Year in Review: Hopkins Development

The continuation of a building slump in many other communities didn’t stop several projects that are remaking the Hopkins landscape. True, the year brought with it new obstacles and challenges. But as 2011 draws to a close, residents can look forward to the imminent completion of plans that have long been on the drawing board.

Here's a look at the biggest Hopkins development stories of 2011:

• New restaurants open: The downtown got a whole lot more flavor this year. Just weeks after 2011 kicked off, restaurateur Alex Chen . has a variety of Japanese classics such as bento boxes and Hibachi meals but is perhaps best known for its sushi—notably its $12.75 unlimited sushi and salad bar. Then in March, Richard Eckert at the corner of 11th Avenue and Mainstreet. quickly became both a popular hangout and a place to grab classic American fare—such as its signature .
• Marketplace and Main starts to rise: As 2011 began, Marketplace and Main was mired in delays caused by . That was just the latest delay for a mixed-use development that companies have been trying to get off the ground since 2004. But the project started to pick up momentum after it secured a federal loan in the spring. and . New residents should start moving in July 2012.
• Blake Road sees a renaissance: 2011 was Blake Road’s year. If planners’ dreams for the historically troubled neighborhood come to fruition, residents may just point to this year as the point when everything turned around. The most visible change arrived in April when the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District . The extra green space improves water quality, adds space for residents to relax and enhances the image of the neighborhood—while making it harder to hide criminal activity. The watershed district will build on that success with . The district will restore about 1,000 feet of shoreline and then resell the industrial property to a developer who can turn it into a project that takes full advantage of the incoming Southwest Light Rail Transit line. Smaller projects further enhanced the area. and used another closed Oasis property to expand its parking lot in the wake of brisk business. Meanwhile, another abandoned gas station was the subject of controversy. Council members . The company warned that the site would remain abandoned. But as the year neared its end, much more in lie with the city’s vision.
• Southwest LRT travels a bumpy route: was more like a roller coaster than a light rail line than this year. Rail supporters were braced for the worst as the 2011 Legislature kicked off after the head of the House Transportation Policy and Finance Committee—Shakopee Rep. Michael Beard (R-District 35A)—said he wanted to stop the LRT "in its tracks." Rail leaders are still trying to convince legislators to contribute the $125 million the state must fully commit by 2014. Meanwhile, debate over a freight rail reroute in St. Louis Park added additional complications the process. But rail supporters got a big win Sept. 2 after the Federal Transit Administration notified the Met Council that it had . On Dec. 13, the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority .
• Shady Oak faces new difficulties: By all accounts, the Shady Oak expansion is a much-needed one. It’s been talked about for years. But cost-cutting measures on the latest expansion plan . The project originally had a wider road that would have required the county to purchase properties along the route outright—giving businesses money to move elsewhere in Hopkins. But under current plans, the county would only need to acquire part of the property. That would bring the road within a few feet of some Shady Oak businesses and remove essential parking—all without the money that would have helped property owners move. The latest proposal . In its place, a 6,500-square-feet office building would be built. The road isn’t the only worrisome part of a location that will be a key site for the incoming light rail line. A developer on the Minnetonka side of Shady Oak Road and Excelsior. The inclusion of a big-box retailer, a vague plan on housing types and uncertain parking specifications in the proposed “Ecostation” plan all suggest the project isn’t what Hopkins planners want.
• Eighth Avenue project on track for swift completion: Hopkins has been eyeing the former Park Nicollet site on Eighth Avenue since the clinic there closed in 2009. Planners between the downtown and the future light rail station on Excelsior. The city snapped up the property because of its potential for creating an enticing streetscape that could lure light rail riders onto Mainstreet. In April, to redevelop the site. The project threatened to become another drawn-out dream when Klodt had to search for more funding after Paul Klodt, the company’s president and one of two principal owners, suffered a stroke—forcing the family to set aside money once intended for the project to pay estate taxes. (Klodt has recovered but is no longer making business decisions.) Despite that setback, the company is moving along on schedule. Developers told the city in December that Klodt will partner with a real estate and property management company to share the financing load. Groundbreaking should take place by midsummer. 

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Be sure to check out the entire series, to be published on the following dates:

• Dec. 26: Hopkins Development
• Dec. 27: Hopkins Politics
• Dec. 28: Hopkins Sports
• Dec. 29: Hopkins Crime
• Dec. 30: Hopkins Schools
• Dec. 31: Editor’s Choice
• Jan. 1: Most-Read Stories