Where in the Twin Coties Could Use Redevelopment? (Bloomington, Eden Prairie: real estate, apartments)

[mr roboto]

I spent some time around the Eden Prairie mall this week for work (real estate) and the whole development encompassing Flying Cloud/Prairie Center Drive/Technology Drive is bustling. Most strip centers are fully occupied. Many corporate, retail and healthcare jobs nearby. Positioned nicely at the intersection of 4 major thoroughfares. Yet the sheer waste of space in the mall parking lots really made me think.

I'd bet, on average, all the surface lots that feed the mall are about 20% full. Especially on the south side (by Sears) it's like a huge concrete park. I'd like to see some residential density developed, maybe with underground parking, 1st floor retail/office and a couple floors of condos or apartments. Especially with SW transit very near on Technology.

There's a great building across from the mall that has Kona Grill, some first floor retail, then multiple floors of office space. There's 2 levels of parking (above ground and right underneath that below).

I've seen this in Edina (71 France) and at ridgedale as well.

What are some areas you've seen that could really be developed much smarter?

[Rhody2Mn]

- Times Square in Apple Valley along with the strip-mall directly across the street that contains a closed Rainbow store. Tons of surface parking and both locations are very outdated.

- Golden Valley Shopping Center at the intersection of Highway 55 and Winnetka Ave in Golden Valley. This is also a very dated strip mall with lots of surface parking.

- The businesses in Richfield on Penn Ave between the Crosstown and 66th Street. The area has the potential to be more walkable and the buildings themselves are very old and need to be renovated and/or to be redeveloped entirely.

[old fed]

Originally Posted by Rhody2Mn

- Times Square in Apple Valley along with the strip-mall directly across the street that contains a closed Rainbow store. Tons of surface parking and both locations are very outdated.

- Golden Valley Shopping Center at the intersection of Highway 55 and Winnetka Ave in Golden Valley. This is also a very dated strip mall with lots of surface parking.

- The businesses in Richfield on Penn Ave between the Crosstown and 66th Street. The area has the potential to be more walkable and the buildings themselves are very old and need to be renovated and/or to be redeveloped entirely.

looks like richfield has a plan although they started working on this in 2008.

http://www.cityofrichfield.org/home/showdocument?id=74

[Citykid3785]

Originally Posted by Rhody2Mn

- Times Square in Apple Valley along with the strip-mall directly across the street that contains a closed Rainbow store. Tons of surface parking and both locations are very outdated.

- Golden Valley Shopping Center at the intersection of Highway 55 and Winnetka Ave in Golden Valley. This is also a very dated strip mall with lots of surface parking.

- The businesses in Richfield on Penn Ave between the Crosstown and 66th Street. The area has the potential to be more walkable and the buildings themselves are very old and need to be renovated and/or to be redeveloped entirely.

I agree on times square in apple valley. I drove through there for the first time yesterday and noticed a lot of little gems, but the building itself isn't doing anyone favors. Hopefully the new Aldi by Burlington can help the other shopping center.

[Cruz Azul Guy]

Nicollet and 18th. There is a big empty lot on the northeast corner (up against 94) and a large unused parking lot that belongs to a hardware store on the northeast corner. Both spaces are just begging to be developed into mixed-use residential/commercial or park space.

[Stanton1433]

The Old Ammunition plant in Blaine. It would be nice if they built a lifestyle center with urban landscape residential area.

[Mplsite]

Dumb growth/suburban sprawl is always a huge waste of space. With respect to Eden Prairie, they *should* zone for dense development around the planned SWLRT stations. Hell, they should have already and it should have been conditional on even giving them light rail, but I wouldn't hold my breath expecting a suburb like that to build intelligently when they can have their cake and eat it too. Just look at the Blue Line stations near the MOA: over 10 years and no walkable urbanism has been built at all and very likely I'm guessing no change in Bloomington zoning laws to allow it. I see no reason to expect EP is going to be any different.

Now for the cities I'd like to see North get more momentum going by getting some walkable businesses in the northern most part which has been stable, but lacks anything to draw nonresidents there. Basically, turn neighborhoods like Shingle Creek into Standish-Ericsson: mostly quiet and residential, but somewhat walkable. I also very much agree with 18th and Nicollet; that location begs to be developed, but I'm guessing that there has to be a pretty big obstacle to have kept that from happening even now.

[TheGrandViking]

Originally Posted by mr roboto

I spent some time around the Eden Prairie mall this week for work (real estate) and the whole development encompassing Flying Cloud/Prairie Center Drive/Technology Drive is bustling. Most strip centers are fully occupied. Many corporate, retail and healthcare jobs nearby. Positioned nicely at the intersection of 4 major thoroughfares. Yet the sheer waste of space in the mall parking lots really made me think.

