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HRSR CANCEL 02-07-2005.^~/ city of Elk -~-~ River MEETING CANCELATION NOTICE HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY February 7, 2005 MEETING CANCELED I Stewart Wilson, Chair, hereby request to cancel the regularly scheduled meeting of the Elk River Housing and Redevelopment Authority on February 7, 2005. In accordance with State Statute, I hereby request the city clerk to post this notice at least three days prior to the scheduled meeting date. I further request the city clerk to notify each member of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority in writing, at least one day before the canceled meeting. Stewart Wils n, Chair Date +~ I HEREBY CERTIFY, that this notice has been posted and that I have served this notice upon the members of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority by mail at least one day prior to the above-canceled Housing and Redevelopment Authority meeting. ~itv Clerk Date i11L \,~~~ River MEMORANDUM TO: Housing and Redevelopment Authority 5 FROM: Heidi Steinmetz, Assistant Director of Economic Development DATE: February 2, 2005 SUBJECT: HRA Meeting Cancellation for February 7, 2005 Due to a lack of pressing agenda items, the February 7, 2005 regular HRA meeting has been cancelled by order of the HRA Chair, Stewart Wilson. Information This information memo includes the following items for your review: * January 3, 2005 Regular Meeting Minutes * Downtown Revitalization Project Update Memo Looking Ahead The City's Cable Producer, Kristin Thomas, has requested that the HRA arrive ten minutes early to the next regular HRA meeting on March 7, 2005 to have individual pictures taken. These pictures will be used on the cable channel's bulletin board and may also be used for other city publications and promotions. of ver MEMORANDUM TO: Housing & Redevelopment Authority FROM: Catherine Mehelich, Director of Economic Development ~/~ DATE: February 2, 2005 SUBJECT: Downtown Revitalization Project Update Attachments • King Avenue Parking Lot Taskforce, January 4, 2005 meeting minutes. • Article "Downtown vision takes shape" Pioneer Press, January 9, 2005. Background The City entered into a development agreement with MetroPlains Development at the end of last year. Since that time staff has been working closely with MetroPlains to make progress on a number of activities leading up to the anticipated summer project construction. Current Activities Bluff Block Properties A purchase agreement has recently been executed for the Nadeau's property. In addition to the Nadeau property MetroPlains now has acquired two out of the three Bluff Block properties. MetroPlains continues to make progress securing a purchase agreement with US Bank and anticipates completing acquisition of property within a few months. Conworth, Inc. has been contracted by the City to provide the necessary relocation services by law to the owners and tenants of the properties as applicable. King Avenue Parking Lot Improvement Assistant Director of Economic Development, Heidi Steinmetz is working closely with the King Ave Parking Lot Taskforce and their monthly meetings to provide input on the parking lot design and enforcement options. Meeting minutes from the first taskforce meeting is attached for the HRA's review. Within the next two months the City Engineer will formalize construction plans and bid specifications fox the City Council's approval and construction in June. River's Edge Greenspace Improvements Downtown Revitalization Project Update February 2, 2005 HRA Information Memo Page 2 of 2 River's Edge Greenspace Improvements At its January 12, 2005 meeting the Park and Recreation Commission provided feedback to staff on a concept design for the park space located between Sunshine Depot and the Cinema Building. Once the concept is refined it will be presented to the City Council along with the building plans for the project construction for review and approval. The park dedication fee collected from the Bluff and Jackson Block projects will be used to pay for park improvements in the downtown. Communications MetroPlains continues to meet with city staff on a regular basis for review of the project design and to discuss the project schedule. Ms. Steinmetz is preparing a communications plan to be utilized by staff and MetroPlains during the project construction phase. Within the next few months MetroPlains will be installing a project sign at the corner of the Bluff and Jackson Blocks in order to communicate a contact number far those interested in residential or commercial units. MEETING OF THE ELK RIVER KING AVENUE PARKING LOT TASK FORCE HELD AT FIRST NATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTER MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2005 Members Present: Keith Holme, property