10-18-17 JDA Agenda Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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Proposed Location RICE CREEK COMMONS 8 The Rice Creek Commons Site History The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) was constructed in 1941- 1942 to manufacture small arms ammunition for American and Allied forces during World War II, and remained in production until 1945. At its peak, the plant employed 26,000 people – more than half of whom were women. The plant closed after the U.S. declared victory over Japan, but was intermittently reactivated to produce small arms ammunition during the Korean and Vietnam wars. It became inactive in 1976. Ramsey County purchased the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant with the intent to clean, redevelop and reestablish the property as the economic engine it once was – this time with homes, businesses and retailers. Ramsey County completed soil remediation in November 2015. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued a Certificate of Completion in July 2016 through its Voluntary Investigation and Cleanup Program to verify that soil had been restored to residential standards – the highest remediation standard attainable. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to remove the site from its Superfund list for soil in 2018, which means, with demolition and remediation complete, the largest large-scale redevelopment opportunity in the Twin Cities is shovel-ready. Green Space The entire site design includes an interwoven network of parks and trails that not only provide open space for all types of recreation, but also perform important environmental functions such as stormwater management and natural habitat restoration. A section of Rice Creek flows through the Rice Creek Commons development. In 2016, Ramsey County collaborated with the Rice Creek Watershed District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on an innovative project to transform Rice Creek back to its original, meandering path and stabilize its banks with native plants and trees. The project resulted in nearly 2,000 new feet of stream, a restored floodplain, and the creation of high-quality wetlands. Site plans call for Rice Creek to serve as a premier feature of a 50-acre natural resources corridor that winds through the site, providing both a natural asset and regional stormwater treatment. Additionally, 24 acres of park space is planned internally on the site, and the county is building a bike and pedestrian trail on the eastern edge of the development that connects to the Rice Creek North Regional Trail and the Highway 96 Regional Trail. Future employees and residents will have access to miles of linked trails, making active living an easy choice. Bike and Pedestrian Infrastructure Rice Creek Commons will be a walkable community, featuring a network of trails, green corridors, and pedestrian-friendly streets. More than four miles of bike and pedestrian trails will be built on the site. Additionally, the site is adjacent to a 202-acre Regional Trail Corridor that connects the site to the Twin Cities area network of pedestrian and bicycle trails. The Minneapolis/Saint Paul region has been nationally recognized for being a bicycle-friendly region.