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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION—MARCH 26, 2012 4 <br /> Councilmember Tamble questioned if two people could occupy 300 square feet. He felt this was <br /> not enough space for proper living quarters. He understood this to be the case in New York City, <br /> but did not understand the reasoning behind allowing this in Arden Hills. <br /> Mr. Davidson explained this was within City Code. <br /> Councilmember Tamble expressed concern with the proposed redevelopment missing the <br /> market with this use. He questioned how the developers would handle the third and fourth floor <br /> phasing if the first and second floors were not rented out in a timely manner. <br /> Mr. Davidson stated adjustments would have to be made to the model to meet the needs of the <br /> market. He explained a great deal of money would be spent on renovating the gathering spaces to <br /> draw people to the unique amenities of this location. The proposed facilities would attract young <br /> professionals and students. <br /> Councilmember Holden stated Northwestern College had trouble getting students into this <br /> location. She expressed concern with this location turning into Polynesian Village. <br /> Mr. Davidson explained again his projections and stated he was proposing to invest a great deal <br /> of money into redesigning the site to meet the needs of the market. He has a long track record of <br /> success in the community and noted the proposed project would be the same. He felt the <br /> proposed project had exciting potential. <br /> Mayor Grant had a great deal of reservation with the proposal and the small size of the units and <br /> felt that this was a risky proposal for the City. <br /> Councilmember Werner questioned if market research had been conducted on the demand for a <br /> 300 square foot studio unit. <br /> Mr. Davidson replied that formal market research had not been conducted, but stated the Phase I <br /> and Phase 11 would allow for flexibility in the unit sizes. <br /> Lisa indicated the rent charged for these units would allow for work-force housing and offered a <br /> great facility for those working manufacturing jobs at $10-12 per hour. She did not anticipate this <br /> building to become low-income housing because the units would be too small to house large <br /> families. <br /> Councilmember Tamble asked for the reason the restaurant was not being redeveloped. <br /> Mr. Davidson commented the amenities offered through the redevelopment would drive the <br /> restaurant redevelopment. However, he anticipated this turning into a third tenant use, such as a <br /> coffee shop or day care facility. <br /> Mayor Grant questioned if the developer had considered turning all of the units into 600 square <br /> foot one-bedroom apartments, versus the 300 square foot studios. <br />