I'd bet, on average, all the surface lots that feed the mall are about 20% full. Especially on the south side (by Sears) it's like a huge concrete park. I'd like to see some residential density developed, maybe with underground parking, 1st floor retail/office and a couple floors of condos or apartments. Especially with SW transit very near on Technology.

There's a great building across from the mall that has Kona Grill, some first floor retail, then multiple floors of office space. There's 2 levels of parking (above ground and right underneath that below).

I've seen this in Edina (71 France) and at ridgedale as well.

What are some areas you've seen that could really be developed much smarter?

You are correct that there seams to be vast amount of parking space at the mall. If you go there on a weekday it will be lightly used and seem like a gigantic waste. However, that space is needed for the holiday rush where, for many stores, they do 60-90% of their business. On weekends during the school year and closer to the Christmas, you might have to engage in shark behavior (circle around the lot waiting to pounce on that open spot or stalk an outgoing shopper). When I first moved year over 10 years ago, I was surprised how busy the EP mall was but I think there has been a reduction in foot traffic in recent years (I have no stats to back this up but simple observation).

Sears was just purchased by the EP mall for 16 million (they upped their offer from 8 million). Sears was one of the anchor stores for the mall and actually owned the building and parking spot. So, it will be curious to see what they do with that location. I wouldn't be shocked to see a resident or office space or both go up in that space.

I am less enthusiastic with the idea of more rental properties going up. Currently, EP has 25% of its population in rentals. In my book, that is where I'd like it to stay. I view renters as more transient than home owners. Do you really want a voting population that can enforce its will via the vote and can easily avoid the consequences of its vote by moving to another city much easier than a home owner? I think EP needs to be thoughtful in regards to rental properties and create more places like Eden Gardens.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by TheGrandViking

You are correct that there seams to be vast amount of parking space at the mall. If you go there on a weekday it will be lightly used and seem like a gigantic waste. However, that space is needed for the holiday rush where, for many stores, they do 60-90% of their business. On weekends during the school year and closer to the Christmas, you might have to engage in shark behavior (circle around the lot waiting to pounce on that open spot or stalk an outgoing shopper). When I first moved year over 10 years ago, I was surprised how busy the EP mall was but I think there has been a reduction in foot traffic in recent years (I have no stats to back this up but simple observation).

Sears was just purchased by the EP mall for 16 million (they upped their offer from 8 million). Sears was one of the anchor stores for the mall and actually owned the building and parking spot. So, it will be curious to see what they do with that location. I wouldn't be shocked to see a resident or office space or both go up in that space.

I am less enthusiastic with the idea of more rental properties going up. Currently, EP has 25% of its population in rentals. In my book, that is where I'd like it to stay. I view renters as more transient than home owners. Do you really want a voting population that can enforce its will via the vote and can easily avoid the consequences of its vote by moving to another city much easier than a home owner? I think EP needs to be thoughtful in regards to rental properties and create more places like Eden Gardens.

Thanks for the thoughtful and informative reply. Good point re:rental %. I think EP actually has a very good mix of rental, owner occupied, and different ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, especially for an upper-middle class burb.

[mr roboto]

Originally Posted by Mplsite

Dumb growth/suburban sprawl is always a huge waste of space. With respect to Eden Prairie, they *should* zone for dense development around the planned SWLRT stations. Hell, they should have already and it should have been conditional on even giving them light rail, but I wouldn't hold my breath expecting a suburb like that to build intelligently when they can have their cake and eat it too. Just look at the Blue Line stations near the MOA: over 10 years and no walkable urbanism has been built at all and very likely I'm guessing no change in Bloomington zoning laws to allow it. I see no reason to expect EP is going to be any different.

Now for the cities I'd like to see North get more momentum going by getting some walkable businesses in the northern most part which has been stable, but lacks anything to draw nonresidents there. Basically, turn neighborhoods like Shingle Creek into Standish-Ericsson: mostly quiet and residential, but somewhat walkable. I also very much agree with 18th and Nicollet; that location begs to be developed, but I'm guessing that there has to be a pretty big obstacle to have kept that from happening even now.

Well EP can't really sprawl anymore (not really any more land) so I'm not sure if your rant is a bit outdated. Also, re:SWLRT based development, good thing the developers didn't start a couple years ago! They've already killed 2 stops in EP (Mitchel and the mall).

And there are multi-story apartments on Mitchel and 212, on Shady Oak, on Prairie Center Dr and Singletree (next to Brunswick and Jakes) and south of the mall. I'd venture there will be a couple built in/around the mall retail area in the next 10 years.