Target Campus - Brooklyn Park

[lordmoke]

While I know this development isn't something many (if any) of us are thrilled about, I guess its progress is worth keeping track of. I saw my dad yesterday, who lives fairly close to the site, and he said that utility relocation and preparation work appears to be well underway for the expansion. Given that, I'd imagine that actual construction will probably start fairly soon.

[min-chi-cbus]

And see I was thinking it was already under construction and well above ground by now!

[lordmoke]

Some old articles on this, but worth a look nonetheless,
This has a rendering of one of the two buildings. It makes me laugh a little that the architect went to extra trouble to make the building look smaller:
http://post.mnsun.com/2012/05/brooklyn- ... velopment/

Site Plans:
http://www.brooklynpark.org/sitepages/pid1986.php

Also, Brooklyn Park is on drugs:
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/ ... ml?refer=y

[David Greene]

Also, Brooklyn Park is on drugs:
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/ ... ml?refer=y

How so? We're likely going to build an LRT out there, so shouldn't there be more development there?

[lordmoke]

Also, Brooklyn Park is on drugs:
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/ ... ml?refer=y

How so? We're likely going to build an LRT out there, so shouldn't there be more development there?

I was mostly referring to the "Third Downtown" rhetoric. Development sure, but that's not gonna happen.

[min-chi-cbus]

With Hwy 610 finally connecting to I-94 and actually creating SHORTER trips for people (as opposed to the out-of-the-way character the highway has now) there will be more demand. But the addition and even the approval of the Bottineau Corridor will absolutely give this area a serious booster shot to the arm in terms of development potential. I mean, how many other 1500+ acre build-to-suit districts are there in the Twin Cities that have a.) freeway access, b.) downtown Mpls access, and c.) rail transit access -- and is within 10 miles of the city? None. MAYBE Arden Hills, but even they have ridiculous pie-in-the-sky aspirations not too far off from what Brooklyn Park is envisioning, and it's notably further from either downtown. The only knock against this area that I can see is its proximity to the airport is not as ideal as the South Metro. But having the rail connection via Bottineau should make up for a lot of that.

I personally think this strip COULD be the North End of the metro's version of I-494 in Bloomington. And with lots of luck and help, there could even be a Normandale type sub-district of Class A office space. But even something like what you'll find in Schaumburg, IL or Wheaton/Naperville, IL wouldn't be completely ridiculous for this area IMO -- and that would certainly be a boon to the city!

[lorwest]

Status as of March 31st.

TargetNorthernCampus.jpg

[kregger22]

I just built up there about 15 months ago, and it is amazing to me that Target decided to put such infrastructure there. For the most part, there is no retail or restaurants in the immediate area.

[nordeast homer]

The original plan for this campus was to be a part of a larger develoment that included housing and retail, kind of a "Target City".
Don't worry, with this many people coming into this area, the retail and restaurants will come...

[mattaudio]

Not so sure about that. I know multiple people who are refusing job offers with Target due to the location. And three people who are currently searching for other employment as a result of the move.

[Cyclotron]

With that annectodal evidence, I'm calling my broker tout de suite and shorting Target stock.

[RailBaronYarr]

^Might not be a bad idea, pretty good trend of companies building new HQs and then performing subpar..

[seanrichardryan]

I have a friend that got a job at Target hoping to be transferred to Brooklyn Park, since the commute would be easier. It goes both ways.

[MNdible]

I have a friend that got a job at Target hoping to be transferred to Brooklyn Park, since the commute would be easier. It goes both ways.

I find it's easier when you ignore anecdotal evidence that does not correspond with your worldview.

[min-chi-cbus]

Not so sure about that. I know multiple people who are refusing job offers with Target due to the location. And three people who are currently searching for other employment as a result of the move.

....and in their place will be 3 or 4 HUNDRED people who are not nearly as picky and will take any chance they can get to work for one of the better/most notorious employers in the state! I'm sorry, but as much as I agree that your anecdotes are probably the status quo, I do NOT think that is going to keep Target from successfully employing the people it needs to fill all of this space....and then some!

And yes, I agree that where there are thousands and thousands of employees, there are also going to be retail and other ancillary developments to follow.

[Mdcastle]

I don't think most people can be fussy about where they want a job now days. As much as I hate going downtown I'd work there if that was were my job was. I'd even drive to Brooklyn Park from my house in east Bloomington I had to.

I work for a huge company that has a very suburban campus with nothing in walking distance but a bar in Eagan, and we get about 10 applicants for every job opening so I don't think our location is hurting us.

[ECtransplant]

Is that a lot for your industry? My office downtown has been averaging at least 50 per opening the past few years

[QuietBlue]

I worked at Target (downtown) when this was announced, and the attitudes of people impacted by it were, as you might expect, largely dependent on where they lived. If their commute would shorter, they were for it, and if not, they didn't like it.

I always liked working downtown, and it is a selling point for a lot of their employees, to be sure. That said, I also knew a number of people who either couldn't care less about working downtown or who actively didn't want to. There did seem to be a loose correlation between that and age (which you would expect), but also which part of the company they worked in too.

[MNdible]

I think the issue with the BP Target Campus is not that it's in the suburbs, it's OH MY GOD IS THIS WAY OUT IN THE SUBURBS. We're not talking about Edina or Bloomington -- you're driving by farm fields to get out there. Or at least that's how it feels to me. Maybe I'm just not very familiar with the NW suburbs.

[mattaudio]

Indeed. And I think the center of gravity for jobs in the metro is somewhere between DT Mpls, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, and Minnetonka. Car dependent yes, but corn fields not quite.

My experience has been anecdotal, and I'm not trying to project it on the whole population. But, especially in technology, people have choices and they are finally starting to learn how expensive a long daily commute is.