Anybody know the estimate for re-and re-locating Nico Plating??
>From: Dave Harstad <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [Mpls] Nicollet and Lake Commons Project >Date: Fri, 21 Jun 2002 09:48:48 -0700 (PDT) > >I am an attorney who works for Sherman Associates on >the Nicollet and Lake Commons Project. I live in the >Whittier neighborhood, a few blocks away from the >site, and have been actively involved in neighborhood >efforts to get Nicollet re-opened for several years. >I write to respond to Joe Barazonzi�s comments about >the project. > >[JB] �The process has always been developer rather >than community lead. Although it should be noted that >there has been significant community involvement and >the credit for that goes to Sherman and Associates.� > >[DH] Sherman Associates became interested in the >project when people from the neighborhood approached >Sherman and requested that they think about >redevloping Nic-Lake. There is a joint >Lyndale-Whittier Task Force that meets regularly to >discuss the project and advise Sherman. Each >component of the project came from the community, and >is supported by the community. Of course, the devil >is in the details, but Sherman is working extremely >hard on details too. Here is a run down of the the >big picture: >a) Re-opening Nicollet: Closing Nicollet was a huge >mistake that needs to be remedied by the City. I have >never met anyone who is opposed to re-opening >Nicollet. A few years ago, the City Council formed >the Nicollet Avenue Task Force, and staffed it with >Planning Department and MCDA staff. The Task Force >Found that re-opening Nicollet was the top priority >for Nicollet Avenue (which it called �Minneapolis� >Main Street�). Jim Niland and Lisa McDonald in >particular recognized the importance of getting this >done. Their efforts should not be forgotten. >b) Discount Grocer: In Whittier Alliance focus >groups, a discount grocer was listed the top >development priority for the neighborhood. >c) Discount retailer: When Kmart pulled out the >project last fall and was tentatively replaced by the >Hennepin County Medical Clinic, there was a loud >outcry from the neighborhoods. People vigorously >argued that area residents, particularly low and >moderate income residents without cars, needed to be >able to do �one stop shopping� for clothing, consumer >products, etc. at a discount retailer. At one >community meeting, a woman incredulously demanded of >the developer, �If Kmart goes, where will I buy my >underwear?� Sherman Associates listened, and began >working to attract a discount retailer to the >development. >d) Affordable housing: Sherman will build >approximately 300 units of affordable for sale and >rental units. Some neighborhood activists want more >expensive for sale housing, some want more units for >the needy. So Sherman has tried to come up with a >mixed income plan that works for everyone. Certainly >everyone agrees that housing production is a top >development priority for the City. Here are 300 new >units that could be built without a single renter or >homeowner displaced. >e.) Retail condos. The developer proposes to build >25 x 25 retail condos around the grocery, the discount >retailer, and along the Midtown Greenway. The Asian >community on Nicollet is very excited about this >component and has lists of interested buyers. These >condos will add life to the street, and create a >retail �farm system� that will certainly lead to >further successes on Nicollet, particularly south of >Lake Street, where investment is really needed. >f) Midtown Greenway: Another top priority for the >neighborhood is to encourage development that enhances >the Midtown Greenway. The housing will overlook the >Greenway and there will be numerous new connections to >it, both for recreation and for future transit. >g) Empowerment Zone: The development is in the south >EZ, and would bring $100 million in investment. >Sherman hopes to use Empowerment Zone Bonding, which >requires that EZ residents be employed by businesses >benefiting from the bonding. So the project will >create good jobs for EZ residents. Again, I can think >of few people who would be opposed to this sort of >investment and job creation in the EZ. > >[JB] �The developer has not delivered despite >previous extensions.� > >[DH] Respectfully, Joe you have the facts wrong. >There haven�t been any previous extensions. Further, >its unfair to say Sherman hasn�t delivered. Putting >together a $100 million project is tough work, and >doesn�t happen overnight. But Sherman wouldn�t be >spending so much time and money on pre-development if >it didn�t think it could get this done soon. Sherman >has a great tract record, and has every intention of >delivering. > >[JB] �The current proposal does not seem to have >numbers that work.� > >[DH] Not true. Not only does Sherman have numbers >that work, the numbers work without significant >subsidy. A rundown of the pro forma is outside the >scope of this forum, but I�d be happy to share it with >anyone off list. > >[JB] �The proposed development no longer meets to >urban design standards of the community: specifically >to have 2+ story buildings facing Lake Street.� > >[DH] Not true. The discount retail would be a >two-story store, like the downtown Target. Parking >would be structured rather than surface. Ratios of >parking spaces to square feet would be substantially >less than normal in order to encourage transit and >pedestrian oriented traffic. Micro-tenants will line >the parking and parts of the grocery and discount >retailer in order to encourage street life. > >Having said that, Sherman certainly will continue to >work closely with the neighborhoods and City Council >members on creating a great design. Sherman wants the >project to be a huge success, and in order to do that, >the product needs to be what the neighborhoods want. >People need to be aware of two things though: some >great ideas might not be financially feasible, and in >a project of this size not everybody is going to get >exactly what they want. There needs to be compromise >and free and open discussion. > >In sum, City Hall is rightfully gunshy about jumping >into more �blockbuster� development deals. Nevermind >that Nic-Lake is in the Empowerment Zone and not >downtown, that re-opening Nicollet is enormously >important, that hundreds of units of affordable >housing will be created, etc. We�re living in a new >era in Minneapolis. Sherman�s plan it to show how >development can be done, in a collaborative process >with a cost to the citizens of Minneapolis that is far >outweighed by the benefits the project brings to its >citizens. > >We look forward to the CD meeting on Monday. We also >hope to seeing lots of people at the Nic-Lake Task >Force meeting in July. > >Cheers, > >Dave Harstad >Attorney for Sherman Associates >Whittier resident > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup >http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com >_______________________________________ >Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy >Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: >http://e-democracy.org/mpls _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
