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<br /> <br />Project Update: January/February 2015 <br /> <br />Construction update <br />Work is progressing quickly on the Rice Creek Commons site. Demolition of Building 502 – the last of the <br />44 buildings onsite when Ramsey County purchased the parcel – is nearly complete. The first stage of <br />hazardous soil removal is 90% complete. Crews will remove the remaining non-hazardous soil <br />underneath Building 502 in the next two months. We anticipate that environmental remediation will be <br />completed by the beginning of summer. <br /> <br />Infrastructure improvement project update <br />Ramsey County is in the process of updating the highway and freeway connections surrounding Rice <br />Creek Commons to provide adequate and safe access to the site. <br /> <br />Work will begin on the I-35W/Highway 96 interchange project in the spring. The project will include <br />constructing a diverging diamond interchange, a new type of interchange which improves traffic safety <br />and mobility. (Here is a video simulation of this interchange.) <br /> <br />This fall work will begin on the Rice Creek re-meander project near County Road H, and in 2016 work will <br />be completed on the spine road and I-35W/County Road H interchange. <br /> <br />Development update <br />In February we launched a new website (RiceCreekCommons.com) to provide information about Rice <br />Creek Commons and to promote development on the site. The new website provides all of the due <br />diligence information that developers have requested and will ensure that we maintain our commitment <br />to transparency and information sharing. <br /> <br />We have received strong interest from major residential and commercial developers in the Twin Cities, <br />as well as some national developers. The Joint Development Authority plans to issue an RFP for <br />residential development in mid-2015. Additionally, the JDA is working with the Saint Paul Port Authority <br />to issue a solicitation for commercial development in mid-2015. <br /> <br />Energy resiliency update <br />The Energy Resiliency Advisory Board (ERAB) is working with Ever-Green Energy and their team of <br />energy systems and planning experts to develop a long-term energy vision for the site and framework to <br />accomplish the vision. <br /> <br />In November, the team finalized an Energy Integration Resiliency Framework Policy white paper, which <br />provides a unifying vision for the site’s energy future and identifies the most beneficial opportunities for <br />energy efficiency and efficient energy supply options. The executive summary and the full white paper <br />are available on the Rice Creek Commons website. <br />