In April of 2019, ULI Minnesota worked with MNDOT to examine current and future uses of the ABC ramps in Downtown Minneapolis. The emphasis of the TAP was to identify 1) What MnDOT can do to support and encourage the activation of vacant, unused or underused areas to create a more attractive, safe and pedestrian supportive mobility hub. 2) Any barriers/restrictions to reusing MnDOT space in the Ramps, and how MnDOT can encourage public, non-profit and private interest and investment. 3) What types of place making activities and initiatives in and around the Ramps could be undertaken by MnDOT or in partnership with the public, non-profit and private sectors to help make the area more attractive and vibrant, and  4) How to improve pedestrian connections, both at street and skyway level, and from the Ramps to nearby destinations including the North Loop?

The panel recommended MnDOT 1) build a new brand,  2) focus on user experience (with a pedestrian study, improvements to skyways and open spaces, and consideration of services for those experiencing homelessness), 3) explore design alternatives and cost estimates for the utilization of different, specific ABC Ramp areas, 4) determine the process & procedures, engaging different professionals to implement and manage redevelopment and branding, and 5), develop a five-year plan. They suggested MnDOT embrace and brand the Ramps as a mobility hub, reinforce connections to the North Loop, and consider long-term major redevelopment efforts such as a large food/retail court facing the light rail stop, and workforce housing on the top of Ramp B.

To read the full report, click here.

ULI MN, along with eight local and national real estate professionals, completed a TAP for the Bottineau LRT Community Works Project to evaluate the market potential along the 13 mile Bottineau LRT Corridor, particularly with respect to the Van White Station, Robbinsdale Station, Bass Lake Station, Brooklyn Boulevard Station and the Oak Grove Station. The emphasis of the TAP was to 1) identify key development opportunities, barriers, and strengths related to land use and station location, 2) identify critical links to amenities, neighborhoods, housing, jobs centers and services and 3) recommend how these public investments should be used to leverage private sector investment.

In addition to specific recommendations for the station areas, the panel also recommended the cities and their community partners should act now to seize the opportunities offered in the corridor in anticipation that LRT will serve the area. In particular, the panel suggested that corridor cities should collaborate and adopt a comprehensive housing and economic development strategy for the corridor and jointly hire a coordinator to implement. They should focus on jobs by connecting education and training to economic development which is right at the corridor’s fingertips and rebrand the LRT corridor as the “Opportunity Corridor”. In anticipation of the LRT, communities should set the table and take the lead to make sure that things happen for the community rather than to the community.

To read the full report, click here. 

In March of 2018, the National Urban Land Institute Advisory Services Program conducted a technical assistance panel in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul to assess the Community Land Bridge project proposal.

In conclusion, the panel recommended that a significant Rondo Community Land Bridge move forward. with MnDOT constructing and maintaining the bridge. They found this to be an opportunity for African American leadership and ownership, and recommended right now as the time to put resources of $6 million behind this concept to bring the idea to the next step of design, engineering, and cost estimates. They also recommended considering gentrification and displacement.

To read the full report, click here. 

The City of Golden Valley’s draft 2040 Comprehensive Plan identified Downtown West as a planning district that needs further study. The City invited a ULI MN Technical Assistance Panel to evaluate the market potential of Downtown West and how to best position the area for future redevelopment. Specifically, the City sought the panel’s market analysis regarding specific sites as well as urban design ideas to strengthen the vitality of Downtown West and increase the viability of non-motorized movement.

In conclusion, the TAP Panelists found Golden Valley Downtown West to be in a great place with the advantage of being a cool, walkable neighborhood that businesses are wanting to move to. Moving forward, the panel recommended the City work to ensure placemaking and future development is proactive not retroactive by investing in small projects that align with a long-term land use plan and community vision. This involves pursuing the completion of a small area plan for the town center, creating a long-term financial strategy and short-term goals, beginning discussions with property owners, and preparing to be a willing partner in the redevelopment, relocation, and renovation within a smaller defined downtown redevelopment area. The panelists also recommended implementing public improvements to enhance and connect to natural features, and utilizing the existing Golden Valley City Hall Campus to jumpstart the creation of a densely developed town center.

To read the full report, click here. 

The Metro Transit TOD (Transit Oriented Development) Office asked the panel to evaluate six Metropolitan Council-owned properties near transportation corridors in six different cities across the metropolitan region. The overarching objective was to evaluate the market potential and likely kinds of development at each site, and to provide guidance to the Metro Transit TOD Office and cities on how to generate developer interest in TOD projects benefiting the region.

The TAP panelists, in this report, encouraged the Metro TOD Office to have a shared vision with cities, showcase the six sites on an ongoing basis, consider development a relationship businesses, create case studies of successful projects, create reasons for developers to want to do a deal with the Metro Transit TOD Office, contact adjoining property owners/developers, and to prioritize housing sites to include affordability.

To read the full report, click here.

