In Hopkins, Small Tweaks to Southwest LRT Plans

Southwest Light Rail planners caused some sticker shock last week when they presented estimates that revised forecasted costs from the initial $1.25 billion to as much as $1.82 billion. But at least when it came to Hopkins issues, there weren’t too many surprises.

Parking has been among the City of Hopkins’ biggest concerns about the project—and the latest plans don’t alleviate those worries. Plans call for the Blake Station to have 445 spaces and for the Shady Oak Station to have 500 spaces.

“We’ve been hearing those numbers for a while now,” said Kersten Elverum, the city’s director of Economic development and planning.

Still, that’s an increase from the 800 parking spots the Metropolitan Council penciled in back in April.

The good news is that light rail planners are now aiming for a Blake Station park and ride structure built jointly with a private developer to make the most of the site’s development potential.

Local officials also appear to have got their wish for the Blake Station park and ride location. The structure is now planned south of the light rail line, where it is more visible and less disruptive to traffic circulation than the initial proposed location of 43 Hoops.

The Downtown Station is also developing along Hopkins’ plans. The plan presented last week preserves space for a civic plaza that Hopkins officials hope will entice light rail riders into the downtown.

The downside is the project budget doesn’t actually include money for building out the plaza, so Hopkins will have to find creative ways to do that.

The presentation did give residents a good look at how light rail will cross Bass Lake Spur tracks and wetlands west of the landfill. Designers plan an “efficient and simple” bridge that is $13 million cheaper than expected.

An artist’s rendering shows the bridge rising above building height. The large parcels bordering most of the bridge offer some buffering, but Elverum said she has heard concerns from Greenfield Apartments.