working with
a private developer to incorporate additional components to increase the functionality, value and appeal of the
site.
The 43 Hoops Basketball Academy (B1) and adjacent site (B2) Well loved by the Blake Road community,
the 43 Hoops Basketball Academy sits on a site owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
situated just north of the proposed Blake Road LRT Station. The parcel was purchased for potential transit
purposes, and offers the opportunity for higher density residential and other transit-related uses given its
proximity to the transit station. The adjacent site is considered to be underutilized given the future potential of
the area. The community has expressed strong desire for a community center in the area, for which 43 Hoops
has served as a surrogate.
Above: Sites near the Blake Road LRT Station. Clockwise from l to r: Joint Development site, 43 Hoops
Basketball Academy, Cold Storaage site, and the Cedar Lake LRT regional trail.
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 5
Above: Some of the many amenities Hopkins has to offer. Top: Cargill campus, Bottom r: Blake School,
Bottom l: New commercial development on Blake Road.
The Cold Storage site (C) was seen as the site with the greatest redevelopment potential because of its size
(approximately 17 acres), proximity to natural amenities which also buffer nearby uses, and visibility and
access to Blake Road. Of critical importance on this site will be the integration of storm water management
and expansion of the Minnehaha Creek Greenway. This section of the creek is currently the worst offender for
pollutants draining into the creek’s watershed. Because of the site’s central location and size, attention should
be given to creating connectivity to the surrounding amenities (e.g. Minnehaha Creek, Cottageville Park, Three
Rivers Bike Trail, Blake Road LRT Station), and providing for walkable areas.
The opportunity is great to explore how transit-oriented development could further enhance the area by
addressing accessibility, livability, and strengthening the pedestrian environment for people of all ages
and abilities. It might be advantageous to move the smaller sites to the south and north of the Blake
Road LRT station for redevelopment first, which could strengthen the market for the more desirable
Cold Storage site. It is important that the Blake Road Station maintain its neighborhood character,
diversity, and sense of place. This can be accomplished by enhancing the pedestrian flow of the area,
attracting smaller scale retail and services, and utilizing public art or green space to make it memorable.
The Blake Road LRT Station offers an important opportunity to capitalize on the transit and natural
amenities in the area, strengthen the multi-modal access, and provide for a mix of housing options to
serve the needs of the community.
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 6
Above: Pizza Luce located near the future Blake Road LRT station.
Recommendations for redevelopment of the site include:
Goal 1: Create stronger connections and walkability for the Blake Road area
A. Create a connected, walkable, mixed-use, sustainable neighborhood, with a pedestrian-oriented and
human-scale streetscape.
B. Greater pedestrian / bicycle safety through better signage and slowing cars on Blake Road.
C. Improve the permeability of Blake Road by creating more areas for pedestrians to cross safely.
D. Improve safety and security through partnership with the City’s Police Department, Three Rivers
Police, and Metro Transit, with strategies such as greater security presence, improved lighting, and
other practices such as CPTED (Community Policing Through Environmental Design).
E. Pursue transit-oriented design that enhances multi-modal access, and provide for bicycle
accommodations (racks, lockers, etc.) for businesses and residents.
F. Connect site / LRT station area to bike trail.
G. Pedestrian access to the Blake Road LRT Station from the north (e.g. 43 Hoops site)
H. Add green space to soften the built environment that would allow for outdoor use year-round.
I. Utilize landscaping and streetscape amenities to create stronger pedestrian district.
J. Limit surface parking with new development encourage underground or structured parking.
K. Improve connections with the Cargill Corporate Headquarters to strengthen local businesses.
Goal 2: Preserve the neighborhood diversity
L. Maintain cultural and ethnic diversity, and the needs of those communities.
M. Provide for a range of housing types and affordability to meet the needs of all people throughout their
life and changing lifestyle needs.
N. Utilize universal design principles that can respond to changing demographic needs and anticipate in
innovative ways to address the dynamic and changing needs of residents.
O. Strengthen the vitality of the area through increased density and mixed commercial and residential uses.
P. Encourage businesses that fit into and serve the needs of the community.
Q. Enhance the intergenerational opportunities in the community.
R. Engage neighborhood residents in planning for redevelopment projects early in the process.
S. Promote high-quality design.
T. Enhance a sustainable neighborhood by promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy.
U. Create opportunities to live, work, learn, play – the spectrum of elements for a healthy community.
HOPKINS BLAKE ROAD LRT STATION AREA : Development Guidelines 7
Above: Bike trail near the future downtown Hopkins LRT station.
Goal 3: Improve water and environmental quality
V. Align with efforts to expand the Minnehaha Creek Greenway to promote and integrate 260 acres of
regional storm-water management to improve water quality for Minnehaha Creek.
W. Connect the Minnehaha Creek Greenway to the newly expanded Cottageville Park and downstream trails
and open space.
X. Ensure community access to the Minnehaha Creek Greenway, the Three Rivers Park bike trail, and other
public open spaces.