The Grandview District is a mixed-use node located near the center of Edina Minnesota. The 80+ acre district straddles MN Highway 100 and is roughly bounded by Vernon Avenue on the west and north and Eden Avenue on the south and east. This area has served as a crossroads of commerce for more than 100 years. In the earliest days of the community, the Grandview area connected the Edina milling operation with the Hopkins and Eden Prairie farming communities to the west. The area transitioned as industrial uses grew in the first half of the 20th Century. As Edina and the Twin Cities grew, many successful commercial operations located in the Grandview area – motels, dinner clubs, supermarkets and a bowling alley. Over time, the motels were replaced with mid-rise apartment buildings and the industrial uses became condominiums and modern office space. Today, the Grandview District is a community scale retail district providing many goods and services as well as many employment opportunities.

Since 2014, the Edina Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) has been exploring the possibility of constructing a green freeway cover over limited portions of Highway 100.  This ULI MN TAP report is also part of that process. The TAP panelists believe the City of Edina’s vision for the future of the Grandview Green has transformative potential, both for Edina itself and for the possibility of freeway lid projects throughout the MSP region and the state of Minnesota. If executed effectively it can create a new civic hub; provide valuable housing, commerce, and amenities; and reconnect the eastern and western sides of the City while showcasing how modern transportation infrastructure can integrate with these uses effectively. To make these ambitious goals a reality, the City and its partners (i.e. MnDOT, Hennepin County, and the Metropolitan Council) must develop mechanisms for capturing the value generated by building freeway lids and for sharing construction and maintenance responsibilities among agencies.

To read the full report, click here.

The Verso Paper Mill site was a fixture in Sartell for more than a century, dating back to the Watab Pulp and Paper company in 1905. This longstanding operation came to an end when an explosion and fire on Memorial Day in 2012 damaged the facilities beyond repair, an event that is well-remembered across the state of Minnesota. The subsequent decision by Verso to forgo rebuilding the plant and to discontinue operations in Sartell resulted in a loss of 260 jobs on top of 175 lost in layoffs six months prior to the explosion. The site was sold to AIM Development LLC which acquired it to salvage materials. All damaged structures were demolished, except for two buildings which survived the fire.

In the intervening time, the city has refocused on the paper mill site as part of the comprehensive planning process, wanting to ensure the plan aligned with the city’s long term vision for I-2 (heavy industry) properties along the river. A task force was formed, and a moratorium on new uses on I-2 properties was enacted, including the paper mill site. At the request of the City of Sartell, this TAP was convened to help inform the task force. The site has been an industrial property for over a hundred years, and the ULI Minnesota panelists believe that is the most likely future use for it as well. However, before any redevelopment will happen, it is imperative that additional environmental analysis is conducted. The site may not require remediation if it is left vacant, but new users will be expected to complete the environmental investigation and remediate contamination if it is discovered.

To read the full report, click here.

ULI Minnesota completed its biggest and most complex Technical Assistance Panel on behalf of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Under the leadership of Commissioner Charlie Zelle, MnDOT approached ULI MN with a 21^st century strategy for how interstates could be rebuilt to restore connections in adjacent neighborhoods and foster new growth opportunities on MnDOT right of way. This strategy involves constructing “lids” above the roadway and preparing freeway embankments to support development.

MnDOT invited ULI MN to conduct a Technical Assistance Panel to analyze whether private sector investment would generate sufficient revenue to pay for building “lids” and other improvements and what steps MnDOT might take to make these projects a reality. ULI MN was uniquely qualified for this task through its interdisciplinary membership of professionals working in real estate, law, architecture and finance who volunteer their time and talent to help solve complex real estate and land use issues. Our panelists were excited to contribute to MnDOT’s forward-thinking approach to rebuilding interstates, and ULI MN is proud of the resulting report.

Healthy Communities Initiative Executive Summary
Healthy Communities Initiative Full Report
Healthy Communities Initiative Presentation
Appendix A: References in the Report
Appendix B: JLL – Influences and Economics of Urban Planning
Appendix C: Metropolitan Design Center – Lid Case Studies
Appendix D: Metropolitan Design Center – Health and Economic Value
Appendix E: Metropolitan Design Center – Lid Projects
Appendix F: Metropolitan Design Center – Prototypical Lid Diagrams

In 2015, Metro Transit’s TOD Office partnered with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs to explore the TOD development potential of publicly-owned parcels along several transitways. This collaboration resulted in the development of a new database tool to characterize and inventory such parcels in order to identify properties suitable for TOD. The TAP panel provided a critique of the database tool and recommend several ways for it to be more useful to the development community. The panel shared its thoughts at a public workshop designed to preview the new tool to the development community, other land use professionals and the public sector.

To read the memorandum, click here.

