5.0. SR 10-23-2000
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City of ~
Elk
Item #5.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mayor & City Council
Housing and Redevelopment Authority
FROM:
Pat Klaers, City Administrator
DATE:
October 23, 2000
SUBJECT: Joint Meeting
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A worksession with the City Council and the HRA is scheduled for Monday
evening to discuss the central business district (CBD). Essentially, I
requested this joint meeting due to my concern about the sidewalks
downtown. Specifically, the concern relates to the King and Main
redevelopment project and the sidewalk that is being proposed with this
project.
My issue regarding the sidewalk relates to whether or not what the developer
is proposing will be consistent with what will be desired for an overall
sidewalk replacement program. Nothing needs to be decided Monday
evening, but the timing is somewhat critical for the developer. The developer
hopes to start construction on the building this fall with the sidewalk being
installed next spring.
The timing is also important as it relates to a potential utilities project next
year. Elk River Utilities is seriously considering the relocation of some
electric lines from the riverbank area to either underneath the sidewalks
downtown or in the street near the curb (most likely on the south side of
Main Street). Accordingly, it is conceivable that the city, HRA, and business
owners could all be involved in a sidewalk replacement program throughout
the downtown area sometime in 2001.
.
At this worksession we are not prepared to make decisions on financing
ideas, construction timeframes, etc. We first need to discuss what is or is not
acceptable for a sidewalk redevelopment scheme. Cost estimates for various
options may be offered on a per block or running foot basis and it should be
noted that what is now the "area of red concrete" may be expanded with a
CBD redevelopment project. At this point the sidewalk options seem to
include a solid brick paver design, a flat gray design, or a combination
13065 Orono Parkway. P.O. Box 490. Elk River, MN 55330. TDD & Phone (763) 441-7420. Fax (763) 441-7425
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paver/gray concrete design. It may even be desirable to have sections of the
solid brick paver design combined or mixed with sections of a flat gray
concrete/paver design. Due to some construction constraints with placing
sidewalks next to existing buildings and maintenance issues, it is likely
appropriate to have some sections of the concrete/paver design included in
the overall sidewalk replacement plan.
Sidewalks are only one part, and may be a very small part, of an overall
downtown redevelopment master plan and project. I think everyone at the
staff level, on the City Council, and those who are business owners downtown
are concerned about the future of downtown in ten, twenty, or thirty years
from now. Things are going well now due partly to a good economy, but
things can change rather dramatically and most people can vividly recall a
few years ago when both the former Snyder Drug and Johnson's stores were
vacant. Panic is too strong of a word, but there were serious concerns about
the future of downtown during that time period a few years ago. We should
be planning during these good times for the long term future of downtown
and the attached memo from the Director of Economic Development and
Director of Planning comments on these longer term issues. Again, my most
immediate concern is making sure that a sidewalk plan for the King/Main
project is consistent, or can be consistent, with an overall sidewalk
replacement program, but there are also bigger long term issues that also
need to be addressed.
This fourth Monday of the month at 5 p.m. is the regular meeting date and
time for the HRA. Accordingly, the HRA needs to formally open its meeting
and take care of a few consent items before the worksession and discussion
with the council begins. Complicating this slightly is the fact that the City
Council also needs to open its meeting and hear a presentation from Bond
Consultant Rusty Fifield, Jr., from Ehlers and Associates, Inc., right away at
5 p.m. as he is due later at the Worthington City Council meeting. Formal
action on the bonds will be done after the joint worksession later in the
evening, but we need to spend a few minutes at 5 p.m. for a bond
presentation prior to the joint meeting taking place.
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City of 1:{
Elk
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Housing and Redevelopment Authority
Mayor and City Council
River FROM:
Cathy Mehelich, Director of Economic
Development
Michele McPherson, Director of Planning
DATE:
October 23, 2000
SUBJECT:
Central Business District Worksession
The purpose of the joint meeting between the Elk River Housing and
Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and the Elk River City Council is to discuss
activities associated with the future of Elk River's Central Business District (CBD-
see attached map). Representatives from the River's Edge Downtown
Development Corporation and Elk River Economic Development Authority may
also be in attendance.
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Current Central Business District Activities
There are activities occurring in the CBD that have the potential to set the tone
for the design of future public and private improvements. You may refer to the
City Administrator's memo, which provides information about the current
activities as they relate to sidewalk improvements.
