CCP 12-15-2006 Administrator's Update

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---. ...- . . . December 2006 Minne~oto Real E~tote Journal Page 11 focus on Ramsey County Ammo plant plans advance after key land sale Arden Hills, developers Highway 96 and County Road I that was cvenU1ally picked up hy U.S. Sen. '.We'l1 need to be able to work and noW'" start heavy lifting could last for up to three years. Arden Norm Coleman and others who respond to developers on a ]0.. of issues Hills plans to work. in conjunction with responded to local leaders' calls for the as they come along on something this by lun..KcrL___._. CRR LLC. apmtnership between Min; return (Jf the 2,300 total acres, or near- big. The north metro as a whole has Aftcr dCGldcs of ]obbvin~. plcadioe neapolis-hased developer Ryan Com- Jy a third of the city. really been coming into its own and . ~ ~ panics. ll.S. Inc. and 51. Paul excaV<l- "It's been a long haul. I think a lor of this will make it even more of a hot and quiet pl~rsistcnce, Ardcn Hills offi- tor and environmental firm Glenn people have sort of lost faith that it property area for attracting new busi- cia!s arc jin,dly rCJdy to get SOIllE' bang Rehbein Coso might really be happening:' says Karen nesses. . for their buck. In particular. they will "This is very I1lllch a long terlll plan. Barton, Arden Hills' community devel- Noting that CRR's project alone is ge! :'\x5 acres of the former Twin Cities But we"re very excited about Ihe pos- opment director. "But things are really expected to return an approximately !\rmy Ammunition PL:tnt (TCAAP) sihilities,'. says Collin BaIT, Ryan's kicking into gear light now:. equal amount of properly [axes to the site to bui Id into the largest mixed-use executive vice president for the l'vlin- The City CouIlcillast year passed its city as the rest of Arden HiJ]s C0111- development the city has ever seen, nesOla region. .'To be right off the (-i94 '.Vision and Goals" statement which bined, Barton says most current resi- thanks to federal c:pproval in July of a and 49.+ loop with this mllch property established general principles for rcde- dents have been enthusiastic about $45 million purchase. is pretty much unheard of. We think it ve]opmcnt that included calling for a plans. "It's a greai opportunity for Arden holds a lot or potential for both resiJcn- mixture of business, residential. parks, "There arc a few people of course Hills." says outgoing Mayor Beverly tial and comlTlercial." trails and open space uses. A related that would like to see the propeny stay Aplikowski. "We not only get to CRR, ili consultation \\'itb Arden map lays out a vision of two- to six- as it is," she says. "However. once enlarge OLlr community'S population by Hills city staff. recently chose a plan- story office buildings, community ori- you're on the property you realize its almost double. But it's an opportunity ning team including the firms Hoising- ented retail and relatively dense condo- checkered with old bridges, roads and 10 create a new part of the city that will ton Koegler for master land planning, minium and apartment dwellings on who knows what. It's not a pristine compliment the rest of the city. We've SEH for traffic, RLK for infrastructure each side of a Rice Creek green spaces field." heen waiting for this a long time." planning. Damon Farher for landscape and wildlife conidor. Aplikowski agrees, noting that many :vlayor-elect Stan Harpstead largely design and Westwood for survey work. "We're going to have to revisit and ClllTent Arden Hills residents have been agreed. though noting there will per- Arden Hills has been planning for possibly t,veak. the Master Plan," calling for more retail and other serv- haps be .'tweaks'. and other influences the reuse of the AmlY ammunition site admits Barton. "This definitely is a ices that the CCR project could pro- of the ne\'. city administration. But the to some degree since at least] 995 with much larger project lhan what Arden vide. grand vision is "very solid:' he assures. adoption of the so-called Vento Plan, Hills has had for many, many years:' .'Our area needs a real first-class Now the real work begins. however. named for the late U.S. Rep. Bruce Comparing TCAAP's potential restaurant and shopping area," she with clean-up and planning efforts for Vento, who tirst led the political push impact over the next 10 to l5 years to says. the ::mo:1 bordered by Interstate 35\V. for federal sale of the site. The cause ~hat of the 1\'lal1 of America. she says, re~ i.