Y. Reduce the area’s carbon footprint.
Z. Incorporate sustainable development practices into new construction projects.
Goal 4: Strengthen residential and neighborhood-oriented retail to enhance vitality and livability
Support was expressed for:
• A mix of housing types, including senior housing, that can accommodate a range of incomes, ages and
family size (both rental and ownership options).
• Multi-family housing amenities such as guest suites and shared space for larger gatherings.
• Medium to high density residential, to preserve green space and enhance street-level amenities.
• Locally owned businesses and increased opportunities for residents of all ages to live and work in
the area.
• Commercial uses that enhance rather than compete with downtown Hopkins Mainstreet vitality.
• A hotel or motel.
• Redevelopment that works to incorporate existing local businesses into new construction projects.
• Creative ways to support small cultural businesses that serve the community.
• Maintaining existing assets such as 43 Hoops Basketball Academy in the area.
• A community center that supports activities for all generations.
• Convenience services (e.g. fast food, bike repair, etc.), especially near the transit station.
• Flexible space that can adapt as needs change.
• The option of a trail attraction, offering a convenient stop-off spot for bikers and pedestrians.
• Encourage public private partnership for infrastructure
• A connected and complementary system of parks and other privately owned but publicly accessible
(POPS – Privately Owned Public Spaces) open spaces that ensures higher quality development and
weaves the neighborhood together to enhance livability (see Trust for Public Land’s report: Greening
the Green Line http://www.tpl.org/our-work/parks-for-people/green-line-parks-and-commons).
• Welcome developers and businesses that operate with equity principles of hiring and wages.
Kersten Elverum, Director of Economic Development & Planning
952-548-6340 / kelverum@hopkinsmn.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PANEL REPORT
Beltline Station
Blake Station
Southwest LRT Community Works:
Blake & Beltline Station Areas
December 8-9, 2015
minnesota.uli.org 1
Urban Land Institute Minnesota
ULI Minnesota is a District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
research and education organization supported by its members and sponsors. Founded in
1936, ULI now has more than 40,000 members worldwide representing the full spectrum of
land use and real estate development disciplines, including developers, builders, investors,
architects, public officials, planners, real estate brokers, attorneys, engineers, financiers,
academics and students.
As the preeminent, multidisciplinary real estate forum, ULI facilitates the open exchange of
ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and
policy makers dedicated to creating better places.
Regional Council of Mayors
Supported by ULI Minnesota, the nationally recognized Regional Council of Mayors (RCM)
was formed in 2004 and represents Minneapolis, Saint Paul and 46 municipalities in the
developed and developing suburbs and Greater Minnesota. This collaborative partnership
provides a nonpartisan platform that engages mayors in candid dialogue and peer-to-peer
support with a commitment towards building awareness and action focused on housing,
sustainability, transportation and job growth.
Advisory Services
ULI has a long history of providing unbiased, market-based solutions and best-practice advice
on land use and building resilient and competitive communities through Advisory Services. At
ULI MN, three advisory service options are offered to policy leaders. Each option, including
the Technical Assistance Panel (TAP), engages ULI MN real estate professionals who
volunteer their time and talent to contribute their wisdom and expertise.For more information,
visit minnesota.uli.org.
“With the assistance of a ULI MN TAP, our city has moved
forward on a key redevelopment project that expands rental
housing options for residents. The TAP provided immeasurable
assistance and was vital in guiding the strategic directions for the
property.”
Sandra Martin, Mayor, City of Shoreview
minnesota.uli.org 2
Technical Assistance Panels (TAP) of the Urban Land Institute Minnesota
District Council (ULI MN) are convened at the request of a community to address specific
development challenges, such as site redevelopment options, downtown revitalization or
environmentally sound development in an area.
TAPs consist of nonpartisan experts who offer recommendations, not mandates, based on the
issue at hand and the expertise of the panel. The goal is to offer ideas for realizing local and
regional aspirations. The working session’s focus helps synthesize local input with panel
expertise to form a final set of recommendations.
In this case, Hennepin County through the Southwest LRT Community Works, the cities of
Hopkins and St. Louis Park, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), and the
Southwest LRT Project Office, asked the panel to review and react to the conceptual
development plans for the Blake station in Hopkins and Beltline station in St. Louis Park. The
Blake station review includes evaluation of plans for three specific development areas. The
Beltline station review includes evaluating the costs and benefits of partnering with the
Metropolitan Council Southwest Project Office on a Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
guided Joint Development (JD) which is a tool used to foster transit oriented development as
well as generate a revenue stream to support transit operations.
A TAP was assembled that included an interdisciplinary team of experts from the commercial,
industrial and housing real estate sectors as well as the placemaking, finance, and
development fields. The TAP purpose was to evaluate data, site conditions and future
redevelopment readiness and to provide local policy leaders with recommendations to guide
not only future land uses for the site, but also future partnerships with developers.
The Southwest LRT Community Works IS A PARTNERSHIP THAT
INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVES OF CITIES ALONG THE SOUTHWEST LIGHT RAIL
AS WELL AS OTHER KEY ORGANIZATIONS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. A
STEERING COMMITTEE GUIDES THE PARTNERSHIP.
