10-18-17 JDA Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Proposed Location RICE CREEK COMMONS 7 Additional Key Decision Drivers Sustainability Supporting environmentally responsible development has been a top priority for the development team. The JDA adopted an Energy Integration Resiliency Framework, which sets forth a vision to create the largest net-zero energy redevelopment in the state. Ramsey County has a purchase agreement with the U.S. Army for a 40-acre parcel of land adjacent to Rice Creek Commons and is pursuing the creation of a solar installation that would generate eight megawatts of electricity, enough energy to power all commercial and residential developments at the site. Estimates show the installation has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 7,500 tons annually, roughly the amount produced by 1,432 cars each year. Additionally, the development team envisions net-zero energy office and residential neighborhoods at Rice Creek Commons, made possible by utilizing the thermal energy generated from ongoing deep water treatment at the site. Instead of a traditional HVAC system, office and multi-family buildings would be heated and cooled by thermal energy captured from groundwater. We expect that this may meet some, if not all, of Amazon’s heating and cooling needs. Ultimately, this project is about transforming a vacant parcel of land into a community asset, and the development team is committed to prioritizing sustainable features in the development, sharing a commitment to the environment and exploring solutions such as solar energy, geothermal heating, and cooling, water conservation, composting, and other demand-side management strategies. Utility Infrastructure (Connectivity) Located in a first-ring suburb, Rice Creek Commons is well connected to the Twin Cities utility infrastructure and has the bandwidth to support Amazon’s development. The Rice Creek Commons site is located at the northwest boundary of CenturyLink’s primary service area, which provides the highest level of fiber service capability. There is a direct fiber optic path to the Rice Creek Commons site from a primary CenturyLink office located 3.4 miles away. Diverse Path Capabilities (e.g., system redundancies) from separate services areas are easily attainable. This system redundancy has been made available for the Wells Fargo data center, which is located one mile north of Rice Creek Commons. Local Labor Pool The following statistics relate to an area within a five-mile radius of RCC and are as of January 19, 2017, from ESRI Business Analyst: • 5,680 business • 94,500 employees • 60,772 households • 153,469 residents • 30% have some college, 42% have bachelors, graduate, or professional degrees • Of those employed (95%), 71% have “white collar” jobs • $70,000 median household income