owner Kemper Drug; Steve Johnson, property owner Antiques Downtown; John Anderson, downtown resident; Ty Sunderman, Manager Dare's Funeral Home; Dr. Tony Jarmoluk, Elk Dental Center Members Absent: Fred McCoy, McCoy's Pub and John Houlton, First National Bank of Elk River Staff Present: City Engineer Terry Maurer and Assistant Director of Economic Development Heidi Steinmetz Others Present: Lisa Raduenz of LJR, Inc., Transportation and Consultants and Planners Task Force Mission and Objectives Lisa Raduenz explained the purpose of the King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force and indicated that the group had been asked to join together to provide feedback on design, operational and enforcement issues during the pre-construction months for the parking lot. Ms. Raduenz went through each of the three goals listed on the mission and goals sheet found in each member's packet, and asked members if any other goals should be added to those on the sheet. Members mentioned that they wanted to ensure that the King Avenue parking lot maintained access for both vehicles and pedestrians beyond the reconstruction period and that they were also concerned about congestion and parking availability on Main Street during the reconstruction period. Ms. Raduenz assured the group that both the second and the third goals of the group would cover these concerns with minor modifications to the second goal (add the words "and beyond" to the end of the sentence). Members approved this addition to the second goal. Ms. Raduenz also explained that each of the five scheduled meetings of the group would focus on a specific area of the proposed project, with the first meeting that day looking at the overall project downtown and the general layout and design laid out by the City Engineer, Terry Maurer. A question was asked about enforcement issues and Ms. Raduenz and Steinmetz both responded that these issues would be handled during the Apri12005 meeting, with the Police Chief most likely in attendance on that date. Ms. Raduenz said that the final meeting in May 2005 would be to wrap up any conversations and/or discussion on specific items from the first four meetings before sending any group recommendations to the HRA and/or City Council. 2. Downtown Revitalization Project Overview Heidi Steinmetz referred the group to two project concept displays depicting the proposed buildings that will be redeveloped in Downtown Elk River. She discussed the project parameters, which included commertical/retail businesses on the ground floor of each building, owner-occupied housing on the upper three floors of the Bluff Block, and rental housing units on the upper two floors of the Jackson Block. Both buildings will have underground parking for residents with access off of Main Street. Keith Holme asked if there would be parking for retail employees on Jackson. Ms. Steinmetz said that retail King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force Minutes January 4, 2005 Page 2 employees would be parking underground. Mr. Holme asked about the parking standards that were used to provide adequate parking for employees of the two projects. Ms. Steinmetz replied that the parking standards within the downtown are different than those in other areas of the City. She stated that each residential unit requires 1.5 stalls. Conversation ensued among group members about where residents were planning on parking (Steinmetz and Raduenz confirmed this would be in the underground parking area of each facility) and where the access points for traffic coming from underground parking locations would occur along Main Street. Terry Maurer indicated that this would occur from Main Street. 3. King Avenue Parking Lot Concept Discussion Ms. Raduenz introduced Terry Maurer and asked him to go over the general parking lot concept for the group. Maurer displayed a scale map of the King Avenue parking lot area, which members of the group could also see by looking out of the windows of the room. Mr. Maurer stated that access to King Avenue at Highway 10 would be closed, as well as access to the school district lot from King Avenue. By closing this access there would a net gain of 8-10 spaces within the lot, for a total gain of about 50 more spots overall in the entire space. Mr. Maurer said that he and others had spent a great deal of time trying to squeeze in parking spaces in various configurations to ensure that the most parking be made available at the site. Mr. Maurer said that the City has contacted MnDOT about the closing of King Avenue at Highway 10 and MnDOT had no objections. He indicated that MnDOT's access management specialists had already targeted the intersection as one that would ultimately be closed at some point in the next several years anyway, based on anticipated changes to the Highway 10 corridor to be made by