Hennepin County is the lead agency for the Southwest LRT Community Works program
working in collaboration with partner cities Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins,
Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Edina; the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority
(HCRRA); the Metropolitan Council; the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District; Southwest
Transit; the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board; and the Urban Land Institute -
Minnesota.
minnesota.uli.org 3
The Panel
The panelists are ULI MN members and experts who volunteer their time because of a
commitment to the principles of redevelopment, planned growth, economic expansion and
local and regional capacity-building.
Panel ULI Minnesota Staff
Pat Mascia, Briggs and Morgan, TAP Chair
Stu Ackerberg, the Ackerberg Group
Tony Barranco, Ryan Companies
Jean Kane, Welsh & Colliers MSP
Max Musicant, the Musicant Group
Merrie Sjogren, The Sjogren Group
Brent Webb, Sherman and Associates
Cathy Bennett
Gordon Hughes
Linda Mack, writer
The Panel’s Charge
How do cities maximize the impact of the Southwest Light Rail Transit line for the whole
community? This is the big-picture question that the cities of St. Louis Park and Hopkins, the
MCWD, the Southwest Project Office and Southwest LRT Community Works posed for a ULI
MN Technical Advisory Panel in December 2015.
The ULI MN TAP was asked to react to the conceptual development plans for sites near the
Blake station in Hopkins and the Beltline station in St. Louis Park. Both stations are in first-ring
suburbs where the Southwest Light Rail line (“Green Line Extension”) has a high potential to
spur development. Both station areas are planned to include park-and-ride lots either surface
or ramped depending upon the overall cost.
The Beltline station is an FTA Joint Development (JD) opportunity along the Green Line
Extension. The JD opportunity facilitates private development on property acquired for the
transit project—in this case, the land to be acquired for the park-and-ride surface parking lot.
The Metropolitan Council retains ownership of the land and negotiates a long-term lease with a
private entity. The cash flow from the lease partially offsets operating costs for the line.
The seven-member TAP panel brought together seasoned professionals and younger experts
in development, real estate and financing. In the day-long workshop, the panel’s real-world
expertise illuminated both the challenges and opportunities presented by the two development
areas near the stations—and, in doing so, advanced the planning that will lead to their
successful development.
minnesota.uli.org 4
Blake Station Area
The Blake station is located north of the intersection of Blake Road and Excelsior Boulevard.
In early plans, the station was identified as an FTA Joint Development opportunity capitalizing
on the need for a 270-stall park-and-ride. In 2015, as budget cuts were made to the Green
Line Extension, it was scaled back to an 89-stall park-and-ride, which will be located on the
southwest corner of the intersection of Blake Road and the Southwest Light Rail Line. In
addition, due to the budget constraints, the Joint Development opportunity was eliminated.
The Blake Road area between Excelsior Boulevard and Hwy.7 is characterized by a mix of
uses—retail and commercial, light industrial, institutional and housing. Nearby destinations
include The Blake School, Cargill’s Excelsior Crossings office campus, Cottageville Park,
Minnehaha Creek and, to the north, Knollwood Mall.
Blake Road is one of the stations with the most residential potential. The station will serve both
single-family and multi-family residents in the Parkside, Presidents North and South,
Minnehaha Oaks, Cottageville and Interlachen neighborhoods. The rental housing is 100 %
affordable and well-leased. The area is diverse: 47 languages are spoken.
About ten years ago, the city realized it needed to create more opportunities for walkability and
access to the natural “hidden” resources in the area, according to Kersten Elverum, Director of
Planning & Development for the City of Hopkins. The city and the Minnehaha Creek
Watershed District expanded Cottageville Park on the west side of Blake Road to three times
its original size and opened it to the street. By creating safe, appealing green spaces for
people to gather and exercise, this helped to reduce police calls in the area, which went from
highest in the city to lowest since improvements were completed.
The Watershed District’s nearby greenway to Methodist Hospital has been another great
amenity and presents a model for future development of pedestrian and bike pathways.
61%18%
13%
One Mile from Station
White
African American
Asian
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
American Indian/Alaska Native
Other
Two or more
minnesota.uli.org 5
Hopkins Transit-Oriented Development Goals
• Preserve affordable housing while
bringing in new housing types.
• Increase job opportunities.
• Support neighborhood retail in the area
while not competing with the existing
retail available in downtown Hopkins.
• Provide access to and improvement of
the natural amenities such as Minnehaha
Creek and Cottageville Park.
The city and Hennepin County have been proactive in planning for Transit-Oriented
Development. Hennepin County and the city have plans to reconstruct Blake Road with fewer
and narrower lanes, enhanced pedestrian crossings, a multi-use trail, improved lighting and
landscaping. The project is anticipated to be completed prior to opening of the Green Line
Extension, which is scheduled for 2020. The city is also rezoning the area for mixed-use.
The City of Hopkins presented three properties in the Blake station area as potential Transit-
Oriented Development sites:
1. The 17-acre Cold Storage Site is a triangular
property with 1,000 feet of frontage on Minnehaha
Creek, 1,000 feet on the Cedar Lake Regional Trail,
and an equal frontage on Blake Road. The property
is owned by the Minnehaha Creek Watershed
District.
