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City of Lin
Elk ERty
River Your Local Cable Channel
MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Kristin M. Thomas, Government Access Cable Producer
DATE: August 13, 2003
SUBJECT: Microphone Placement
Now, more than ever, it is imperative that each member of the council and staff pay specific
attention to put their microphones in the proper place. This is one fist length directly below
your chin. If a microphone is placed lower, or on a lapel, it will not pick up your voice
properly. The minutes Recorders have had basic training in operation of the audio board;
however, they do not have the expertise to be adjusting audio levels throughout the meeting
• due to poor placement of microphones. In this temporary situation, I ask that everyone be
cognizant of where you are putting your microphones and the level of your voice to assist in
making sure everyone is heard.
•
i
Sv
Spring 2003
INFORMA IC
Th Mrktfrptnt • l
Suburban Town Centers
1
Sam Newberg
Among the most popular recent real estate rounding, one not dominated by the car and '
development trends in the Twin Cities, as one with more aesthetically pleasing archi-
well as nationally, is the creation of town tecture.
centers. They come in many forms,but usu-
ally involve redevelopment of existing or The other, perhaps more important factor in
obsolete uses. This edition of Sitelines exam- the increased interest in suburban down- "" ,.
ines the market potential for success with towns is tax dollars. Inner ring suburbs,
today's new suburban downtowns. once bastions for families fleeing urban
decay, are now seeing their own cities evolve, p ' II' -.
Traditionally, Downtown has been the cen- with aging housing stock and retail centers .d, �P i r 1 '' �-
rrr
tral retail and commerce district within the that are becoming obsolete. Thus, a tremen-
central city of a metro area. Transit lines and dous opportunity exists to redevelop in the - - 1r �� ,*:
major streets often converge on a centralized, inner ring suburbs with a variety of uses, 4. =.� , „,,,,,, °WA ,
walkable place. from housing to office to retail.
Densification of sites can also generate high- Excelsior and Grand, St.Louis Park
The magnetism of downtown declined as er taxes in the long term.
suburban malls and office parks evolved after large-scale retail development requires a
World War II, and downtowns ceased to be Market Opportunities for nearby freeway or major arterial street for
the only place where business took place. Suburban Downtowns success. Additionally, smaller retailers gen-
The very notion of a main business section of erally rely on larger,big-box retailers and the
a city morphed into commercial corridors A variety of possibilities exist for develop- traffic they generate. If a big-box component
and quadrants located along major arterial ment in suburban downtowns. They are not is not included as part of a suburban down-
streets and at freeway interchanges. Their the same possibilities that led to the develop- town, retail development is often restricted
spatial arrangement was generally not pedes- ment of original downtowns, although their to small-scale neighborhood and convenience
trian friendly. form and some uses are similar. Also, trans- uses.
portation access can inhibit development
Today, suburbs that never had downtowns potential, unless the location is superb, such Design issues are a large factor in new sub-
are beginning to build versions of them. as the interchange of two major freeways. urban downtown development if retail is
They are varied in nature, form and appear- desired. If big-box development is chosen,
ante. Housing Development the city and developers must find a way to
blend the large buildings into the overall
Why Build a•wntown? The possibilities for a ty of multifamily design in order to create a pedestrriend-
housing types are greVIgn new suburban ly environment. Solutions include quate-
Suburbs have several motivations for treat- downtowns. Rental apartments, for-sale ly hiding parking, and possibly constructing
ing new downtowns. They include: condominiums and townhomes, and various multilevel big box stores.
senior housing types are all possibilities for
• Desire sense of place and commu- infill development, anc] en are in demand they Examples - Are the Downtown.
nity due to shifting demog cs and household
• Desire among residents and employees types in evolving suburbs. In particular, as Several new suburban downtowns are in the
for a central gathering place baby boomers age and their housing planning or development stages around the
• Demand for a quaint, well designed demands shift, a variety of housing types are Twin Cities. They include Excelsior and
place to counter the placelessness of gaining popularity. Multifamily housing is Grand in St. Louis Park, Heart of the City in
urban sprawl denser in form, and is more easily integrated Burnsville, and Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove.
• Municipal demand for additional tax into a mixed-use neighborhood such as a sub- Each downtown serves a slightly different
urban downtown. purpose, has a unique market potential and
base from redevelopment of a blighted or mix of planned development, and each bends
underdeveloped area the definition of the term "Downtown.”
Office Development
People are generally drawn to distinctive Office development is another potential use Excelsior and Grand
places. Today, the overall population is liv- for suburban downtowns. Office develop- One of the highest profile new downtowns in
ing in suburbs in greater numbers than ever ment can be integrated into mixed-use devel- the Twin Cities is in St. Louis Park.
before. Something about the concept of opment, and is well-suited to be located in Consisting of 125 acres of land overall, many
downtowns, whether it be nostalgic or prat- buildings with retail uses on the ground of the components of the "downtown" are
tical, is causing this growing suburban popu- floor. already in place, such as Target,Byerly's, and
lation to begin to seek a more quaint sur- Park Nicollet Medical Center. These will
Retail Development remain largely unchanged, and it is the new
development, called Excelsior and Grand,
Retail development is one of the major chal- that helps create the downtown concept.
