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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1989/09/18 - ADMIN - Minutes - Economic Development Authority - RegularMINUTES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ST. LOUIS PARK, MINNESOTA September 18, 1989 1. Call to order The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by President Duffy. 2.' Roll call The fol lowing Thomas Duffy, at 6:05. commissioners Keith Mel and were present at and Lyle Hanks. roll call: Bruce Battaglia, Commissioner Tschida arrived Also present were the Executive Director, City Attorney and Director of Community Development. 3. Approval of minutes It was approve 4-0. moved by Commissioner Battaglia, seconded by Commissioner Hanks to the minutes of the September 5, 1989 meeting. The motion passed 1 ) o 4. Approval of agenda for September 18, 1989 It was moved by Commissioner Meland, seconded by Commissioner Battaglia, to approve the agenda for September 18, 1989. The motion passed 4-0. 5. Reports a. Status report re litigation with St. Louis Centre Partners It was the consensus of the Authority to address this item after the conclusion of item 7. 6. Unfinished business I O a. Request of Robert Larsen Partners that the Authority direct staff to begin process of acquiring Specified property from the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority It was moved by Commissioner Meland, seconded by Commissioner Hanks, that staff begin the process of acquiring this property from the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. He modified his motion to replace "acquiring" with "having it declared excess." Commissioner Battaglia asked why the Authority was getting involved in this. The Executive Di rector said that the Authority has directed that staff work to move the Robert Larsen project forward. In some aspects, the Authority cannot impact the forward movement of this project; however, this request was felt to be· reasonable. He said the Authority would be reimbursed its entire costs in the acquisition of the property should it be acquired. -]- Economic Development Authority minutes Sept. 18, 1989 - Pg. 2 Commissioner Battaglia asked if this item would be considered if it were not for the Larsen project - would this provide any benefit to the site. The Director of Community Development felt that at any time when this site was to be improved, staff would want to include this parcel as part of the redevelopment. He said that in a phone conversation that day with the Director of the Regional Railroad Authority they would be more receptive to a request from the EDA or City than would they from a private developer who wants to redevelop the property. Commissioner Tschida arrived. The motion passed 4-1 (Commissioner Battaglia opposed). 6b. Decisions re Request for Proposal for Hwy. 7 development district l. Development of concept site plan - The Executive Director commented that there may not be consensus among the Authority as to what exact area the proposed concept site plan would cover based on information received since the long-range planning session. Commissioner Hanks asked the Attorney that since the Robert Larsen proposal had been accepted, what position would the Authority be in should it go ahead with a concept plan on land already approved for development. The City Attorney responded the nature of what could be cal led a commitment needed to be explored. He said no contract has been signed with Robert Larsen Partners. The Executive Director agreed, recalling that the Authority, in essence, accepted Larsen's proposal in terms of concept and directed staff to work with them to bring it to reality. Commissioner Tschida did not feel having a concept plan developed necessarily precluded using the Larsen development. She felt it would be helpful to have· a concept plan so the configuration of the road could be seen, as well as where Kennel-Aire would go. She wanted to see a thematic integration between. all land uses: how do Cityscape, McGarvey Coffee, the area west of Wooddale and this land fit together. The Attorney wanted it made clear the Authority does not have a legal commitment to condemn the real estate and spend any particular amount of money with the developer. Commissioner Hanks asked if a concept plan for the whole area, Wooddale to Monitor, had to be done at this time or could the two sect i ans be done at different times. The Director of Community Development said that two concept plans could certainly be done on a staggered basis. Commissioner Hanks was very disappointed in the fact that everything with this project seems to have come to a standstill. However, he didn't see the sense in City· staff wasting money to develop a site plan at this point or until it is perfectly clear the Robert Larsen development is not going to occur. Economic Development Authority September 18, 1989 - Pg. 3 sass+oars Battaglia rel e ad adems position on he proposed development quite clear. However, he said he never intended a site plan to replace Larsen's development - it is an option. If the Larsen deal comes to pass, the Authority has made its sentiments known. If it doesn't, we have a fall-back position. It was his position that the RFP should be expanded as an option all the way to Monitor and include that area in a concept plan. But he would suggest holding off on including the area east of Wooddale. He'd like to see a site plan now for Wooddale to Monitor. 