2. The 4 ½- acre 2nd Street Site is immediately north
of the Blake station, consists of one publically
owned and three privately-owned parcels between
the light rail line and 2nd Street Northeast. The
Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority owns the
parcel farthest to the west and currently leases the
space to 43 Hoops.
3. The 1.88-acre Hiawatha Avenue residential site is now occupied by five 12-unit apartment
buildings. This area includes a Metropolitan Council lift station which will be relocated from
420 Blake Road.
2nd Street
Site
“The question is how can these sites make more together than apart?”
Kersten Elverum, Director of Planning & Development, City of Hopkins
minnesota.uli.org 6
Panel’s Reaction to Questions
Both the cities of Hopkins and St. Louis Park, in conjunction with Southwest LRT Community
Works, offered the panel development scenarios for each of the station areas based on market
research by CBRE and concept plans by LHB, Inc. In addition, the Southwest Project Office
provided a 12 page description of the Joint Development opportunity at the Beltline station.
The ULI MN Technical Assistance Panel was asked to respond specifically to several
questions posed by the cities, the Southwest Project Office and the Watershed District as well
as to offer general insights into redevelopment issues. To capture both aspects of the panel’s
feedback, we will first recount the panel’s reactions to the specific questions presented by the
cities and others and then summarize the panel’s general insights.
Question #1
Given what you know about the Blake corridor, the city and the neighborhood’s goals,
and the ownership’s interest, what are your reactions to the development modeling for
the area development sites? What opportunities and/or concerns do you see in the
development scenarios? Are there missed opportunities?
• Each of the sites identified in the LHB study presents development opportunities. Rather
than mixing land uses within sites, as proposed, the panel recommends concentrating
housing on the Cold Storage site, and retail and other community activities on the 2nd
Street site on the west side of Blake Road. The Hiawatha site offers an opportunity to
create a vertical pedestrian link from Blake Road to Minnehaha Creek.
• In general, the panel suggested that the Blake Road area between Excelsior Blvd. and
Hwy. 7 be considered a redevelopment district to pull together its diverse pieces. Road
design and properly placed infrastructure is a critical driver of redevelopment. Key to that
goal will be a more integrated vision and walkable environment for Blake Road. The
intersection of Blake and Excelsior should become a gateway to the City of Hopkins.
• In addition to the redevelopment sites, the other structures that are “complete” and not
slated for redevelopment should be looked at as improvable sites. For the most part those
sites respond to the busy Blake Road by turning their back to the street. If the corridor is to
be a holistic district, with a consistently compelling pedestrian/bike experience, then these
“in between” sites need to be improved through a placemaking approach. The placemaking
ideas could include: creating more balconies, patios, and enhanced common areas,
allowing lanes to be narrowed and creating bike lane installations using temporary paint
and bollards, etc.
The presence of Minnehaha Creek winding through this area creates an opportunity to
provide a natural amenity for walking and biking off the street and a connection to the
creek. At present, the creek is largely hidden from view and inaccessible. This is
particularly true at the Hiawatha site. Public access to the creek should be created and
highlighted to take maximum advantage of it as an amenity.
minnesota.uli.org 7
Question #2
Using the market feasibility report and your own development experience, would you
pursue the development as conceptualized? If not, how could it be changed so that you
would?
• The 17-acre Cold Storage site will be the catalyst for redevelopment in the area and is ideal
for housing. The market for urban higher density townhouses is strong, especially when
they are located close to an amenity such as Minnehaha Creek with easy access to the
LRT station. The panel suggests increasing the number of townhouses on this site while
tightening up the site plan so there are fewer roads and more building pads to support
additional townhome development.
• The rest of the site, on the edge near Blake Road, is more challenging. The trick will be to
find a housing type—market rate, affordable or senior—that can be constructed
economically. The high water table means parking must be built at grade; it will be hard to
provide enough parking without public subsidy.
• The market may not support retail on the first floor of multi-family housing on the Cold
Storage site. Evaluate allowing first floor spaces as community uses until the market for
convenience retail evolves as the area becomes built out.
• The west side of Blake Road is ideal for retail. Fill in parking lots north of Pizza Lucé with
other neighborhood retail and consolidate parking behind to maximize site usage.
• Allow 43 Hoops Basketball Academy to remain an active business—it draws people and
activity--and encourage additional recreational or other community amenities at the site.
• Create a visible and appealing link from Blake Road down to Minnehaha Creek at Hiawatha
Avenue. Reconfigure or close off Hiawatha Avenue to accommodate a better site for new
housing.
Question #3
With Knollwood Mall and Downtown Hopkins nearby, an expanded regional park, and a
redesigned roadway, are there any other amenities that are needed to support the
construction of new housing? Is there anything that could be done to set the stage for
office development?
• Capitalize on the natural amenity of Minnehaha Creek; create a system of walking and
biking trails similar to the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis. Currently, there are good places
to provide access but they are disconnected. The pathways between these connections
should become places in and of themselves. They need to be active, attractive and useful.
