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<br />		Arden Hills,MN • 55112-5734
<br />  	ICounty and Vikings prefer Arden Hills
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<br /> 		Plans for former Holiday Inn    		Postal  Customer   									The Official City Newsletter for Arden Hills Residents 							June 2011
<br /> 		Fox Ridge project  																		Ramsey County and Minnesota Vikings favor Arden Hills stadium site
<br /> 		Well-sealing assistance available  																	amsey County and the Vikings 	proposes commercial attractions,such as      other on-site infrastructure
<br />  	dwant to build a new stadium in	restaurants,retail,a hotel,and a movie	would cost an estimated
<br />  	e    City purchases Hazelnut Park property  															RArden Hills.The State Legislature    theater.The Vikings corporate headquar-      $1.06 billion to build.
<br />																							adjourned May 23 without voting on a	ters and training facilities also might be       Under the County/Vikings proposal,the
<br />																							stadium bill.The proposal is to build a	moved to the site.				Vikings would pay$407 million—that's
<br />																							retractable roof public stadium surrounded							39 percent.Ramsey County would pay
<br />																							by private commercial development on	The TCAAP site requires environmental      $350 million—a third of the cost.The
<br />																							430 acres along the western edge of the       remediation.If no residential construction    County's portion would be funded by a
<br />																							former Twin Cities Army Ammunition	is included in the stadium proposal,the	county-wide 0.5 percent sales tax increase
<br />																							Plant(TCAAP)property.The County, 	site would be remediated to a less costly      (fifty cents on a$100 purchase). County
<br />  	Notes from the City Council 															State,and the Vikings would pay for the      commercial/industrial standard.		sales tax increases generally require a vot-
<br />																							$1 billion stadium.If approved by the      							er referendum.But as was done for Target
<br />    		s I write this letter the state leg-       Since the City portion of your property tax   lost a job.It could be a cashier,sales per-      		State,the City may not have the authority     Improvements to I-35W,I-694,U.S.High-   Field,the State Legislature can circumvent
<br />    		islature has adjourned its regular     is calculated by dividing the levy by the      son,accountant,or it could the person next    		to stop the stadium.The City of Min-  	way 10,and possibly other roads will be      a referendum.The State would pay$300
<br />    		session and will head to a special     total property value in the city,less com-     door.However,the results are the same,       		neapolis has made an alternate proposal       needed to accommodate traffic generated     million—28 percent—via sales taxes on
<br />  	session.This article will not reach you for    mercial property value ends up shifting       a job lost,a family impacted,and further      		to replace the Metrodome with a new  	by the stadium or any other development     certain items and lottery proceeds.
<br />  	another month.There will no doubt be	more of the tax burden to residential prop-    impact on businesses.Unemployment  			stadium.   					on the TCAAP site.Currently,approxi-
<br />  	considerable news coverage of how to bal-   erty.Arden Hills'overall levy increase last   remains at historically high levels.   										mately 200,000 vehicles travel through the   The State also is asked to pay for all
<br />  	ance the state budget and of funding for a     year was only 0.81%.However,the over-  									Proposal details 				1-694 and 1-35 W interchange each week-   				continued on page 2
<br />  	Vikings Stadium.I wonder if a decision on   all increase to residential property taxes       So you might be thinking,I see the"For       		Officials from the County and Vikings 	day,including approximately
<br />  	the budget will be reached by the time this    was higher,due in part to lower values in     Lease"signs,but what can I do?I would      		announced their partnership May 10.They    20,000 during the peak rush		Proposed Stadium Site Plan
<br />  	letter reaches you,or if we will be facing     commercial property compared to residen-   encourage you to support your local    			are proposing a 1.6 million square foot	hour.A Vikings game would
<br />  	a partial shutdown of state services during    tial property.     				businesses.For example,if you are going     		multi-purpose stadium with up to 65,000      bring approximately 21,000
<br />  	such a rough economy for so many.								up north,gas up and buy your groceries			seats and up to 150 suites. Construction is     additional vehicles(42,000
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<br />      							Of course,other items figure into prop-       locally before you go.If you are thinking      		expected to take three years.The Vikings     trips)to Arden Hills.Whereas,
<br />  	Rather than speculate on the outcome 	erty taxes,and the information above is       of going out to eat choose a local restau-      		have agreed to a 30-year lease and would     when completed the 2009
<br />  	of the legislative session or a stadium,I       only one aspect of property taxes,but it       rant. Simply think of ways to support local    		operate the stadium. In addition to the 	plan for a mixed use develop-     			y i
<br />  	would like to turn to something else fac-      is currently the largest item impacting 	businesses.If everyone does a little bit,it      		Vikings,the stadium might be used    	ment on the TCAAP property
<br />  	ing our city;namely the number of"For      cities across the state.The economy has      can mean a lot.    						by other sports teams and for special  	would have added 50,000
<br />  	Lease"and"For Rent"signs appearing on    been hit hard over the last few years.As    									events. Similar to the Metrodome,a   	trips per weekday.Traffic for     							.
<br />  	commercial property.You might be think-    the economy improves,hopefully the shift 									public commission would oversee the 	the ten Vikings games each
<br />  	ing,what has that to do with homeowners?   will swing the value of the City's com-     									new stadium. Construction is expected to     season would mostly occur
<br />  	In short,quit a bit.Let me explain.    	mercial and residential property back to a  									generate 7,500 full-and part-time jobs,	outside of peak rush hour							f�
<br />      							more equal balance.  												and once the stadium opens it would   	times,whereas an alternative
<br />  	The City currently collects a property tax       															support approximately 3,400 jobs.     	mixed-use TCAAP develop-
<br />  	levy of just over$3 million annually.The     The"For Lease"signs are also more often    David Grant,Mayor  												ment scenario likely would
<br />  	amount of our City levy is spread over the    than not an indication that someone has    									The stadium would be surrounded by other   add to rush hour traffic.The
<br />  	overall value of property in our City.The       															amenities.With approximately 21,000 	Metropolitan Council typi-
<br />  	value of each individual property is deter-      Celebrating Arden Hills is September 17       						parking spaces,there would be opportu-       cally would review and make
<br />  	mined by the Ramsey County assessor's   		ark your calendars.On Saturday,September 17,from 3 p.m.					nities for tailgating.The County would	recommendations on the road
<br />  	office. Commercial property in Minnesota     															purchase all available 430 acres and would   plans,but special State legisla-  :
<br />  	that is not occupied is assessed at a lower  		to dusk,the City will hold its fall festival at Tony SchmidtRegional Park on the shore of Lake Johanna.Enjoy the food,       				sell the portion not used for the stadium       tion is proposed to bypass that
<br />  	value than if it were occupied property. 																development to the Vikings.On the ap-       review.
<br />  	Residential property however,does not	youth activities,music,art,games,fireworks,and more.Watch the    					proximately 170 acres not used for the													VI
<br />								City website and this newsletter for more information as it becomes
<br />  	change in value based whether occupied																stadium development site(which is subject   Costs
<br />  	or unoccupied.     				available.     													to City zoning and approval),the team	The stadium,parking,and
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