IOW lenges for town centers, since they are often
i
t1 Xf e l d big-box based, and their physical mass often Excelsior and Grand, which is opening in
A i� 11` 1 Research Inc. runs counter to the notion of town centers phases, is a mixed-use development of over
4 k 7 ( and the quaintness desired. Retail develop- 350 apartments, with ground floor retail
ment relies on good access and visibility, and space, in addition to for-sale multifamily
continued on p.2
NFORMATION-"� t�� EIAA ,tA ;� A � A area that includes multifamily housing,retail, Heart of the City will not displace the
AE, ,` ;AAA 3 ': entertainment and a major office user. Burnsville Center district of the City as the
' However, it is only the new development that main retail area of the city. It can, however,
mow", is pedestrian-oriented and creates a distinc- be a smaller, more diverse business district.
tive sense of place. In that respect, it will evolve over time as an
actual downtown, with a variety of housing,
ri `#AAA "
I Heart of the Citg employment, retail, hospitality, and open
A° it ~ The City of Burnsville is creating a down- space uses.
-: r.•r - ._ " town area, Heart of the City, that seeks to
redevelop an automobile-oriented section of Arbor Lakes
� 3 ,, .. , , , ., -
- - Nicollet Avenue, south of Highway 13, into a Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove has received
,.
walkable, mixed-use town center. A variety much attention as a new suburban down-
of uses are planned for Heart of the City, town. However, the area would not likely
Arbor Lakes,Maple Grove including residential, office, hotel, retail and receive much attention without its two-block
open space. The initial redevelopment in main street, which consists of small stores in
housing. The mixed use development Heart of the City consists of several residen- two-story buildings with no setbacks. The
replaces less cohesive, automobile-oriented tial projects, including Grande Market Place, Main Street itself contains stores that would
uses with a more pedestrian oriented envi- developed by Sherman Associates. otherwise be located in a small strip center
uses wt. The retail spaces are just beginning Construction began in August 2002, and first adjacent to or attached to larger, big-box
to open, including a Panera Bread shop. occupancy is expected in 2003. Grande retail. It is the form, the quaint Main Street
Although the apartments help generate traf Market Place will contain 113 units, 50 of design,that attracts attention,but it could not
fit the retail users must rely on good access which will be affordable to individuals at or survive without the surrounding big box
from Excelsior Boulevard to bring in access 60% of the median income. Located anchors to attract customers.
tional customers. along Nicollet Avenue, Grande Market Place
will also contain 15,000 square feet of retail The area around Main Street is a mixed-use
Is Excelsi d Grand a downtown? In space and a culinary 000 l on the ground area,however,with rental housin d Maple
many ways s. It is part of a larger overall floor. Grove city offices also located witwalking
continued below
distance oil Main Street. Furthermore, Sam Newbeib 4i
approximately 1,500 additional housing units Research Analyst ,M Since 1983,
are planned for the area, to be located within J �� Xfleld
a general walking distance to Main Street. It Sam Newberg joined Maxfield Research in November
■ . 1I� : Research Inc. Maxfield
is this overall area of Maple Grove that makes .- of 2000,and focuses on a wide variety of projects for , Research Inc.
it the main business section of the City, albeit firm.Projects include studies of mixed-use,transit- has helped guide
spread out, and only a small portion actually oriented,townhome and retail development as well as the real estate commu-
resembles a "downtown." urban/loft style and market-rate apartments. nity in realizing the full potential of its
public and private assets. Consulting
Loo Ie i n g Ahead Sam is also involved with the Urban Land Institute and is currently sere services provided by Maxfield Research
ing on the Executive Committee of the Ulf Minnesota District Council.He
Suburban town centers come in a variety of has written numerous articles for Urban Land magazine pertaining to support developers,planners and finan-
forms, and whether the term "downtown" is land use issues in both the United States and Europe.Articles of his have tiers of senior housing, multifamily
applicable is debatable. The one thing that is also appeared in Planning Magazine,the Minnesota Real Estate journal, housing, government-sponsored projects
certain is suburbs face a variety of market The Star Tribune,and Preservation Monthly magazine. and commercial developments.
possibilities when developing a town center.
A well designed downtown will provide an He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of
attractive gathering place for area residents Wisconsin,Madison. Other education includes several Appraisal Institute Marg Maxfield Research President
and workers, and a variety of housing types, Maxfield Research Inc.
g > courses and introductory courses at the Humphrey Institute of Public 615 First Ave.e.NE, Suite 400
as well as office and retail space, can be Affairs at the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis,MN Site 4
incorporated in mixed-use developments to
create a sense of place. Phone: (612) 904-7977
The 2003 Maxfield Senior Housing Fax: (612) 904-7979
Most importantly, suburban town centers Update is available now. If you would mbujold @maxfeldresearch.com
cannot be stamped into every suburb using a like to receive a copy of the Senior Housing
boilerplate or standard format. Every site is Update, please e-mail your name, company, & Proudly
unique, and a thorough understanding of the address to: paustin @maxfieldresearch.com Celebrating
strengths and weaknesses and the market rTr
forces of each area is essential for a successful and we will send you a free copy
suburban town center. via e-mail. F
�J
Years
Ir..,
xfield
/ ■ irAResearch Inc.
i ‘ 7, '' 615 First Ave. NE, Suite 400
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 338-0012
Fax: (612) 904-7979
Ms.Catherine Mehelich
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
Elk River MN 55330
• III •