Ideally, Minnehaha Creek should have pathways along all of its banks and be seamlessly
connected to Blake Road.
minnesota.uli.org 8
• Create a walkable green corridor on Blake Road. Support narrowing the road through
redesign. Add parking bump-outs, landscaping, Nice-Ride bike stations and places to sit.
The suggested amenities and improvements do not and should not be implemented all at
once using large amounts of capital dollars. Many concepts can be piloted using paint,
movable furniture, landscaping, events, etc. Without a boulevard and bike lane buffer as
well as fewer and narrower lanes, the Blake Road corridor will not be an attractive or
desirable place to walk or bike.
• Office development may not be a marketable use in this area primarily because of its “in-
between” location on Blake Road between Highway 7 and Excelsior Boulevard. This area
simply does not provide adequate visibility to office users. Rather, the panel suggests that
the City direct development of the northwest corner of Excelsior Boulevard and Blake Road
for office purposes using site assemblage and financial/land use incentives. That area
could be expanded to the west along Excelsior Boulevard to connect with the Cargill
campus and become an office corridor which would benefit greatly from the Green Line
Extension station located nearby.
“Blake Road has an awkward combination of uses. You need to
make the whole north-south connection more cohesive.”
Tony Barranco, Vice President, Ryan Companies
minnesota.uli.org 9
Blake Station: Key Recommendations
The panel suggested the City of Hopkins pursue a redevelopment vision for the entire district
between Hwy. 7 and Excelsior Blvd. along Blake Road, which is presently a jumble of diverse
uses, development sizes and parking arrangements. The current land use mix will not change
quickly but the city could provide a larger vision that would ensure that new development and
redevelopment move in the right direction.
Recommended Infrastructure and Amenities
Create a more integrated vision and walkable connections for the Blake Road corridor
between Excelsior and Hwy. 7.
Why? The land uses are extremely varied and the current road configuration is designed for
cars, not people.
• Create a continuous green and active identity for Blake Road that supports the
redevelopment vision of the city and relates positively to the Green Line Extension.
• Provide areas for on-street parking or create pocket-parking and pull-offs. Implement a
paint and bollard based program immediately to test the concept and build support.
• Install a network of Nice Ride bike stations.
• “You need to knit together the north and south and east and west. Don’t just think about
what fronts Blake, but more broadly about how the entire community can be knit together
rather than divided by Blake Road,” said Max Musicant of the Musicant Group.
• Create a placemaking matching grant, similar to a façade grant, where property owners
along Blake could access funds for improvements and programming that enhances the
Blake Road experience, such as: lighting, seating, landscaping, porches, merchandising,
façade, etc.
“Just redeveloping the three sites will not bring coherence to the
district.”
TAP Chair Pat Mascia, Real Estate Attorney, Briggs and Morgan
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“Calm” the intersection of Blake and Excelsior.
• Make the crossings safe and attractive so pedestrians can reach LRT station from south.
Add attractive landing medians, parking bump outs and on street parking and eliminate
right-turn lanes.
• Some of the panelist noted that tunnels are not recommended as a desired option to avoid
street crossings but rather it is more important to “calm” the street and make it more
pedestrian and bike friendly. Due to the length of the bike trail tunnel that will be
constructed under Blake Road, at a minimum, make sure it is properly illuminated and
evaluate places where the tunnel can be daylighted to provide a safer and more secure
pathway.
• Ensure walkability to the Green Line Extension station from industrial employers to the
southeast on Excelsior Boulevard as well as from residential neighborhoods to the south.
• Make sure there are access points to the bike trail, to the station and surrounding
communities to the north and south.
Maximize the amenity of Minnehaha Creek.
The creek winds through the area but is often invisible.
• Create pathways to connect to the neighborhood as an amenity and make it a pedestrian
and bicycle route like the Grand Rounds in Minneapolis. This can be done by creating a
larger pathway system. In a “theory of network effects” the larger the pathway system, the
larger the benefit is to each individual location that is part of the system.
• Daylight the creek and create a physical connection from Blake Road to the creek, possibly
at the Hiawatha site. Currently, there is a “cow path” or desire lines of entry already visible.
It would be good to accommodate what users are already doing.
• Add appropriate signage that clearly identifies access to the creek and entry to a pathway
system.
• Extend green link from Cottageville Park to Hiawatha site, possibly under Blake Road.
• Create activity at the creek that invites use, perhaps a water learning center or kiosk with
programming.
Consider a larger redevelopment district to create a long-term vision.
• Consider creating special district zoning to establish flexible parameters and permit a mix of
uses with design and planning guidelines.
• Facilitate redevelopment by creating a more seamless approval process that allows
flexibility in timing so developers don’t have to return for approval after securing financing.
• Identify a vision that creates an office development along Excelsior from the station area to
large employers such as the Cargill office campus.
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Recommendations for Redevelopment Areas
Cold Storage
LAND USE
• Best housing site. The townhomes proposed would be
a marketable development either for rent or for sale.
