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Gem Lake News Page 5 of 6 <br /> <br /> County Road E Corridor Project Works to Renew Area <br /> <br />The County Road E Corridor, between Centerville Road <br />to the west, and Century Avenue on the east, has <br />enormous potential for revitalization, placemaking and <br />serves as a catalyst for future development in the area. <br />The cities of White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and <br />Gem Lake have been working with subject matter <br />experts, elected officials, and community members to <br />inform and guide future development along the corridor <br />through a series of community workshops and <br />discussions. <br /> <br />The outcome of the process will be to produce a <br />community-tailored action plan to include near, <br />medium, and long-term goals and action steps. The <br />goal of the action plan is to serve as a tool to attract <br />private investment through development and <br />infrastructure improvements. <br /> <br />To date, the project team has held 6 workshops: <br /> <br />Workshop I: Gather Information – September 14, <br />2022 <br />Kickoff to the Co. Rd. E Action Plan. Representatives <br />from White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights and Gem Lake <br />introduced the project and spoke a bit about what the <br />goals and objectives were for each community and the <br />corridor as a whole. Presentations were then provided <br />by land use and transportation planning experts to help <br />frame the discussion, and questions were posed to <br />those in attendance: <br /> <br />• What is important and unique about County <br />Road E Corridor? <br />• What are the concerns about future <br />development, and what can be achieved? <br /> <br />Workshop II A - C: Exploring Development Options <br />- The Block Exercise <br />Neighbors joined in interactive workshops to create <br />development scenarios for key sites along the County <br />Road E Corridor. Land use and design experts were on <br />hand to share ideas and insights. Sites were divided by <br />city among three workshops: <br /> <br />A. Vadnais Heights sites, September 28, 2022. <br />B. White Bear Lake sites, September 29, 2022. <br />C. Gem Lake sites, October 5, 2022. <br /> <br />Gem Lake – Exploring Development Options, ‘The <br />Block [tabletop] Exercise’ <br />On October 5, community members gathered for a <br />hands-on workshop to create potential redevelopment <br />scenarios for two sites along County Road E in the City <br />of Gem Lake. <br /> <br />Redevelopment Scenario Sites <br /> <br />Site 1: Parcel east of Daniels Farm Road and north of <br />County Rd E (18 acres) <br />Site 2: South of Co Rd E and West of Hwy 61 (12 <br />acres). <br /> <br />Meeting Summary from the Report <br /> <br />Participants split into two groups and spent time <br />considering each site, brainstorming plans for its <br />redevelopment – including options such as new housing, <br />commercial space, light industrial space, and community <br />amenities. Groups created and named development <br />scenarios and a housing finance expert provided <br />feedback on the proposed development’s financial <br />feasibility, offering strategies a developer might pursue <br />to create a successful development. <br /> <br />A detailed copy of the County Road E Corridor Report <br />for the Gem Lake Tabletop Exercise is available. <br /> <br />Workshop III: Developer Panel Discussion October <br />12, 2022 <br />A panel of developers with a range of expertise explored <br />the opportunities and challenges of potential redevelop <br />options. This discussion invited real estate professionals <br />to provide insights on what types of development are <br />likely for some key opportunity sites along the County <br />Road E corridor, and to think about ways to create a <br />more cohesive and connected corridor, while preserving <br />the uniqueness of each city. Panelists invited included: <br /> <br />• Jeff Salzbrun, Commercial Equities Group <br />• Todd Stutz, Robert Thomas Homes/RT Urban <br />Homes <br />• Leanna M. Stefaniak, Esq, At Home <br />Apartments, LLC <br />• Max Musicant, The Musicant Group <br />• Mikeya Griffin, Rondo Community Land Trust <br />• Marty O’Connell, MWF Properties <br /> <br />Workshop IV: Framing Recommendations <br />October 26, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm <br />Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St N <br />Contribute to the creation of development of the County <br />Road E Corridor action plan recommendations, which <br />will be submitted to a Project Team of local government <br />and private partners for consideration. <br /> <br />This summary was written by City Councilm ember Ben <br />Johnson, who is also Gem Lake’s official representative <br />on this project team. Feel free to reach out to him with <br />any questions or comments at <br />ben.johnson@gemlakemn.org. <br />