2025 Vol 19, Issue 5 October Gem Lake News

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Gem Lake News Page 4 of 8 Continued from page 3 uses, the corridor in our communities is primarily an auto- oriented corridor, viewed as a place to pass through rather than a desirable area where people choose to spend their time. With funding support from Ramsey County, White Bear Lake, Gem Lake, and Vadnais Heights, enlisted LISC Twin Cities’ Corridor Development Initiative (CDI) to facilitate a series of six community workshops from September to October 2022 to identify recommendations for a County Road E Corridor Action Plan. The Action Plan includes near, medium-, and long-term goals and action steps, and is intended to serve as a tool to attract private investment through development and infrastructure improvements. It identified several key themes which emerged throughout the process and leveraged those to create recommendations. A primary objective identified in the Action Plan was to “Create a cohesive theme and overall sense of place for the corridor.” To accomplish this goal, near term recommendations included fostering a sense of place and purpose by: 1. Strengthening the coalition among the three cities to pursue these recommendations. 2. Initiating a working group to build out programmed events and activities that give character or personality to the County Road E corridor. 3. Working with developers to incorporate privately owned public spaces into larger project sites. 4. Coordinating streetscape elements (e.g., trees, banners, street light designs, flower planters or baskets, etc.) to signify both connectivity and individuality among the cities. As previously stated, the corridor is the primary commercial center in Vadnais Heights and Gem Lake, as well as a significant commercial and residential area for White Bear Lake. While three communities share the County Road E Corridor in this area, the municipal boundaries can be confusing for the lay person. For this reason, any improvements in one city benefit all three, particularly when it enhances resident and visitor perceptions of the corridor. Establishing a brand identity for the corridor will be foundational for efforts to foster a sense of place and purpose. This brand identity will assist in creating a unified theme for public space improvements, such as wayfinding signage and other aesthetic enhancements, which respect the individual identities of each community. These placemaking efforts will enhance the desirability of the corridor as a “place to be” as opposed to a “place to drive through.” Additionally, creating a cohesive identity, marketing and placemaking strategy is a key tool for fostering collective action among stakeholders to revitalize the County Road E corridor. This effort will continue to build a foundation for a successful cross-jurisdictional coalition similar to the Rice and Larpenteur Alliance because it creates direction for the group. In late-2024 and into 2025, the three communities engaged the services of a consultant - CivicBrand - to establish a brand identity, marketing and placemaking strategy for the County Road E Corridor to build on the momentum generated by the County Road E Corridor Action Plan process in Fall 2022. A branding and marketing strategy will attract additional visitors and consumers to the corridor, supporting small business owners who may not have the capacity for coordinated marketing efforts of their own. Improving the image and perception of the corridor and increasing the frequency or duration of visits along the corridor makes it more likely for people to discover businesses in the area they may not have previously known. The results of the project are intended to inform both individual and collective action among the County Road E Corridor communities. The strategies will have a consumer focus to enhance the perception of the corridor and attract residents and visitors to the businesses within it. The three cities hosted a County Road E Open House on Thursday, January 16, 2025. Staff estimates between 40- 50 people attended over two hours, including residents and business owners from along the corridor. People were asked to give feedback on what aspects they liked and did not like for three different branding concepts, as well as share their opinions on whether they agreed with the ‘place-type’ assessments of different stretches of the corridor. BRANDING CONCEPTS The brand will serve as a visual identity for the corridor. Through consistent visual communication and messaging, County Road E will be recognized and celebrated as a unified place. Elements from the brand will be implemented physically in the built environment, and the specific applications will vary based on each *placetype* along the corridor. Continued on page 5