Handouts will be distributed at the meeting for discussion on sidewalk design
options and cost estimates. Staff suggests that the City may want to consider a
sidewalk replacement project as one part of a broader, long-term central business
district program.
Background
The need to establish some type of overall Central Business District master plan
has been reinforced through numerous completed" pre-design" plans for Elk
River's central business district. Attached is a brief summary of the City's
previous planning and redevelopment activities.
Interestingly, elements of the various plans have been implemented by the City
in the downtown such as parking areas, park/landscaping, access to the river,
land use development, and various redevelopment activities.
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Just as the City and EDA were pro-active in their long-term comprehensive
planning for industrial development, as evidenced by the Strategic Marketing
Plan - Phase I and II, it is important to be pro-active in planning for
redevelopment of the CDB. A long-term program would include identifying
13065 Orono Parkway. P.O. Box 490. Elk River, MN 55330. TDD & Phone (763) 441-7420. Fax (763) 441-7425
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Memo to the HRA, Mayor & City Council
Central Business District Worksession
October 23, 2000
Page 2
opportunities and priorities for public and private improvements, land use,
transportation planning, redevelopment project areas and also establish a
long-term implementation schedule and financing options.
Points for discussion:
. Is a reexamination of the CBD's role in the community needed? What
opportunities exist for the CBD to continue to be a unique, community
experience in light of retail! service expansions on Hwy 169?
. Why are so many suburbs trying to "create" a downtown?
. Is it important to the community to utilize the Mississippi riverfront
through mixed-use development, park and open spaces?
. Who should take the lead in organizing, planning and implementing
downtown redevelopment efforts? Who should complete the
comprehensive redevelopment plan?
. Should elements of existing plans be incorporated into the updated plan?
. What issues or elements should be addressed in the redevelopment plan?
. Should the City set a standard for a coordinated sidewalk design in the
CBD, or allow the private sector to do so? Additionally, is it important to
identify and agree upon specific uniform design features/theme for new
construction or rehabilitation in the CBD?
Attachments
Central Business District Map
Downtown Elk River Improvement History 1970 - 2000
Star News Articles
"Vital downtown helps businesses, entire community" 1/19/00
"HRA begins search for new project" 7 / 7 / 00
"Community center tops the list" 10/11/00
MN Real Estate Journal Article
"Making downtown from scratch" 8/7/00
CENTRAL BUSINESS DIS1'RICT MAP
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. Downtown Elk River Improvement History
1970.2000
1970 Elk River Central Business District Report is developed and provides
general guidelines for physical appearance, movement patterns, and
development potentials of the CBD for years 1970-1990.
1982 Elk River Downtown Redevelopment Plan establishes a long-range
guide for evaluating physical improvements, developing zoning
policies, establish priorities in capital improvements and identifying
redevelopment opportunities.
1986 The City and Chamber work with the Governor's Design Team to
develop an overall plan for the CBD. The river is stressed as an
amenity to focus on.
1988 The Central Business District Redevelopment Project results in a
theme for CDB fixtures, trees, and sidewalks in the downtown area.
The project is paid for via assessments and City, HRA, and Utility
funds.
. 1989 Following the purchase of the Hardware store site, the EDA improves
the site for use as public green space. In 2000, the EDA turns the
property over the City for parkland.
1990 Riprap is installed along the riverbank in the CBD for erosion control
in 1990 and again in 1995. The project is funded by a grant from the
Sherburne County Soil and Water Conservation District and matched
by the City and H RA.
1990 The EDA and Dr. Tony Jarmoluk redevelop the NE corner of Main St.
and Lowell Ave as a new dental clinic.
1992 The city demolishes the old creamery building and then assists the
chamber in 1994 in relocating their building to the site.
1992 Parking lot at Jackson Square is improved by the HRA. In 1993 the
city purchases the BNRR parking lots for CBD patrons and the HRA
improves one of the lots in 1994. In 1995, improvements are made to
the parking lot behind Kemper Drug.
1995 A Riverwalk plan is developed by Hoisington-Koegler for the CBD,
. and is envisioned for the beginning of a trail system along the river.
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1996 The city applies for an ISTEA grant to fund the Riverwalk Project, but
the application is rejected. Phasing of the project is considered but no
action is taken.