7 LMED President Duffy could see a situation in going out for an RFP where a developer will have a pl an for the entire site but does not own the property from the tracks to Monitor. Cammi ss i oner Hanks alluded to a recent newspaper article which there was a glut of office/warehouse in the Twin Cities and that what staff was proposing was the best use for this whole site. He if it was such a good idea to be going out for an RFP at this time. President Duffy agreed. He felt the market would determine what is best for the property. Mel and Commissioner/asked about the possibility of vacating Lake St. west of Monitor. stated that was exactly wondered 1 ) .J I <O The Director of Community Development said the need for a frontage road link between Louisiana and Wooddale had been pretty well established and he felt it was going to be necessary . Commissioner Tschida said not knowing the future plans for Hwy. 7/Louisiana Ave. was another example of some of the things to be taken into account before going ahead in a piecemeal manner. She was not suggesting any particular use of the area be it office/warehouse, retail or housing. She felt the Authority needed to have a plan that would show how the things that do go in between Wooddale and Monitor conform to the neighborhood around it. Kelly Dorn, Robert Larsen Partners, asked for a moment to speak. He said their concept plan had been unanimously approved by the Planning Commission and would be before the Authority on Oct. 2. Work on getting the appraisals of the various properties is almost complete. They are working with staff on parking modifications to the ordinance as we 11 as s i gnage modifications. He felt the developer was on target with where they need to be in order to de 1 i ver the commitments they have made not only to the City but to the prospective tenants. He was in tot a 1 agreement with comments that continuity of comprehensive design/planning from all directions -- traffic to esthetic -- is crucial. He was suggesting their development become a cornerstone for what would develop in this whole area letting market forces dictate what else is to be accommodated. He said his firm would be willing to make a proposa 1 for the deve 1 opment between Wooddal e and the Soo Line. He felt such a project could be built in phases. Commissioner Hanks asked Mr. Dorn is he had a problem with his site being included in a concept plan. Mr. Dorn responded he would have a prob 1 em with the Authority going out for a RFP on it. He did not have a problem working with staff to develop what he referred to as a design framework to see that there are some comprehen- sive aspects that tie his development to what's going to happen around it. Economic Development Authority Sept. 18, 1989 - Pg. 4 Commissioner Hanks asked how staff could proceed with a concept plan including the proposed development area knowing their plan is in place. The Director of Community Development responded that given the fact there is a layout of the site proposed already, staff would probably not be looking at layout of that site. Staff would be looking at more of a thematic integra- tion of their project with the area across the Soo Line tracks rather than dealing with the massing of the building and its relationship to the parking area and adjacent land uses. He said staff is taking the Larsen site plan as a given and would go from there and do the remaining site plan. Commissioner Hanks asked what if the Larsen project doesn't go. Staff has a thematic integration plan based in part on their site plan - what happens then. Commissioner Battaglia saidthe reason for seeking a site plan and expanding the area was a contingency which preludes using the Larsen development as an anchor. He didn't see using the Larsen development as a base. Additional development from Wooddale to the Soo Line would then be incumbent on the success of the Larsen development and that would tie too many things together. He felt a site plan for the entire area should start from gound zero. Mr. Dorn felt it might be prudent for the Authority to postpone this item until it has made a decision on whether the development is going forward or not. It was moved by Commissioner Hanks, seconded by Commissioner Tschida, to defer the item to November 6. When asked if he would have all his figures together, Mr. Dorn said all he was awaiting were the appraisals. Based on having those figures by mid-week of next week, he wi 11 be able to reanalyze the economics and come back before the Authority with a definitive game plan based on tax increment and condemnation issues. The motion passed 5-0. 2. Relationship of frontage road project to redevelopment project Commissioner Hanks asked if anyone had been in communication with the State in re to what extent they would participate from a financing point of view. The Executive Director said that back in July the State said it would not a 11 ow. any further degradation of the design to keep the Auto Technology building where it is. The approved State plan calls for the demolition of that building. Commissioner Hanks recalled a discussion that if the City took no action, State funding would be lost. The Executive Director said that by waiting to Nov. 6, State monies would not be jepordized It was moved by Commissioner Hanks, seconded by Commissioner Battaglia to defer 6b2 and 6b3 to Nov. 6. <5 I Economic Development Authority Sept. 18, 1989 - Pg. 5 ICIIOFIt, The motion passed 5-0. Commissioner Battaglia said that at the Nov. 6 meeting the Authority decides it is going ahead with RFP, the question of what the Authority can and can not do and the impacts of not proceeding should be addressed. 7. New business a. Verbal report: Wilkins Pontiac status report The Executive Director gave a brief update on the status of the Wilkins' lease. 8. Adjournment It was moved by Commissioner Meland, seconded by Commissioner Battaglia, to adjourn the meeting at 7:25 p.m. The motion passed unanimously. 1 ) j Executive Director I <J