Expand the number of higher density urban townhomes
to take advantage of the amenity of the creek and
provide maximum view sheds for these units. “We could
sell these all day long,” said Barranco, who mentioned
the successful Windwood development in Miami and 100
Hennepin Project in Minneapolis. These housing types
could be built at 35-40 units or more per-acre to
accommodate the desire for higher density.
• Explore other housing types for the rest of the site
such as affordable, family, senior, etc. Mixed-income
housing is desirable. However, allow a mix within the site,
building by building, rather than forcing mixed
income in each building which is harder to
finance.
• The water feature is an asset. Have
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District provide a
framework for stormwater management and
water features.
• The success in creating higher density is solving the parking challenges.
Underground parking is not feasible because of the high water table. Additionally, housing
rents would likely not cover the added cost of underground parking. Therefore, consider
revising the parking requirement to recognize that a developer may need to provide one
space per unit to satisfy lenders or at a minimum allow proof of parking at that level.
• First-floor retail below housing not viable unless there is on-street parking on Blake
Road. Consider community space initially instead, particularly on north and south ends of
parcel.
• Alternate option: Create walk-up units with green space along Blake Road to create a
more appealing entry from the street that invites walkability or first floor flex space that
can be used as community space or living space until retail use becomes more viable
as the area develops over time.
Preliminary site design by LHB
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• A hotel is not a viable option because it would be too isolated and have no visibility from
major highways.
Other Considerations:
• Minnehaha Creek Watershed District should develop a framework for the water
management and amenities early prior to seeking development interest, so developers
know what to expect.
• Contract with a master developer since different types of housing will require different
developers and timing is a development constraint. Issue an RFQ rather than an RFP.
Developers find RFP's too time-consuming and costly.
• Create planned unit development zoning with special district guidelines. Simplify the current
plan and reduce the number of roads.
• Remain open to changing markets for housing, such as multi-family, affordable and senior.
Senior housing requires less parking; affordable housing requires more parking.
• Parking may need to be subsidized in order to make housing development viable.
• Three-story housing is easier to finance than four-to-six story housing.
“You have a great opportunity to do something cool if you can
pull it all together.”
TAP Chair Pat Mascia, Real Estate Attorney, Briggs and Morgan
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2nd Street Site
• The current location of the park-and-ride to the south of the Green Line Extension line
creates an obstacle to future development in that area and for Hennepin County Regional
Rail Authority location.
• Capitalize on the activity generated by the 43
Hoops use. It is currently an active node and
could be expanded by focusing intentionally on
recreational and community activities with key
access to transit.
• Support neighborhood retail at this site.
• Trade parking with Pizza Lucé and add infill
retail on their two lots on Blake Road to create
frontage and activity on the street, with
parking, perhaps structured, behind.
• The site is not an appealing location for
housing due to its size and location between
two viable businesses that generate both retail and recreational activity in the area. As an
alternative to housing in that location, the panel suggested reserving the space between
43Hoops facility and retail for a future parking ramp which may be needed as retail is
added along Blake Road. In the interim, allow that area to be used for shared parking
between the uses and activate the space to draw attention to the site.
Hiawatha Site
• Reconfigure the site for new housing by closing Hiawatha and building on the west side of
the site.
• Open up the site to make a deliberate and visual
connection to Minnehaha Creek from Blake Road.
Provide public access to the Creek in this area; even
if it is a small parking area or trailhead. Will need to
“create a there-there!” said Musicant, with an activity
that will draw people.
• Give people lots of reasons to come and stay.
Examples include: creating places to sit, installing a
dock to fish, identifying the area for inner tube drop
off, clearly marking the location as a picnic area.
Preliminary site design by LHB
Preliminary site design by LHB
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Beltline Station Area
The Beltline station is an FTA Joint Development opportunity site along the Green Line
Extension. According to Kathryn Hansen, Manager of TOD and Land Use at Metro Transit's
project offices for the planned Green and Blue Line LRT extensions, the designation means an
FTA grant will pay for half the costs of acquiring land, demolishing structures and preparing the
sites to a pad/development ready condition. The Metropolitan Council will retain a ground
lease on land purchased for the Green Line Extension. The FTA expects the project sponsor
to negotiate a “fair share of revenue” with the private developer. This is anticipated to come
from the ground lease and a parking space rental payment for those spaces built as part of the
Joint Development and rented by the developer.
The perceived advantage of Joint
Development to the private
developer is that much of the due
diligence work has been completed
and much of the site preparation
work (existing building removal,
environmental clean-up) will be
done. In addition, the ground lease
structure allows for payment
flexibility over the long term use of
the site. The City’s involvement in
the project also allows the developer to enter the project with a full understanding of the City’s
goals for the site. The land available for the Joint Development project could include the City of
St. Louis Park EDA parcels or be limited to the site of the surface parking lot.
The Green Line Extension and station will be located to the south of the Burlington Northern
rail line, meaning riders will need to cross the freight tracks to reach the park-and-ride lot and
planned Metro Transit bus stop. An overhead walkway will carry the Cedar Lake Regional Trail
across the freight line and across Beltline Blvd. to the west.