1997 The HRA acquires the King and Main site and removes the existing
structures. The proposal to immediately redevelop the site with a
12,000 commercial building falls though. A number of other concepts
for the site are later proposed, but none materialize.
1998 The HRA hires Theresa Washburn to lay the foundation for developing
a downtown plan master plan. Ms. Washburn submits the Central
Business District Action Plan in January of 1999. Implementation of
the Action Plan begins but participation levels from citizens drop.
1999 The EDA, Council, and HRA review the Strategic Plan for Economic
Development and lower downtown's priority.
2000 King and Main is sold to the First National Bank of Elk River, which
plans to construct an office building on the site. Downtown is listed
as a top priority at Operation ER's October meeting.
s:\eda\h ra\downtown\planh ist.doc
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Howard R. Green Company
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
October 23, 2000
File: 812420J-0325
Mr. Pat Klaers
City Administrator
City of Elk River
13065 Orono Parkway
P.O. Box 490
Elk River, MN 55330-0490
RE: DOWNTOWN SIDEWALK ANALYSIS
Dear Mr. Klaers:
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As requested, we have done some preliminary analysis of costs for the various options being
discussed regarding the Downtown Sidewalk Replacement project. As I understand it, the City
is considering replacing the sidewalk currently in the downtown area with either "pavers" or a
combination of "pavers" and regular sidewalk. As we looked at the downtown area, we included
all areas on Main Street from TH 10 to Lowell Avenue, and Lowell Avenue, King Avenue, and
Jackson Avenue from Main Street to TH 10. These areas are shown on the attached exhibit
which indicates the width of the existing sidewalks. The red colored sidewalks in the downtown
area are noted on the exhibit as "paver" sidewalk.
As the City moves forward in analyzing the installation of individual pavers in the downtown
area, there are several issues that they will need to discuss and decide upon. First, there are
basically two different types of pavers. One is a concrete material, while the other is a brick
material. The brick material is somewhat more expensive, but tends to maintain itscolor better.
I believe most large installations are the concrete type of paver. Secondly, there are different
methods of installation. The most expensive would be to essentially construct a concrete
sidewalk underneath on which the pavers could be placed. This, of course, will remove any
potential settlement problems. However, this may create a slippage plane that could cause
trouble with turning mechanical equipment. The less expensive method would be to use some
type of sand and gravel mix underneath the pavers, which is cheaper but could potentially allow
for differential settlement if not properly compacted. I believe that most manufacturers
recommend installation on regular subgrade with a small sand cushion to eliminate the potential
of a slip plane being created between the concrete and the pavers. From a maintenance
standpoint, there is the positive that if the sidewalk is created out of paver blocks and needs to
be crossed with a utility line, many of the blocks would be salvageable and able to be
reinstalled. There appears to be no problem with properly installed pavers from a snow removal
or mechanical sweeping of the sidewalk causing pavers to become dislodged.
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Ltr-10-23-00 Klaers.doc
1326 Energy Park Drive. St. Paul, MN 55108 . 651/644-4389 fax 651/644-9446 toll free 888/368-4389
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Mr. Pat Klaers
October 23, 2000
Page Two
We have estimated approximately 38,000 square feet of sidewalk area as shown on the
attached exhibit. If this entire area were to be replaced with a concrete paver product on an
aggregate/sand base material, which is the lower priced alternative, the construction cost for
this entire area would be approximately $350,000. As a comparison, to use standard concrete
sidewalk over this area would be approximately $175,000. Both these estimates include
removing the existing sidewalk. The one difference is the cost estimate for regular concrete
sidewalk assumes that the existing sidewalk on Lowell Avenue between Main Street and TH 10
would not be replaced. We have presented these numbers as construction costs and have not
added overhead, because with this type of project, the overhead is not necessarily a function of
the type of sidewalk chosen. Overhead for either of these would be approximately the same.
Of course, there are many other alternatives where a combination of concrete pavers and
regular sidewalk could be used. For example, if there was approximately 50% of each, adding
together 50% of each estimated construction cost would give the typical construction cost
range.
If you have any questions or would like further information regarding this issue, please call.
Sincerely,
Howard R. Green Company
T~
TJM:tw
Enclosure
Ltr-10-23-00 Klaers.doc
Howard R. Green Company
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
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DAlE RmND.
