urbanMSP

Kowalski's has agreed to sign a lease in Rosedale's new expansion for 30,000 sq ft:
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... eakingnews

This is going to be interesting as Target, Kowalski's and Byerly's would all be located within a 1 mile stretch along Snelling Ave. I'm curious what impact those grocers will have on each other.

Kowalski's has agreed to sign a lease in Rosedale's new expansion for 30,000 sq ft:
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... eakingnews

This is going to be interesting as Target, Kowalski's and Byerly's would all be located within a 1 mile stretch along Snelling Ave. I'm curious what impact those grocers will have on each other.

Don't forget there's a Cub across the street from Target as well and Walmart less than a mile away too.

I think the biggest challenge Kowalski's will face at this site is accessibility. Back when there was a Rainbow in the current Best Buy space at Crossroads Center, it just didn't seem worth waiting in traffic and battling Best Buy and Kohl's shoppers to get to a grocery store when there were several other options nearby. Getting to the "back side" of Rosedale either from B2 or Fairview doesn't sound particularly appealing either during peak times. If I need to grab groceries while in that part of town, I would likely be sticking with Byerly's.

I think the biggest challenge Kowalski's will face at this site is accessibility. Back when there was a Rainbow in the current Best Buy space at Crossroads Center, it just didn't seem worth waiting in traffic and battling Best Buy and Kohl's shoppers to get to a grocery store when there were several other options nearby. Getting to the "back side" of Rosedale either from B2 or Fairview doesn't sound particularly appealing either during peak times. If I need to grab groceries while in that part of town, I would likely be sticking with Byerly's.

With 560 residential units right there, it has to be helpful for the inverse. Those residents won't want to leave.

I’m not convinced the over-55 market is over supplied.

My sense that maybe the biggest reason the senior housing apartments are the least likely apartments to be objected to is that the people with the time to make noises at city council or commission meetings are the sort who are most keenly aware of the shortage of senior housing near the neighborhoods they live.

In other words, empathy or lack thereof, towards the people who have other housing needs than themselves.

Bingo! Location, location, location. It’s not just the infrastructure that’s aging in first ring suburbs: it’s the residents, too. Huge demand for 55+ housing, and this is an affordability issue for them, too.

I agree about the (lack of) empathy, too.

The other thing is that the 55+ demographic is perceived as less likely to commit crimes or cause a lot of traffic or parking issues.

The other thing is that the 55+ demographic is perceived as less likely to commit crimes or cause a lot of traffic or parking issues.

Maybe that’s the perception, but from my experience it’s the 55+ demographic that is least likely to give up their cars (or at least make the biggest issue of not having cars). So I’d say they’re a big contributor to traffic & parking issues.

At least in my neighborhood, the 55+ buildings are the ones that generate most of the police calls too, due to medical issues.

I wonder if this project is still on schedule, given the impact this pandemic has had on retail recently?

Update on Rosedale development plans: https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... l4Ch2m0TMI

The demolition of Herbergers is nearly complete.

Additional parking lots around Rosedale are being filled with Shake Shack and a relocated Panera.

https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-li ... s-location

Both restaurants want to have drive thru lanes. IMO, Not ideal for the walkable community master plan. As I've visited Rosedale the last few months, I feel it would have been nice to see the interior portion built out first, then if they needed to add drive thru lanes make that decision. Compared to a few years ago, we will have 5 new drive thru lanes for Portillos, Canes, Caribou, Shake Shack, and Panera. WOW!

Direct link to the Jan 5 Roseville planning commission item (CUP for drive through lanes), which includes the master plan on the last page: http://www.cityofroseville.com/AgendaCe ... leID=53763

Does anyone else think there are tentative future plans for the NW corner between JCP and Portillos? that is a GIANT parking lot and the only part of the plan that is faded striping.

Right now the big trend in fast-casual is to join fast-food with having small freestanding pad sites oriented to drive thru and take-out, rather than being part of an attached block of retail like a strip mall, lifestyle center, or whatever you call what's being proposed to replace Herzberger's. They resisted it for some time due to not wanting to look like a fast food, and concerns that their food costs more and takes longer than a Big Mac. But they've found people like it and will still buy it even with the additional time and cost, it's a lot safer in this pandemic and a potential next one, and they can make it work operationally.

I don't see putting a pair of drive-thrus in a plot of land wedged between the back side of the movie theaters, the ring road, and a highway interchange on the other end of the mall from the cute redevelopment is that much different than the likely alternative, Panera and Shake Shack finding freestanding sites across Fairview or B2 where they can have their drive-thru and that strip of land stays an empty parking lot.

from city council this week. lots of stuff in the link

staff is proposing three projects totaling $60 million to be funded by a local sales tax:

1) City Maintenance Facility at a cost of $37 million
2) City License and Passport Center at a cost of $7 million
3) Pedestrian Bridge over Hwy. 36 west of Snelling Ave. at a cost of $16 million

http://www.cityofroseville.com/AgendaCe ... leID=54230

The pedestrian bridge is very much needed, and at least they put it in roughly the same spot where I'd envision one, BUT...

Shouldn't MnDOT really be looking at downgrading 36/Snelling from a full cloverleaf? Obviously 36 will remain a full freeway, but Snelling should really be looked at for un-freewaying that section. Even a relatively pedestrian-hostile SPUI interchange would be better than a cloverleaf, and it would, in theory, open up some current ROW for development.

I think MNDOT has ultimately targeted 51 north of 36 to eventually (unnecessarily) be a full freeway. Maybe south of 36 is different, but a full movement interchange is probably part of their long-term plan at that intersection.

Glad they are building that ped bridge but the aerial view in that document really highlights how cursed that whole area is

from city council this week. lots of stuff in the link

staff is proposing three projects totaling $60 million to be funded by a local sales tax:

1) City Maintenance Facility at a cost of $37 million
2) City License and Passport Center at a cost of $7 million
3) Pedestrian Bridge over Hwy. 36 west of Snelling Ave. at a cost of $16 million

http://www.cityofroseville.com/AgendaCe ... leID=54230

As part of #2, They are moving the VFW across the street and eliminating Veteran’s Park? Does the city own that strip mall and the VFW building?

As a pedestrian I'd much rather walk over a pedestrian bridge next to the cloverleaf than across as SPUI. And removing the cloverleaf probably wouldn't free up much land for redevelopment due to the need to dig out storm water ponds.

I think MNDOT has ultimately targeted 51 north of 36 to eventually (unnecessarily) be a full freeway. Maybe south of 36 is different, but a full movement interchange is probably part of their long-term plan at that intersection.

They are going to install cable median barrier between County Road C and 1-694 in 2022 and there have been preliminary discussions about constructing a bridge at Snelling and County Road C. The plans I saw has Snelling going over County Road C but they are very early in the planning stages.