the agency. He listed a number of issues related to the project that need to be resolved in the next several months, including: - School District easement resolution - Combining of small First National Bank lot and current King Ave. lot into one larger one - Utility box relocation within new parking lot - Moving First National Bank employees from small First National lot during reconstruction - Schedule for removing down the Municipal Utility Building - Tentative reconstruction schedule dates, May to end of July, depending upon various factors including weather - Budget for lighting and other lot amenities - Lot entrance - Employee/Visitor parking area designations - Lot and directional sign locations The group reviewed the site plan for the King Avenue parking lot and asked Mr. Maurer if school district property could be better utilized by moving King Avenue over. Mr. Maurer responded that the City would need an easement and the City may be able to add up to eight parking stalls on a head-in basis along the building if this were the case. He said that no specific conversations had been held yet with the district. Mr. Holme suggested that a stop sign would need to be installed at the corner of King and Main in order to maintain traffic flow from the lot. He asked whether traffic counts at this location had been done. Mr. Maurer could not recall if he had current counts at this location at this time. Mr. Maurer also asked about the schedules of commercial truck deliveries for businesses like the bakery and Kemper Drug. The schedule of garbage haulers for this specific block of businesses was also mentioned. The group asked where disabled parking was to occur during reconstruction. Members of the group discussed the need for other traffic control King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force Minutes January 4, 2005 Page 3 measures at various points downtown given the flow of afternoon peak traffic and problems now occuring with access onto Highway 10 from various points along the road. Discussion about how to best enter the proposed parking lot (i.e., from the east side or west side) ensued. Discussion Ms. Raduenz suggested that at the next meeting Mr. Maurer bring some information to the group that includes a) a staging schedule for the reconstruction period; b) general information about the major commercial truck delivery schedules for affected properties at the site; and c) research about entering the parking lot from the east side rather than the west side of the lot as first proposed. She informed the group that their time at the second meeting would be spent on these items as well as looking at general areas of the proposed lot to determine employee, general public parking and disabled parking space designation areas. Ms. Raduenz encouraged the group to contact hex via phone or email with questions between meetings and made sure that each member of the group with an email contact had confirmed his address for ease of communication with city staff and the consultant for the Task Force. 5. Adjournment The meeting of the King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force adjourned at 9:15 a.m. The next meeting of the King Avenue Parking Lot Task Force is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1, 2005 at 8:00 a.m. at the First National Financial Center in the 2nd floor board room. Submitted by, Lisa Raduenz LJR, Inc., Transportation and Consultants and Planners HASTINGS BY SIIANNON I'RATFIER Pioneer Press When Barb Hollenbeck walks her golden retriever around down- town Iastings at dusk, the view is that. of a ghost town. No other neighbors mill around outside, and sc~utt custo-ners window shop at her toy store. "`There's not a soul down there," saki Follenbeck, who lives above her toyshop. Hollenbeck's view is about to change. Fur the better, she says. `I'he City Council last week approved Che first phase of a mas- ter plan to redevelop Hastings' his- turu iiverfro~rt downtown after -u~~re than two decades of false sl n ts. The developer hopes to start construction this spring. The re-envisioned dorantorvn will lre a tocu•ist desth-aLion and a trendy neighborhood that could include doze~is of new condos, row houses vul duplexes as well as shops and eateries, said the city's redevelop- ment. director acid 1~vin Cities devel- oper Sherman Associates Lic. The vision when Sherman com- pletes all phases: a breezy, tree-lined wzr_Iking district with a riverfi~ont restaurant and banquet facility. Shops and retail space will line the street level of the historic bushiess district. Condos will be nestled above bushlesses and along the river. Boaters will be able to dock aura meander through riverfront Ler-•ee Park and a plaza area with gazebo to the downtown district. '1'he plan calls for new construc- tiim on vacant lots that the city's