St. Louis Park - General Topics

[twincitizen]

A thread for St. Louis Park development news, general discussion, planning ideas/fantasies, and minor projects not worthy of a separate thread.
There are dedicated threads for:
West End area
Excelsior & Grand area


I'll start with this: Wayzata & Texas development.
http://stlouispark.patch.com/articles/v ... nd-wayzata


"The parcels are owned by MnDOT and have been identified as "excess property" after a highway project. MnDOT is willing to sell the land to the city for development. Currently, the area is zoned residential, and at a Monday night City Council meeting, members said they'd probably like to keep it that way. So, expect some type of housing to go up."

What do we think about this? Could either site support mixed-use? There appear to be some older low-scale office buildings between the parcels that could be acquired as part of a bigger project.

None of this strikes me as super desireable for residential, due to the highway noise. However, It would be close to a bunch of jobs and on the 675 express bus. There's a pedestrian bridge over 394 in the immediate area too. A mixed affordable/market rate apartment project perhaps?

[nordeast homer]

I could see these sights developed into some smaller office condo developments. They're not terribly large sites, but if you included some of the older office buildings or housing around them I could maybe see an apartment development. I used to live in an apartment complex on the other side of Louisiana from there; it's a great area, close to everything.

[mulad]

Yeah, the red parcel is about 1/4 mile from the Louisiana Transit Center (just east of this image), so TOD-style development should definitely be considered. I think a freeway BRT system similar to the Red/Orange lines will eventually happen on I-394 too, and this is one of the most logical areas for a station. I'd also hope that a substantial building here would be welcomed by neighbors, since it would act as a noise wall along the highway.

It'd be tough to get by in that area without a car, and figuring out parking on that site seems problematic to me -- you can barely fit more than one aisle on there -- maybe a second with a single-sided extra aisle with parallel parking. There is a Rainbow just over a mile away (at the West End shopping center) that should be accessible by the #9 bus from Louisiana Ave, but a lot of the businesses on the north side of the interstate accessible via that pedestrian walkway are just car dealerships and repair shops. (Even so, if I was a really nice developer, I'd either ask Mn/DOT to install stairs on that bridge or offer to pay for them myself. Ped bridges really shouldn't be ramp-only...)

It would be a tolerable location for cyclists -- not too far from General Mills, and it's a little over a mile away from the North Cedar Lake Trail.

[mamundsen]

Lifetime Fitness in St Louis Park is building a 4 level parking ramp this spring.

"The ramp will take up some space on the business’s existing parking lot. When complete, the number of parking spaces will expand from 619 spaces to 842 spaces. Landscaping will also be brought up to city code through a hedge, tree replacement and the addition of trees in parking lot islands."

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2013/01/st-loui ... s-forward/

Thoughts?

[mattaudio]

Mr. Morrison presented the staff report and CUP application to export approximately
5,900 cubic yards of material from the Life Time Fitness facility. He explained that Life
Time Fitness is proposing to build a four level parking ramp and advised there are
currently 619 parking spaces on the site and the parking ramp will increase the number of
available parking spaces to 842. He stated that during construction a large portion of the
site will be fenced off resulting in temporary relocation of the main entrance
approximately 200 feet to the east of the existing access and this entrance will be a right
in/right out only. He noted there is a secondary customer access with full movements on
the southern end of the site. He reviewed the proposed haul route that will use Park Place
Boulevard, Parkdale Drive, and Cedar Lake Road. He also reviewed the conditions for
approval of the CUP including compliance with all noise ordinances. He then introduced
Mr. Jeff Melby, Vice President of Development for Life Time Fitness.
Mr. Jeff Melby appeared before the City Council and stated they are agreeable with the
conditions contained in the Conditional Use Permit. He added they believe the addition
of this parking ramp will solve the long term parking issues at this site.
Councilmember Ross expressed concern about pedestrians in this high traffic area and
asked if Life Time Fitness will have shuttle service available from the overflow parking
lot across the street during construction of the parking ramp.
Mr. Melby replied there would be shuttle service available from the overflow parking lot.
Councilmember Ross asked if there would be an elevator or skyway from the parking
ramp into the building.
Mr. Melby stated the parking ramp will have an elevator but there will not be a skyway
connecting to the building entrance. He explained that all Life Time Fitness buildings
have a single point of entrance and the distance from the new parking garage to the front
door will be closer than many of the existing parking spaces. He added they plan to
begin construction in April or May and construction will last 10-12 weeks.
Councilmember Ross stated she has received some phone calls from residents expressing
concern about the beeping noise from trucks backing up at Home Depot and Costco and
stated she was not supportive of allowing construction until 10:00 p.m. due to the
potential for similar noise from trucks on the Life Time site. She requested that no
construction activity be permitted after 8:00 p.m. during the week.
Mr. Melby advised that heavy construction will not occur after 8:00 p.m. and agreed to an
amendment of this condition in the Conditional Use Permit.
Councilmember Mavity requested information regarding Life Time’s growth projections
for this site and asked if the parking ramp will provide sufficient parking based on those
growth projections.
Mr. Melby stated when the parking ramp is done, this site will have 110 more spaces than
any other Life Time Fitness facility in the nation. He felt that the site will have adequate
parking and they do not anticipate more membership growth at this facility.
It was moved by Councilmember Ross, seconded by Councilmember Mavity, to Adopt
Resolution No. 13-007 granting Conditional Use Permit Under Section 36-79 of the St.
Louis Park Ordinance Code Relating to Zoning to Permit the Excavation of 5,900 Cubic
Yards of Material Located at 5525 Cedar Lake Road, as amended with the requirement
that heavy construction equipment shall not be used after 8:00 pm.
The motion passed 7-0.

