Friday, January 18, 2013
Residents met last week to discuss how to integrate art into ‘The ARTery.’
Some people liked the idea of a giant picture frame on Eighth Avenue that people could stand in to have photos taken. Others suggested a pedestrian bridge that lights up more the more people that are on it. Those were just two of the ideas that residents had last week for “The ARTery,” a stretch of Eighth Avenue that Hopkins aims to transform into a “pedestrian-seductive” corridor. Planners want to use the corridor to entice people into the city’s central business district—particularly Southwest LRT riders at the stop planned just across Excelsior Boulevard. Hopkins hosted a get-together Saturday to discuss how to integrate art into the corridor. Experts from IBI Group, Hoisington Koegler Group Inc. and Forecast Public Art introduced the …
Friday, January 4, 2013
The biggest stories of the past 12 months.
To be sure, 2012 saw its share of challenges. But it also saw much of the community’s long-term vision start to become a reality. Here are some of the biggest stories to shape Hopkins over the past year. Cottageville Park Plans Start to Take Shape Residents started to see changes around Cottageville Park in April 2011, when Minnehaha Creek Watershed District tore down buildings on properties south of the park. But 2012 was the year that the community started coming together to decide how the newly expanded park should be used. The discussion culminated in a plan first presented in mid December. That plan includes features, such as a green roof pavilion and remade landscape, that could push the redesign cost up to $5.8 million. Eighth…
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The city aims to transform Eighth Avenue into a streetscape that communicates what Hopkins is about.
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Wednesday, January 2
Editor’s Note: The following announcement comes from the City of Hopkins. As Hopkins prepares for the arrival of the SW LRT line in 2018, a vision has emerged to transform 8th Avenue into a gateway to downtown Hopkins – bridging the LRT station on Excelsior Boulevard to Mainstreet. A key part of this vision is to use art to enliven the street and tell the unique story of Hopkins. For 8th Avenue to serve as the gateway, it will need to be transformed to a place where the pedestrian or bicyclist is welcomed and given more to see, feel and experience. From this vision, the ARTery has emerged. The ARTery will be an interactive, pedestrian-seductive streetscape that communicates what is unique about Hopkins through art, while setting …
Monday, November 19, 2012
City Engineer John Bradford shared estimates on what the change would mean for the downtown.
The main focus of a proposal to remake Eighth Avenue into a beautified one-way street has so far been on enticing light rail riders and Excelsior Boulevard drivers into Hopkins’ downtown. But the proposal isn’t just about attracting those who haven’t yet made it into the downtown; it’s about showing off the downtown to those already in or near the area. Planners estimate a northbound one-way would increase Mainstreet traffic by preventing those headed to Eighth Avenue businesses, like Chipotle or Curry ‘N’ Noodles, from simply turning around and heading back to Excelsior when they’re done. Just how much would that change Mainstreet volumes? City Engineer John Bradford on Monday shared his estimates with Patch for volumes between 4 p.m. to …
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The City Council agreed to explore the idea further, but planners want to time the redesign to coincide with the Southwest Light Rail Transit project.
City Council members on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to explore the idea of a one-way, revamped Eighth Avenue further, but it’ll be four or five years until the renovation comes to fruition. “I don’t have any illusions of it being an easy process,” City Engineer John Bradford said. If the redesign idea goes forward, it would be timed to coincide with Southwest Light Rail Transit project, probably waiting until 2017 or 2018, Bradford said. That would provide sufficient time for the establishment of the Klodt mixed-use development project, which is supposed to have its first units on the market in April 2014. It also would offer more time for the city to build support for the idea. In addition to the Klodt project, a redesign, particularly the …
Norman Teigen
9:35 am on Saturday, January 5, 2013
Good summary, I think. You might also have included a summary of the City's budget and information about the City's financial condition. The news is good. For 2013 I think that the City Council and city staff might try to become even more involved in keeping the citizens of Hopkins informed about issues and developments. The Oakes Park lift station issue suggests that there was a deficiency in … more ›