redevelopment. agency leveled ,years ago but will blend with Last Second Street's historic storefronts dating back. to the 1850s. "It's designed to bring people to our region and our beautiful river- front," said Council Member Danny L+'lling Schultz at a council meeting. "IL's something we've been begging for for ,years." ll01VN`I'OWN VISION, 3D The businesses on historic Main Street in downtown Hastings will soon have new neighbors. The City Council last week approved the first phase of a master plan to redevelop the city's riverfront downtown. "It's something we've been begging for for years." Dn~a~an Elting Schir.ltz, Hasti~ags Cvay Council nien~ber SUNDAY, JANUARY 9, 2005 NC 3D CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1D Downtown vision (conti.nued) Hastings is one of a handful of cities, including Rosemount, Farmington and Burnsville, trying to recreate the past by reviving or creating a down- town district. Hastings -one of Lhe older cities in the state - may have an advantage with its views of the river, prime redevelopment real estate and its bona fide his- toric downtown already in place. The city owns land val- ued at $1.4 million that's been razed and is now ripe for rede- velopment. The developer says Phase 1, including the city's riverfront improvements, will cost an estimated $22 million to $24 million. "A lot of suburban towns never created a city center downtown. 'T'hey have to make an extra effort to create a downtown," said Loren Brueggemann, vice president of development with Sherman Associates. "Hastings has amenities that, can be capital- ized on. They are ahead of the game. Hastings has a down- town. It needs some enhance- E wu ~' #.;.. j t f ~ ,. 1 r~, .~ ~ ~. ~ , ,,,~.,n~ ~.i~~~`~~ ~ ~ .~ l~ io-~ {rat a` ~~ ~ g b3: , l~ '~ tyy•ar~ z 'sk ~ w - - ~f w~ - i _ ~~. .43 ' ~. ~..7 33 `k ~. ~ ~ a . ~ _ ,.~z ~~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ '' x ~ ~* ~r ra,,1."Fla ~~± ~1 ,r+ ~ E ~tpl ~ "c~ ; ~ ~ `~ ~; r~ _ • R , ~~ ~ "~ s_ ments and regeneration. 'Phat's what we are trying to accomplish." The council approved Phase 1 of Sherman Associ- ate's master plan after months of public feedback and tweaks that, including adding a restau- rant, and banquet hall. Sher- man's first-phase blueprint also calls for a four-story, 28- unit riverfront condo complex, first-floor retail space along Second Street, 22 condos above those shops and five row homes on a nearby plot. The city and the developer that specializes in urban rede- velopment entered into an exclusive agreement in Febt•u- ary 2004, giving Sherman first shot. A vocal group and two council members opposed the construction of condos, argu- ing that downtown should attract tourists. "There is no way I can see condos as a destination. We are just going to build a neigh- borhood in the most pristine, beautiful area along the river," said Council Member Edward Riveness, who voted against the master plan. `I was hopeful downtown could be a destination point. I would rather see it sit empty than done wrong." Hastings Redevelopment Director John Grossman said the city and developer studied several scenarios and deter- mined that condos and retail was the most economically viable option. "Totally commercial prop- erties at this location at this time don't seem to he much of an opportunity," Grossman said. "Having a mix of com- mercial activities supported by quite a few more people liv- ing down there seems to be right down the middle of try- ing to hit the market." The redevelopment could double downtown housing, which now consists of Obout 100 apartments. The approval of the master plan is a big first step, but the city is moving cautiously. Two prime pieces of city property along the river are designated "study areas." Sherman Asso- ciates had tloated plans for condos on the two riverfront lots, but city officials want to see other options. Sherman tivill still need to negotiate the purchase of city land and must receive addi- tional council approval on spe- cific site plans before it can begin construction. In February, the City Coun- cil will consider passing a new tax-increment financing dis- trict to help pay for the prot- ect A TIF district uses increased property taxes that new development generates to finance the cost of the development for as long as 25 years. "The city, the county and the school district give up those increased taxable values for a period of time so those dollars can be used to make that development happen," Grossman said. Hollenbeck, who has owned Second Childhood Dolls & Moi•e for eight years, said she's already looking for- ward to more foot traffic downtown. "We've been tearing down buildings for 60 years," she said. "'t'his is the first opportu- nity to put a new building on the block." Sha~anon Prather can be rearhec( nt spn•ather@pi~oneerpress.cona or 651-228-5452.