Trying to find a photo.

[mattaudio]

I think a legitimate bike/ped connection between Vernon Ave and Park Place, as well as ped/bike connections on Cedar Lake under Hwy 100 would help people get to the West End area without driving. That and a LRT spur along the BNSF Wayzata Sub to West End

[MNdible]

That and a LRT spur along the BNSF Wayzata Sub to West End

At least you're consistent. And persistent.

[mamundsen]

I think a legitimate bike/ped connection between Vernon Ave and Park Place, as well as ped/bike connections on Cedar Lake under Hwy 100 would help people get to the West End area without driving. That and a LRT spur along the BNSF Wayzata Sub to West End

I still can't get over the fact that the Cedar Lake Regional Trail does not have a good legitimate connection here. According to the trail maps, you should exit on 32nd St, go up and over the rail on what is essentially a freeway on/off ramp, then come back around on Cedar Lake Rd. I "illegally" cut across the tracks about 50 ft east of 32nd.

The next option is to continue east until the ped/bike bridge near the Jewish school.

[Ubermoose]

I stopped in to see the new tap room last night. It's a nice little space to enjoy a very nice line up of beers. It was packed at 8:30. I would suggest some Wee Heavy ale before it disappears for the season.
I was talking with one of the guys and he said that this was never in their business plan when they started in 2011. Mainly because it wasn't legal at the time. The tap room actually sits where their office was originally situated.

[Chauncey87]

I have been hearing for over a year now that they are going to "gut" this mall and turn it into a sort of strip mall. This seems like an ambitious idea. I ran into the former mall manager the other day and asked him if apts or condos are going to be added above the shops. He said "After running the numbers it just wouldn't work out." However he isn't really running the mall anymore. Maybe we could see a mash up of the West End and Excelsior and Grand? Have any of you heard any other news about this mall?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knollwood_Mall

[bapster2006]

I live right by Knollwood and can walk to it. I have never seen a plan in my local literature that discusses any development. I can tell you that it is busy all day long and definitely not hurting. Between the Cub, Kohls, DSW, and all the rest, the parking lots are always full. Funny that when I bike to Cub (along with a handful of other people) my total trip time is actually less than driving because I'm not fighting the people who don't know how to park.

[Wedgeguy]

Your literature would have to be found in the early 90's and the late 80's.Somewhat of an effort yo make it more like a strip mall again was when they turn what was Ward's into the Cub store. I think they added some square footage so hat what is now DSW and whatever the store before that was, was made deeper but facing out to the parking lot.

[mnmike]

The last time it had some reconfiguration...must have been the late 90's early 2000's I think...they were in line to get a 15 screen stadium seating(when that was a big new thing) movie theater...but that fell apart. Ever since then, the whole back side of the mall(where the theater was supposed to go) has just sat vacant. I remember when this mall had a theater and was actually full of stores back in the day!

[fehler]

I stopped caring about Knollwood Mall when Ward's closed, and they turned the space into a Cub by closing off the connection to the inside of the mall. '98 or so.

[nordeast homer]

There have been a lot of times where I was surprised the mall stayed open. For many years you could launch a bowling ball and roll it from one end to the other and not hit anyone. I used to consider this Northtown lite.

[lordmoke]

Scroll down a touch and read "Sultan's Commentary" for a good history of the mall. It's been a strange one:
http://deadmalls.com/malls/knollwood_mall.html

[Chauncey87]

The mall is still very busy. Off the top of my head it has inside the mall part Kohls, Panara Bread Co., a furniture store?, Foss swim school, GNC, some sort of moble shop, TJ Maxx, and Applebees. I even might have missed a couple. It is in a high traffic area. I just hope when ever they do figure out what to do they choose to add some type of housing.
Side note I think the movie theater is still there with pretty much the whole thing still intact. They just boarded it up. Short term I think it would be cool if they just took down the boards and cleaned it up maybe start to show action movies from the 80s

It helps I also live close enough that I bike to it often. $5 bugers/wings and pitchers at Applebees every Monday I am sold.

[bapster2006]

So a happy hour at Applebee's on a Monday soon? I will walk over!

Knollwood is a very busy place, but I agree that the inside is dated, perfect for the next Brady Bunch movie.

[Ubermoose]

Count me in. I'm close enough to bike over.

[Chauncey87]

I am sold on the idea! Count me in as well.

bapster 2006
I agree the mall feels dated. Those mirrored columns really make the place seem much older. like when they tried to renovate they ran out of cash before they could do anything with them. Off the top of my head I can not even think of the last mall I was in that still had that style of column.