The Joint Development site includes the 1.5-acre Vision Bank property east of Beltline Blvd.
and may include the approximately 3-acre St. Louis Park EDA property to its east. The
Southwest Project Office and the city of St. Louis Park have generated concept plans that
propose building office space or housing around parking structures on both properties. Metro
Transit bus service is proposed to run on the periphery of the site.
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Study Area Background
St. Louis Park is a classic post-war first-ring suburb and exhibits both the advantages and
disadvantages of that identity: It has a prime location accessible by highways and close to
Minneapolis but some of the highway frontage is more rural than urban in scale and
underutilized.
At a planning workshop in 1995, the community expressed its desire for a downtown gathering
place. The Excelsior & Grand development was the result. Now the city wants the Beltline site
to incorporate those same livable community principles. “How can we make this site a focal
point for the area?” asked Meg McMonigal, St. Louis Park’s principal planner.
The Beltline station will be the first park-and-
ride on the line from Minneapolis. But the
268-stall parking facility won’t solve all the
access issues and parking demand studies
show that a larger parking facility may be
needed. Many residents don’t live near the
station so accommodating bus access to the
station is particularly important which could
hinder private development opportunities
due to the need to accommodate bus
circulation. There will be Metro Transit
service but details on routes won’t be known
until some months before the trains start
running.
The station is expected to serve both
residents of nearby neighborhoods and employers such as Nordic Ware. Current transit and
pedestrian connections to the north are particularly weak; for instance, St. Louis Park City Hall
is a short distance away but regular bus routes don’t run in that direction at this time.
The location at Beltline and Hwy. 25/7 is visible but not pedestrian friendly. County State Aid
Highway (CSAH) 25 has an unusually wide right of way which the city may narrow from its
current width of 200 feet to 100 feet. Beltline Blvd. is hard to cross and the at-grade bike and
pedestrian crossing at the Cedar Lake Regional Trail has been problematic.
The city plans to re-configure Beltline Blvd. so as to make it more pedestrian and bike-friendly.
This will help link Green Line Extension riders to the St. Louis Park Recreation Center on W.
36th Street and nearby Wolfe Park and Excelsior & Grand.
The city has planned the area around the station for mixed use. It is also exploring adopting a
Form-Based Code for the three station areas in the city.
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Panel’s Reaction to Questions
The City of St. Louis Park and Southwest LRT Community Works provided a market study by
CBRE and conceptual site plans developed by LHB, Inc. for the TAP to review. The plans
included both the Vision Bank site that the Metropolitan Council expects to acquire as part of
the project costs specifically for the Green Line Extension and the parcel to the east already
owned by the St. Louis Park Economic Development Authority. The market study offered four
alternatives to accommodate both the required 268-stall park-and-ride and private
development.
Question #1
Based on the site plan and market study, do the proposed uses, densities and the
timing at the Beltline SWLRT station seem viable and appropriate? If not, what would
you change? Are there other proposed uses such as an entertainment venue or a public
landmark destination that you believe could be attractive and financially viable at this
location?
• The current concepts at this time would not be
marketable from a developer standpoint due to
the proposed configuration of the park and ride
and challenging access to the site. The site could
be a viable development option in the future with
the panel’s suggestions.
• Building the park-and-ride on the Vision Bank site
puts cars, not people, closest to the light rail
station. It also would occupy the most visible part
of the site from the roadways and create an
obstacle to laying out a viable development, either
housing or office.
• A single-user destination office, such as medical or professional services, would be the only
possible office use that would have some merit. While the Vision Bank location is the most
visible part of the site, it probably doesn’t afford the visibly and access needed for multi-
tenant office development/users.
• Wrapping office or housing around a parking structure does not create attractive, usable
space.
• The City EDA-owned site may be viable for rental housing.
• A potential destination or entertainment use suggested would be a brewery or distillery.
• The site could also be an attractive location for one story industrial/tech use that would
attract high paying jobs and should not be ruled out.
Preliminary site design by LHB
minnesota.uli.org 17
Question #2
Based on what you have learned about the proposed JD project and underlying
financial assumptions, would you find this project financially attractive? What are your
thoughts on partnering with multiple government agencies (Federal, Met Council, City)
on a project that requires ground leases with a government agency?
• There would be no specific advantages to a developer in entering into a joint development
with a governmental agency unless there are significant financial benefits. In general,
developers are not supportive of ground leases unless it can be very long term such as 99
years.
• The Joint Development would make it difficult to have an exit strategy, which is particularly
important to developers who sell property after development to investors as a key part of
their business strategy.
• Developers would avoid a project that included federal procurement rules. A ground lease
can insulate private development from those rules. Still, the idea of working with a
government agency would not be attractive to most developers because of the perceived
complications and reduced land control.
Question #3
If the proposed project comes to fruition, what other redevelopment would you envision
occurring directly adjacent to the site (south and east along CSAH 25)?
• The property owned by the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority to the south of the
Green Line Extension is attractive for multi-family housing.
