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Monson says the primary challenge <br />will be attracting retail businesses <br />and providing entertainment options <br />so residents can shop, dine, and <br />attend events close to home. Making <br />connections through walking and <br />bicycling trails to other parts of Arden <br />Hills is essential, too, in creating a <br />sustainable community. <br />Last year, Ryan Companies began <br />envisioning and pursuing build-to-suit <br />clients for the Army ammunition site <br />known as the “thumb parcel” in the <br />northern part of Rice Creek Commons <br />next to I-35W. Ryan plans to construct <br />400,000 to 600,000 square feet of <br />commercial real estate on the site and <br />align the buildings with Rice Creek’s <br />energy goals. Monson says Ryan could <br />break ground on one project this year, <br />with more developments coming online <br />in other parts of Rice Creek in 2026. <br />Ryan Companies sustainability <br />director Kaitlin Veenstra says the <br />first development, a 158,000-square- <br />foot office and manufacturing building <br />on 10 acres, will use a ground-source <br />geothermal system. The company <br />has grown more comfortable with <br />the technology after installing it in a <br />400,000-square-foot life sciences and <br />office building in Maple Grove for a <br />client with sustainability goals, <br />she says. <br />Still, she adds, it’s a challenge to <br />determine how many wells need to be <br />drilled for a building, and assumptions <br />can change when determining cost, <br />timing, and other factors in geothermal <br />projects. The good news for developers <br />is that the Twin Cities has a strong <br />bench of contractors familiar with <br />geothermal, says Veenstra, which will <br />only grow as interest in the technology <br />increases. “As projects start to come <br />online, I think other clients will start to <br />see the value of reduced maintenance <br />requirements and lower operating costs <br />and get behind this as a strong solution <br />for the Twin Cities area,” she says. <br />Another challenge Rice Creek <br />and similar communities face is <br />educating builders and residents <br />about the advantages of all-electric <br />living. Ramsey County redevelopment <br />manager Ella Mitchell says some <br />developers are skittish about green <br />technologies they tried five years ago <br />that didn’t seem to work well. They will <br />need to learn that many improvements <br />have been made to those technologies <br />to increase their performance. <br />“I hope it becomes a virtuous cycle <br />as the public is more comfortable <br />with things like induction stoves and <br />developers get more comfortable <br />building with those products because <br />they feel like there’s a market for them,” <br />says Mitchell. “Or maybe it’s vice versa: <br />As developers build these products, <br />people get to experience them and see <br />the benefits.” <br />Your cutting-edge design. <br />Our razor-sharp risk management. <br />We mitigate and manage risks that architects and <br />engineers face every day. Our deep knowledge of your <br />profession brings an unmatched level of expertise to <br />the most innovative and creative endeavors. <br />Professional Liability • Commercial Insurance • Employee Benefits <br />Work Comp Management • Safety • Human Resources • Enterprise Risk <br />952.707.8200 | kainsurance.com <br />992025 | ENTER MAGAZINE982025 | ENTER MAGAZINE