Met Council Awards Hopkins $1.6M for Blake Road Area

The Metropolitan Council has awarded Hopkins $1.6 million to for improvements near the area around Cottageville Park and the future Blake Road Station, the Met Council announced Thursday.

The money will help create a pedestrian walkway that connects Cottageville Park to the planned Oxford Green project—a 51-unit affordable housing building at Oxford Street and Blake Road by Project for Pride in Living. There will be stormwater management features, such as pervious landscaping and rain garden, that will demonstrate the potential to integrate public and private improvements into a broader design strategy.

The money is part of $3.9 million in transit-oriented development (TOD) grants aimed at promoting economic development, housing and jobs along transit corridors.

“TOD is a key Council priority,” a news release quoted Council Chairwoman Susan Haigh. “As we expand the region’s transit system, we have to ensure that transit supports nearby land use, and nearby land use supports major transit investments. Transit and development must go hand-in-glove to ensure the success of both.”

The council also announced an additional $1.5 million in affordable housing grants. Hopkins did not receive any of that money.