Development in Minnesota (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Duluth: transplants, real estate, 2010)

[Isaysos]

Hey all,
I am curious what people think and want to pose this question. What do you think Minnesota will be like in 20 years? 50 Years? Do you think that suburban development around the Twin Cities, St. Cloud etc. will keep spreading or eventally stop and see more compact development? Where do you think the suburbs will end decades from now? Do you think that Minnesota's natural beauty will be enroched upon and destroyed by suburban sprawl? Maby you like sprawl and new freeways where there were once farms and forest, or you dont think its a bad thing. Any thoughts, concerns? See sprawl as progress or not?

(I won't respond on this thread (at least try not to), just curious what people think, so make fun of me all you want if you chose, Im just interested in your thoughts about the future)
Thanks

[Kingsnkali]

I go back to visit the Twin Cities after living there for many years up until the early 90's. Very sad to see the continuing sprawl. Highway 5 used to be a country road we would take to fish Lake Waconia. I just drove it this summer and I couldn't believe what has become of that beautiful, rolling countryside. Getting paved over and destroyed by the year. The sprawl won't stop unless outer limits are placed for urban development. Dakota/Scott counties are the same. Endless sprawl taking out productive farmland/woods/lakes. Glencoe, Faribault, Northfield and Cannon Falls will probably end up being outer ring suburbs of Minneapolis 15 years from now.

[GraniteStater]

The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area does have some serious sprawl problems. What I have noticed when looking through the data and personal observations while visiting is that the inner ring suburbs and more urban areas continue to lose population. Even the more established suburbs seem to be losing population or becoming stagnant. It is the exurban areas and the far suburban areas of the Twin Cities that seem to be growing extremely fast. The Twin Cities also ranks up in the top 10 nationally when it comes to sprawl, although Atlanta continues to hold the top place for large metro area sprawl. I hope that the metro area starts to get its sprawl problems under control with more effective urban planning, better zoning, preserving rural areas, and maybe setting some growth boundaries.

[Minnehahapolitan]

/\ True, but the inner loop isn't losing population. The met council estimates the Mpls. population at 400,000 now. We may sprawl as much as Atlanta, but our saving grace is a healthy inner city. I don't think Atlanta can say that as much.
I personally think sprawl will continue, but not at the pace seen in the last twenty years. The state won't have the money for roads, gas will get to be too much to drive SO far, city services will become too expensive as the far exurbs don't have the required density. (How do you justify building sewer lines to cheap houses on acre lots in Elko or, God forbid, Dundas) There will be rich sprawl and poor sprawl. The difference between 5 acre hobby farms and cheap split-level construction on relatively tight lots (mimicing the opening divide between rich and poor) The outer counties will no longer be lilly white. (This is already happening) Some inner suburbs will grow (Saint Louis Park, Hopkins, due to relative urbanity) or remain stagnant. (Edina because of its status). Others will lose because the blight will move out of Mpls. (Brooklyns, Richfield). Minneapolis will densify in more urban neighborhoods with yuppies, artists and immigrants. If the number of families grows in the city proper, it will be a surprise to me and it will be in the more expensive areas (Kenwood, Linden Hills). The riverfront on the northside will not be industrial. Suburban transportation nodes (a la EP Center) will fill with cheap apartments (city becomes expensive) with surprising density. (It will look REALLY funny). In relation to other parts of the nation, there will be more transplants (damn, sort of). California will really suck in thirty years. Hopefully someone will read this in 2037 and come and tell me if I was right, does City Data keep records? My two cents.

[kuan]

Because of the light rail there's gonna be a population explosion corridor between St. Cloud and MPLS.

[tvdxer]

Originally Posted by Isaysos

Hey all,
I am curious what people think and want to pose this question. What do you think Minnesota will be like in 20 years? 50 Years? Do you think that suburban development around the Twin Cities, St. Cloud etc. will keep spreading or eventally stop and see more compact development? Where do you think the suburbs will end decades from now? Do you think that Minnesota's natural beauty will be enroched upon and destroyed by suburban sprawl? Maby you like sprawl and new freeways where there were once farms and forest, or you dont think its a bad thing. Any thoughts, concerns? See sprawl as progress or not?

(I won't respond on this thread (at least try not to), just curious what people think, so make fun of me all you want if you chose, Im just interested in your thoughts about the future)
Thanks

I'm curious what will happen to Duluth!

I'm guessing Duluth will reach 90-100,000 by 2030 or so, and by that time Hermantown will have 25,000 and Esko will be an incorporated city with a similar population. True suburban development (subdivisions, office parks) will pick up in Midway Township, the area between Proctor and Esko (currently semi-rural with 5-50 acre lots dominating).

[derrick_debaere9009]

i am wonder which suburb will be the biggest in a few yrs or so since bloomington is losing population n also i am wonder how far the suburbs will reach out in like 10 yrs do u think it will get pretty close to hutch or what do u guys think?

[Isaysos]

I think that places like St. Michael, Chaska, and Waconia, will have large populations 10-20 years down the road, they will be like EP and Plymouth. I think that Hutch will grow faster in the years to come as the sprawl pushes more people in that direction. I also think that Minnesota is going to have an even more difficult time finding funding for all of the new roads and highways that will be needed to serve these places (as MnDot is now already in dire straits). So be prepared for more tax increases and even more traffic. St. Cloud and the Twin Cities should merge togeher into a big megalopolis of a mess in no time as the Northstar rail and coninued development along I-94 continue. Mankato and Rochester in probably another 35-50 years. All of Eastern and central Minnesota will be subdivisions, strip malls, and congested freeways. It will be great!

[MidniteBreeze]

Yuck. Makes me so glad I don't live down there in that mess. What I DON'T look forward to is the inevitable increase in the number of Twin Cities "vacation home" types who drive up our real estate prices and clutter our once pristine lakeshores with their McMansions but don't really spend any money here. Really, why build a $700,000 home that you use twice a year when you could stay at a nice resort and save yourself the trouble of upkeep, taxes, etc. Just doesn't make any sense to me. <Ok, rant over!>

tvdxer: I think you're probably right about Duluth. I don't see any major population explosion there anytime soon (too cold and unless something major happens with the economy, just not enough "livable" jobs to sustain people) but I can see some moderate growth and more development in Hermantown/Esko, etc.

[newcastle]

I just drove up from the cities midweek toward Duluth and could not believe the amount of traffic heading north. The traffic did not ease up until I reached Pine City! That's only 13 miles from Hinkley. I think if the rail is extended north to Duluth, as expected by 2010-11, Duluth may experience some moderate growth as a result of boomers buying weekend homes in Duluth and along the shore. Already the new Sheraton has 36 condos on the top 6 floors, only 15 are left. Many new townhomes have been built along the Lakewalk and housing prices have been unbelievable. I am happy to see the new development in the city, hopefully it will lower my taxes! If that so called train ever materializes maybe it will be fast enough to support some commuters as well which may appeal to some people.