• The properties to the east along CSAH 25 could attract housing or office development.
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Panel Analysis of Beltline Station Area
The Beltline station is heavily trafficked and well located on a major highway. “This site has
proximity to Highway 100, to Uptown and to LRT,” said Tony Barranco, vice-president of
development at Ryan Companies.
The panel was unclear at this time what kind of development would be most viable at this
corner. “It’s too isolated for speculative office,” said Stu Ackerberg, founder of the Ackerberg
Group. Multi-use office would not be viable. A bit of convenience or service retail is
conceivable.
If the two properties were combined as one, and unencumbered with the constraints of a park-
and-ride in the southeast corner and a ground lease with a government agency, “you’d have a
nice rectangular, heavily trafficked site,” said Pat Mascia, a real estate attorney with Briggs and
Morgan and chair of the TAP panel.
A developer would only be
open to a ground lease if it is
long-term—99 years—so it
replicates the control of
ownership. But it still makes it
hard for a developer to have
an exit strategy, which is a
very important business
strategy for some developers
who do not own their
properties long-term.
Rather than building small
office spaces attached to a
parking structure, the panel
suggested developing a
single-use office building,
perhaps a medical tenant or business headquarters. But for that office use, “the tenant will
want a front door,” cautioned Mascia. The location of a front entrance vis-à-vis parking and the
access road would also be an issue for a housing complex.
The panel also expressed concerns about the proposed routing of buses around the periphery
of the site. This is proposed in order to bring buses by the light rail station while avoiding
CSAH Hwy. 25. “As proposed, it will disrupt development,” said Merrie Sjogren of The Sjogren
Group. “It is a negative factor for investors.”
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Beltine Station: Key Recommendations
Given the site constraints, the panel offered the following recommendations.
1. Build a park-and-ride surface lot on the City EDA-owned site and wait for the market to
respond to development needs after completion of the Green Line Extension.
• The panel agreed that there is no compelling reason to develop the ramp now. Building
a ramp will only constrain future development on the sites. “If there is no market right
now,” said Tony Barranco, “don’t force it.” However, the City EDA could consider
holding the property for future office build-to-suit uses.
• Development on the City EDA property to the east and the entire development areas
would be more attractive without adding public ownership constraints on the Vision
Bank site created by a park and ride ramp.
• If the park and ride lot were developed on the City EDA property, the Vision Bank site
becomes more attractive for development and the development area overall could
incorporate a more appropriately located ramp in conjunction with future development.
2. Re-plat properties to provide an unencumbered parcel to the north.
• Build structured parking on the south side of both lots with a drive-through design in the
middle that would connect to either housing or office building uses on the north of the
site. This allows the possibility of constructing a building over a divided parking
structure.
3. Incorporate a park-and-ride ramp into future office or housing development.
• Work in partnership with development team to ensure that the ramp is constructed as
development occurs.
“It’s like a jigsaw puzzle. We have a lot of the pieces but where
do they belong?”
Meg McMonigal, Principal Planner, City of St. Louis Park
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Conclusion
The Technical Assistance Panel brought the expertise of real estate developers, marketers,
and financial experts to the proposals developed by cities and planners based on their goals
for Transit-Oriented Development. It was an eye-opening exchange, revealing that there
sometimes exists a gap between what planners and city officials might desire for an area and
what real estate and development professionals believe the market will bear. For both the
Blake and Beltine station areas, the overarching guidance of the panel was this–don’t force it.
Let the visions for these areas develop over the long haul, and avoid making decisions today
that could make realizing those visions more challenging in the future.
In the case of the Blake Road station, for example, the panel was unconvinced that mixed-use
buildings featuring ground floor retail spaces were an ideal format for the land east of Blake
Road on the Cold Storage site today. Instead, they favored a focus entirely on housing with
first floor "flexible-space" and an effort to better integrate the area with the natural amenity of
Minnehaha Creek. At first this might seem like a blow against the desire for Transit-Oriented
Development that favors a mix of land uses at greater densities than automobile-oriented
development more typical of suburban locales. However, the panel believed that by making the
west side of Blake Road an area for “destination and neighborhood retail,” reconfiguring the
Blake Road and Excelsior Blvd intersection to be more pedestrian friendly, and creating a
comprehensive vision for the area, the goals of TOD will still be accomplished over time and
the market becomes stronger. The Blake station area may not be ideal for mixed-use
buildings, but the panel believed a mix of uses would be successful.
By contrast, the Beltline Station revealed nearly the opposite recommendations but a similar
caution with respect to getting ahead of market demand. Where the need for parking may have
been underestimated in the Blake station area, the panel believed St. Louis Park might be at
risk of overcommitting to parking as a long-term land use for the Beltline site if they pursued a
large structured parking facility today. Such a structure–especially one with constraints
associated with public ownership–could make future coordinated development more difficult for
other, more desirable uses such as housing, light industrial, retail and office that the panel
believes may suit the site as the market develops.
81 South 9th Street, Suite 310
Minneapolis, MN 55402
minnesota.uli.org