~- ~ ~- I
~ 1326 ENERGY PARK DRIIIE
ST. PAUL. MINNESOTA 155108
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.' I-bNard R. Green Company
CONSULTING ENGINEERS
I aTYOFax~ II SDEW~_
: MAlI SIRl% I MAlI ,,,.-,
DESIGNED BY: -- DRAWN BY: ---ys.
APPROVED: --- JOB NUMBER ~
CAD DAlE: October 20. 2000 2:14:20 D.m.
CAD FILE: 230000m \ER-MAlN-S1DEWALK.DWG
I HEREBY CER1lFY _T 1HIS PI.Nl. l!lPEClflCA_
CIR REPCIRT WAS _AIlED It( lIE CIR _ IIY IIIlElrr
SUPER\llllClll Nt> _T I All A ou.y REGIS1EIlEI)
PROFESSICIL\L _ UNDER K LAWS OF K
STAlE OF _A.
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r Opinions '
,Vital downtown
tlelp~ ~Y~in~~~g~,
e.otire(,jg;QmlijaQj~;l.
The..Qhristian Science.:MoIlitor'reports. th.at..around
the country, suburban' co:rm:~b.nitiesa.I"e\.actually
building dowhtowns-speciah::ommunitfplaces.' ':<, '
Here'in Elk River we :have a quaint downto)Vnalong
the Mississippi River~ .Thi~\is atreasure,', bl.lt our
leadership is content toJet'.!tevolv~into",~,at~he
marketplace. will allow.)/,..,+,.... ....' .......i:'.,..i...i."',,,.j,.......,.:
This downtown has been studied to death;'there are
at least'two pla'ns for developme.ntalong the'river.
The Housing and Redevelopment Authority . got
leaders together and developed an expanded central
business district. That movement has lost momen-
tum. ..' .; .." ":\' .' '.' .; , . ." ""'_
Last Monday... night' the ....:Economic Development
Authority (EDA) listened to a proposal from a com-
mittee of the Elk River Rotary Club.. The committee
wants to put a replica of a river paddle-wheeler at .
the foot of the hill where Elk River Hardware once
stood. The Rotary Clu~ asked. the. EpAto.frol1t-end
the cost, promising to p'ay it back.' ....i.i:.)..,i
The EDA in chorus, except for one, said that's a nice
idea, but it needs to fit the' plan.. What plan? ..... ."
The downtown merchants several years .ago agreed
they want the downtown to have a historic river, city
look. They were .assessed for those improvements.
The city has been more than generous with its sup-
port. The downtown is carrying out the historic look
which some merchants have beer{trying to carry out
in their business: Diamond City Bread, aIde Main
Eatery and Sweet Shoppe, Antiques Downtown, the
Haberdashery, Tony Mikols 'photo' shop, the Nook
Gift Shop and Natural Expressions. . .
Contrary to what Council Member Paul' Motin
believes, that decision has been made. A past council
agreed with installing "Historic Elk River" signs and
with putting up a replica of the bandstarid of which
every'one in Elk River was so proud. '. .'
The delay is convincing the EDA and the city coun-
Cil that there is a payoffin historic and artistjcdevel-
opment. Other communities have demonstrated that
the arts and history can 'combine to bring. economic
dividends. '
Elk River won't ever be another barren suburb With-
out a downtown.' The question the leadership has to
'. A~~~~~~l~t11:e.~~~t~~&6Wrt1~~\~;b~k~hi.ffi~;~
whole community and every business in it. - Don
U.o~"'P'7,"""n..... '
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Downtown eye,d' first .
by Jim Boyle'
Staff writer . " . , ' ,
The Elk . River' HQuSingalld
'. RedevelopmeJ:lt. Authority is' on.
the.1ookout for a}"edeve~opment .
project " , '. '.P' ......,
'. The iroup will sian it~ search
in downtown Elk River; but the
group appears to favor : '
slowly and cautiously.' ....
Members of the . HRA nave
directed Catherine Mehelich
the new director of ecoi10nll~
development, . to. begiil polling
downtown .. . business . owners
about thefutuTe of the down-'
, town. She said' she will scope
out. potential, redevelopment
I>.roJects. " ........ 'I,.., ..~..
