urbanMSP

Wausau paper closed its plant in Brainerd, attached to it was an old hydro dam. The city of Brainerd is putting in a bid to turn it into a city-run dam.

http://www.startribune.com/local/253056221.html

Mod: trim thread to Brainerd.

South 6th Street in Brainerd is the old Hwy 371 which ran near downtown, then crossed the Mississippi River on Hwy 210 before turning north at Baxter. In the 1990s, the 371 bypass was completed which carries the regional route on an expressway far west of town. Yet MnDOT still maintains the old route as 371B (labeled Business 371).

South 6th is an undivided 5 lane stroad with no on-street parking and sidewalks right on the curb. Think worse design than South Robert Street, with half the traffic. It has roughly 10-11k AADT. MnDOT is planning to reconstruct it, but Brainerd wants to keep the five lanes, with the outer lanes at least 14' wide.

Oh, Brainerd.

Just got a call from one of Brainerd's city council members about this project.

What'd they say or ask??

One of the largest development projects in years is before the city of Baxter in the form of a sketch plan.
http://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/bu ... ans-baxter
"Baxter Mainstreet LLC" "Mixed Use"
Read to where the Baxter council weighs in on this.
Somehow this is mixed use...

Brainerd has selected 3 lanes for 6th St south of Quince, and 5 lanes north of Quince.
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/d3/brd/

Even I admit a 5 lane section is not needed and a dumb idea here.

I keep hearing MnDOT is likely going to push back against the 5 lane segment. This 2017 Phase II approach makes me believe they may still try to change things before the section north of Quince is built.

http://www.brainerddispatch.com/news/43 ... talization
An idea to revitalize Brainerd focuses on building up downtown Brainerd and surrounding area by adding mixed-use development, trails and renovating existing buildings.

City pushing for riverfront revitalization.

http://www.startribune.com/brainerd-pus ... 475053123/