Thursday, March 29, 2012
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Planner James Wisker urged Hopkins to include the district Cold Storage site planning.
Minnehaha Creek Watershed District officials say they don’t want Hopkins to consider them just another developer as the two groups work to develop the Cold Storage site on Blake Road. “We’re not developers, and we don’t want to be treated like developers,” watershed district Planner James Wisker said at a meeting Tuesday with members of the City Council, Zoning and Planning Commission, Park Board, watershed district and city staff. A typical project brought forward by a private owner would require approval from both Hopkins and the watershed district—each with its own regulatory authority over the project. In those cases, crosstalk between the bodies isn’t always common. But with the Cold Storage site, the owner is one of those regulatory …
44.93064
-93.38562
325 Blake Rd N, Hopkins, MN
/articles/watershed-district-we-don-t-want-to-be-treated-like-developers
/locations/6688141
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Planners brainstormed possibilities at a meeting Tuesday. Patch wants to hear your ideas.
The Cold Storage site on Blake Road is a prime piece of real estate. It’s big. It’s in an area the city aims to improve, near amenities such as parks and the Minnehaha Creek. And its owner, the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District, promises to be a close partner in redevelopment efforts. Hopkins officials want to ensure all that potential isn’t squandered. So members of the City Council, Zoning and Planning Commission, Park Board and watershed district met Tuesday to discuss what should happen on the 17-acre site. Teams first brainstormed general goals for the site. The group as a whole then picked the top three goals. Afterward, they threw out ideas for what types of projects would meet those goals and—just as importantly—what projects …
44.93064
-93.38562
325 Blake Rd N, Hopkins, MN
/articles/how-do-you-think-the-cold-storage-site-should-be-used
/locations/6682327
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is now in the process of developing a management plan for the site.
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is taking the next steps on the newly acquired Blake Road Cold Storage site. The district closed on the $14.95 million purchase at the end of September or beginning of October, Eric Evenson, the district administrator, told the Hopkins City Council on Tuesday. It’s now in the process of developing a management plan for the site, which businesses will continue to use at least until the last of the leases expire in three years. Safety is the district’s first priority, Evenson said. The building uses anhydrous ammonia, a chemical classified as toxic and dangerous for the environment. The company that previously managed the building will help develop that plan. “We aren’t experts in running a cold storage…
44.93064
-93.38562
325 Blake Rd N, Hopkins, MN
/articles/cold-storage-project-advances
/locations/5723771
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Demolition and redevelopment should begin in three years, when the last of the leases expires.
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District on Thursday formally approved the $14.95 million purchase of the Cold Storage site on Blake Road North. The action expands plans for the improvements of Minnehaha Creek, as well as future mixed-use development. The watershed district has already launched creek improvements in the area, most notably surrounding nearby Cottageville Park. “Our plan is to restore 1,000 feet of shoreline along Minnehaha Creek,” said Telly Mamayek, the district's spokeswoman. The purchase will be financed by bonds and paid for by the district’s special tax levy. Plans call for demolition and redevelopment to begin in about three years when the last of the five tenants, Deli Express, has its current lease expire. The cold …
44.93064
-93.38562
325 Blake Rd N, Hopkins, MN
/articles/watershed-district-approves-cold-storage-purchase
/locations/5443255
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The district would restore 1,000 feet of shoreline and seek to resell the property for private redevelopment.
The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District plans to buy the Cold Storage site on Blake Road, one of the most vital properties for future light rail development. The Hopkins City Council approved a resolution Tuesday endorsing the watershed district’s plan. Under the proposal, the district would buy the 16.9-acre property for $14.95 million with money raised from bond proceeds and repaid through the district's tax levy. It would then restore about 1,000 feet of shoreline in one of the creek’s most degraded sections. That area would become a natural buffer to clean runoff before it enters the creek. Minnehaha Creek would let existing businesses remain for the time being, using the lease payments to cover annual financing costs. After the leases …
44.93064
-93.38562
325 Blake Rd N, Hopkins, MN
/articles/minnehaha-creek-watershed-district-wants-cold-storage-site
/locations/5356048
Tom Obinger
9:25 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Really like the idea of the Surly Brewery with maybe a restaurant/bar where the public could taste the brew along with a meal. Also maybe in addition, a global/urban market. A combination of these two ideas would provide a commons area for people to meet and gather. A use of indoor and outdoor spaces. more ›