The . HRA recently sold " the
King and Main site; which it
had cleared and pre~d for
development. Knowing this,. city
staff has asked the HRA to
''think. about ,other,: potential
redevelopment projects.' '.' ...... ,.'
. City Administrator Pat Klaers
tOld the group at' a June 26
meeting one 'Issue. which. will
necessitate discussion on '.'the
future of 'downtown, i~ the devel-. _
opment Of King and Maih itself. ' ' HRA Member' ,
As contractors preparetabuildTh~mpson said the dov
a building for the First NationaL, . b.usmes~sdon't seem: to be. get-
Bank of Elk River and other .tmg ~xClted: j;lbout anything.
P?ssible te~ts, one of the deci- "Tl1~: tell~, m~, eyeryt~gis
SlOns that will have to be-made fine, he smd. .'. . . . ...' ,
is what to do with the side.- HRAMember StewartWIlson
walkS, Klaers said: . 1 said he would like to 'see the
"We. should be interested in d.o~to'!ll',becOme"mo:reofa
what.the red brickbecomes,"he destination, rather than just ,a
\ said, noting that. it should be place for those that live there., .
something that can' be replicat- 'FhomJ?son said doWntown Elk'
. ed.mallitainable and som:ething .' . River willnevEn: be a Stillwater:.,
the city wants. .' ...... .' " Wuson.agree.d,.~utsaid he has
"You wouldn't . think it would, champIOned th~ idea.ofbringing
be a hig issue, but it will either back the oldbnck facades which
cOIitinue 'a tone or set anew . wereverj attraCtive. .' , " ,
tone.", . .... ,,:.. '" ,~ChairPuane :K:ropuen-
. . Cobblestone bricks decorative ske and' HRA Member Linda
~ghting and garbag~ cans were Huntington wen:. abseIlt ,from
InStalled downtown years ago the June ~6 meeting. .. " .
on an improvement project, and ,Th~;, ~~o~omi~ Development , . _,
the' sidewalkS'are now in ll~edof" S~a~cJ;)1.ap; lists a htmibet of ' cltOp
repair.," 'i . ' po~slble .aCtionsteps f()];redev$l- dUring tlle In<
HRA Member Larry Thth said opment; m the Central Business planiring effort.,
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Community c~nter tops the list
Operation ER's Great Conversation attracted about 115
by Jim Boyle
Editor
A group of 115 citizens inter-
ested in the future of Elk River
put' a community center at the
top of a prioritized list of com-
munity goals.
This group, which came out
last Tuesday night for
Operation ER's "Great
Conversation" said this center
would need to meet recreation-
al, educational and cultural
needs of the community.
"At least in this group of com-
mitted citizens who have talked
with one another, there is a
very strong sentiment for a
community center," said Don
Bargen, a nationally recognized
facilitator who led the event
held in the family life center at
Central Lutheran Church in
Elk River.
These citizens discussed the
strengths and challenges facing
the community, and then came
up with 17 desired outcomes.
That list was trimmed to six.
iorities inlcude: -
.stronger les e ween church-
es within the community to pro-
vide for the needs of the com-
munity, building upon' the
efforts made to host a communi-
ty-wide church service
~upgrading school facilities
· Addressing traffic issues,
including automobile traffic,
commuter rail, bicycle, and
Ian
· Beautify downtown '.
· Raise a s an e ucation to
the level of sports
"As a friendly outsider, I
noticed some really good think-
ing going on," Bargen said. "I
noticed a theme of cooperation
here tonight. People want to
see clergy coming together, gov-
ernment coming together.
"There is a changing power
structure. They realize" they
will be better off working coop~
eratively."
Operation cont'd to page 11
'.
Continued from page 1
Members of Operation ER will
now take this information and
begin assembling key stake-
holders, many or whom who are
already working toward these
goals and link them with citi-
zens committed to these causes.
Bargen pointed out that the
work that goes on at Operation
ER is not meant to supplant the
great work that is already going
on, but rather to build upon and
increase the level of effective-
ness as achieving community
goals.
The priorities set last Tuesday
are to be worked on over the
next three to five years.
Bargen got the audience
thinking at the start of the
event by prodding them with
this question" "If this was a
Don Bargen, the facilitator, walked 115 people through the
process of identifying community strengths, challenges and
a prioritized list of goals for the next three to five years.