St. Anthony Village is a community of increasing prosperity with growing property values, a convenient location in the metro, and a school district that entices families to move even just a few blocks to get into it. After nearly twenty years of looking at the Gateway South District as a redevelopment target, the City believes the time is right to begin taking more deliberate actions to make that happen. To that end, how can St. Anthony Village best prepare and position Gateway South for redevelopment in today’s market?

The panelists looked at existing site uses, infrastructure configurations including streets and cycling paths, and considered how the Gateway South District integrates with the surrounding community both now and in the future. They considered what types of uses would be a good fit for redevelopment, what kinds of businesses might succeed here, and steps the City can take ahead of time to be ready when private sector project proposals are presented. There was broad agreement that it is an area with great potential, though it may take a number of years to see substantial change.

To read the full report, click here.

Ramsey County has invested over $15 million to make the Riverfront Property site “shovel ready” by removing the buildings and stabilizing the bluff. Given the substantial commitment by the County and the prominence of the location along the Mississippi River in downtown Saint Paul, how can the County and the City of Saint Paul maximize the redevelopment potential of the site while also establishing an active public realm to integrate with other public spaces in the vicinity?

TAP participants evaluated both a proposed solicitation for a master developer for the Ramsey County Riverfront Property as well as the viability of the mix of uses the County and the City of Saint Paul envision for the site. Desired uses include residential, hospitality, retail and office as well as significant public amenities, particularly through an integration with the 1.5-mile proposed pedestrian walkway known as the River Balcony.

To read the full report, click here.

How can the Crow Wing County HRA, in partnership with the City of Brainerd, Brainerd HRA and Crow Wing County get a residential subdivision (Brainerd Oaks) back on track that was conceptualized and invested in just prior to the Great Recession? That was the big-picture question that the Crow Wing County HRA and the City of Brainerd posed for an Urban Land Institute Minnesota Technical Advisory Panel in January 2016. Specifically, the TAP was asked to react to the current development plan for Brainerd Oaks and evaluate the impediments to future success.

During the half day workshop, the panel’s real-world expertise illuminated both the challenges and opportunities presented by Brainerd Oaks and, in doing so, developed concepts that may lead to the eventual success of the project.

To read the full report, click here.

Hennepin County through the Southwest LRT Community Works, the cities of Hopkins and St. Louis Park, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD), and the Southwest LRT Project Office, asked the panel to review and react to the conceptual development plans for the Blake station in Hopkins and Beltline station in St. Louis Park. The Blake station review includes evaluation of plans for three specific development areas. The Beltline station review includes evaluating the costs and benefits of partnering with the Metropolitan Council Southwest Project Office on a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) guided Joint Development (JD) which is a tool used to foster transit oriented development as well as generate a revenue stream to support transit operations.

A TAP was assembled that included an interdisciplinary team of experts from the commercial, industrial and housing real estate sectors as well as the placemaking, finance, and development fields. The TAP purpose was to evaluate data, site conditions and future redevelopment readiness and to provide local policy leaders with recommendations to guide not only future land uses for the site, but also future partnerships with developers.

To read the full report, click here.

A team of ULI MN members spent the day in the City of Duluth on November 3rd where over 30 public officials and staff members were engaged in a a 2-hour dialogue focused on Navigating Your Competitive Future – ULI MN’s public officials workshop to focus on the current challenges of development and redevelopment.

After the workshop concluded, six ULI MN real estate professional rolled up their sleeves and spent the afternoon reviewing an area near Spirit Mountain to comment on and provide recommendations for collaboration related to a proposed 55-acre mixed-use development referred to as Kayak Bay.  The proposal outlines initial plans for higher-density apartments and condos, single-family homes, a hotel and restaurants across from the new Duluth Spirit Mountain Chalet.

To read the full report, click here.

THE CITY SHOULD BE PREPARED TO CAPTURE NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND “SET THE STAGE” IN THE MIDST OF TRANSITION…..BUT ONLY WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT.

This was a key theme for the TAP panel on a summer day in July 2014 as the expert team plowed through the history, community aspirations, market shifts and infrastructure challenges of Signal Hills Shopping Center and surrounding parcels. The TAP began with an evening dinner and presentation by the City policy leaders and staff, followed by a tour of the site and City. The team then spent the next full day interviewing stakeholders and then rolling up their sleeves to brainstorm and develop concrete recommendations related to positioning the City to respond to renovation and redevelopment of the Signal Hills area.

To read the full report, click here.

The City of Shoreview chose to engage in the ULI Minnesota Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) to help evaluate land use options for Midland Terrace. The TAP assembles
an interdisciplinary panel of experts in the real estate, planning and development fields to explore the project, its potential for renovation and/or redevelopment and provide local
policy leaders with recommendations and site considerations to help the project move forward. The panel will approach the assignment from all perspectives, including market
potential, land use and design, financing and development strategies, and implementation. Panel members are ULI members and experts who volunteer their time
because of a commitment to the principles of redevelopment, planned growth, economic expansion, and local and regional capacity-building.

To read the full report, click here.

City of Shoreview Progress Report