(Photo by Jim Boyle)
healthier community, what
would be different?"
He said we become what we
want.
"Any community that has
115 people come out for two
hours on an evening and be
this engaged and enthused, to
me, is a great sign of hope for
this community," Bargen said.
"These people are committed
and aware oftheir community.
They were able to do a very
quick and in-depth assess-
ment of the strengths and
challenges that they face as a '
community."
Operation ER's next meeting ,
is set for 3 to 5 p.m. next
Tuesday at the Sherburne
County Government Center. _
.
August 7, 2000
Making
downtown
from scratch
OLD-AGE CONCEPT
WORKS TODAY
by Kathy Anderson
(Editor's note: Kathy Anderso/l, AlA. is
a principal at Min/leapolis-based KKE
Architects Inc.)
"T
lungs are much blighter there ..."
In the early 1960s, Petula Clark's hit
song "Downtown" described how we, as a
society, used to value the experience
offered by a col-
lection of tradi-
tional communi-
ty gathering
spots, generally
refened to as a "downtown." While the
realities of society, retail and entertailllilent
space have all changed dramatically since
Petula fIrSt belted out her anthem, the draw
of a central location for shopping and
socializing applies as much today as it did
40 years ago. However, this natural human
search for shared, interactive social spaces
must now be applied to the emerging trend
GUEST
COLUMNIST
.~,,'" I
Page 16
Minne.rota astateJournal
Arbor lakes in Maple Grove is the Twin Cities' first large-scale experiment
in suburban downtown creation.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KKE ARCHITECTS INC.
of creating /lew
downtowns.
With popula-
tion growth forc-
ing migration
ever farther from
city cores, a
demand for retail
and entertain-
ment offerings in
areas that have
typically served
as agricultural
land has fol-
Kathy Anderson
lowed. In order to save these new commu"
nities from negative growth patterns, wllich
impact everything from traffic movement
to natural resources, cities like Maple
Grove, Coon Rapids, Blaine and St.
Michael, just to name a few, hilve estab-
lished land-use uidelines that call tor con-
centrated "downtown space - places t at
residents can oint to as their community
identIfier - as Important elements 0 the
new development mix. In many cases; tllis
means that a sense of place must be creat-
ed from scratch.
In Maple Grove, for example, a devel-
Minnesota Real EstateJournal
REPORTS
DOWNTOWN from previous page
ships between people, space and usage
nlllst be understood for a new downtown
to function as if it had evolved during a half
century or more.
For instance, studies tell us that shop-
pers are not inclined to walk more than 350
feet in cold climate conditions, an imDor-
tant consideration when deslgnmg what is
destined to become a pedestrian-friendly
environment. We also have learned from
housing develoi2ers that there are negative
MLdwestern cultural stigmas to living
above retail shops. However, we also are
tolQjhat living in ~roximity to retail is con-
sid!!..ed a plus. his becomes essential
knowledge when addressing issues of
incorporating housing with retail.
Additionally, studies indicate that work-
ers-i!!}d visitors in adjacent office buildings,
as well as those employed at city hall, pro-
vide a daytime and lunch consumer mar-
ket that is vita the Main Street retailer's
sUl.:vlval. Conversely, t lese ulllque pedes-
trian shoppers also needed to be addressed
when the search for the appropriate nux of
Main Street tenants is planned.
"Just listen to the music of the tramc
in the cil]' ..."
As noted above, the keys to creating a
successful downtown are in the details.
Urban elements, such as noise. congestion,
light, color and motion, are a fonn of music
that predict an atmosphere conducive to
mingling, socializing and shopping.
'jhe two-story portions of wildings and
the relationships between each building,
the street and the adjacent blocks are
important considerations when stIiving to
recreate an image of small town Main
Streets, where buildings are rarely more
than 120 feet apart and wluch people recall
nostalgically. The parking locations for
automobiles along Main Street not only
provide conveluence for shop entrances but
also form a human-scale comfort zone
between the building edge. the Sidewalk
and the street. . -
This comfort zone should include
streetscape elements, such as omamental
light fixtures, benches. boulevard trees and
fonnal landsca12lllg. Further enhance-
ments, such as pavers and umbrella tables,
add to the urban charm. S~cial attention
to blick detailing and a vaIiety of canopy-
il~ and signage raise the level of arclutec-
ture beyond typical retail Ships.
"You can forget aU your troubles, for-
get all your cares ..."
Where does this craving for the simple
life of old come from? It appears to be a
natural reaction to the retail trends of the
past, as well as our cunent shopping habits.
Prior to the emergence of the suburbs,
downtown essentially was the only option
for shopping.
In the Twin Cities, the migration to the
suburbs, combined with our dependence
on the automobile, led to the development
of Southdale, the first enclosed regional
mall in the country. Southdale was tmly a
reflection of the shopping habits of its time.
In 1956, the target market was primarily
housewives who were stay-at-home moth-
ers. A need to escape the daily grind of
raising a family, combined with the free
time to stroll through the mall, were pri-
mary factors driving the success of the
.,'.<. . ':.:,::'::'~:. ',."..,<o')".;~.,. ~'E- '0' > :,' ~ ~: E' <:'. ,:.-:.",:. ..;; :,;~ -:, ",:<:', c,.-.; \;'" ;'j :,:'~.'~~];~>
,. . ". -. - , R EA'SE' '.. "-. "''''.".
'.,~; ~".-'. I. '.-_,':1', ';:. ' .... J! ,<..\--~" '."1~"'~~,-
.{ .....'..:.-~. ..~.'-'":<,.'...."<.:. -" ,.,' i, '..'~,,- .... .<.,' ">~';~""<.'" ~..<:.~.:..'..<.
Cedar Business Center
1701 - 1801 East 79th Street, Bloomington, MN
enclosed mall.
A dramatic cultural shift to time-
strapped working mothers led to the recent
power center trend. No longer did the tar-
get market have the time or energy to stroll
the mall. This market demanded conve-
nience, merchandise value and the time
savings of being able to drive up to a big
discount retail box, park, shop and get out.
Today, the value of time and energy is
once again sllifting and, in its wake, a new
trend in shopping may be underway. Is this
a trend or an established language for retail
development? Probably a combination of
the two. But more than any other factor, it
is essential to recognize that each site has
unique forces which must be understood
before presuming that Main Street is the
solution.
The historic pattems of retail rlp.vP.1UP-
ment, such as location visibility. "r..cess,
market demographics, traffic COllnt~ "'Id
convelllence, cannot be forgotten. Arbor
Lakes proves that for this particular site,
the Main Street concept was appropriate.
The reinforcement and strength that large
national retailers bring to this location
serve as a unique engine of opportunity for
the smaller retail tenants. This was facili-
tated by an early development decision to
not offer an alternative location to Main
Street for any tenant wislling to be near the
big retailers.
Combined with location decisions,
strongly written architectural guidelines
also were communicated to all retailers
desiring this location. Also, by locating
Main Street on a heavily traveled thor-
oughfare, concems about access and visi-
bility of shops were overcome. !Uj
-
.
Page 15
opment site, now called Arbor Lakes (see
related report on page 12), was once con-
sidered so remote that city officials decid-
ed gravel mining was the best and Ilighest
use of the land. Today, the site is at the
crossroads of mcUor regional highways and
has become the center of fast-growing res-
idential development. The combination of
rooftops, traffic and the success of the first
generation of retail development made this
area a prime location for a planned down-
town with a Main Street spine.
The Main Street concept
One vehicle for planning a downtown
site is the "Main Street" concept. While not
a universal answer to every site, this con-
cept has established a popular trend that
has become at least a consideration in 1110St
of today's new retail site master plans.
Arbor Lakes utilized this concept in its
master plan. The process began with the
collaboration of the land owners, the city
and the developer working toward a goal
of strengthening the community. The ini-
tial forces for the development included the
success of a neighboring, big-box sh.op-
pin center develo ent and ent-up
emand for more homing office an retail
space. The commitment from Maple Grove
to locate the new city hall and government
center witlun the development and collab-
oration with a housin 0 er earl in
the SIte planrung process helped to anc or
the new downtown with a built-in pedes-
trian population, located in proximity-to
Mam ~treet storefronts.
Planning a downtown in today's world
requires gathering pertinent infomlation
about the habits, desires and preferences of
the marketplace. The symbiotic relation-
DOWNTOWN to next page
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