WM: This is not accurate. The 35W Access Project was one of the results of a study undertaken by Powderhorn, Phillips, Central and Corcoran through our NRP processes in about 94. By 1997 the talks had advanced to the point where we were asking the city, Hennepin County, two legislators, the Sears Project (then Ray Harris), Honeywell (now Wellsfargo), the hospitals, St. Mary's and businesses along Lake St. to advance the project by selecting committees, etc. to move the project. Then we asked Phillips Partnership to take the role they subsequently held in the project.The planning for the 35W Access Project began in 1997 at the request of the Phillips Partnership, an alliance between the city, county, and Lake Street area corporations, primarily Wells Fargo (then Honeywell), Allina, and Children's Hospital. The project grew to include neighborhood representatives. Together, they formed a Project Advisory Committee, led by Smith Parker, and its final recommendations are now moving forward for county and city approval.
This whole project arose out of several neighborhood's NRP processes.
WM: We wanted better access for ourselves (get out to jobs in burbs) and better access for trucks bringing goods and persons bringing themselves. We also wanted better bus access between Lake St. and the freeway. Also, access project or no access project, those bridges apparently need to be rebuilt for reasons of safety standards.The project would construct two new freeway ramps at Lake Street, move existing ramps at 35th and 36th Streets south to 38th Street, build several other new bridges, and reconfigure the 5th Avenue ramps. All of this is being done in the name of providing better access to surrounding neighborhoods and businesses.
WM: The spur to development on Lake St. has to do first with the 11.6 acres that constitute the Sears site. That is the engine to spur development. That site, we determined after interminable meetings, needed better access to and from the freeway so that it would become a "destination" for an area with a 3-mile radius from the Sears tower.Project supporters claim that the new ramps would spur development on Lake Street.
WM: Well, no, it doesn't just become a driveway. It's still a street, so designated. On it you can get to Wellsfargo, the hospitals, St. Mary's, Zurah Shriners, and a ton of small businesses between Lake andIn effect, the Access Project becomes a glorified driveway to the parking ramps of the companies near the freeway.
28th. Those businesses have lots of semi traffic some of which now too often comes down my block, a little side street. This will make access to those smaller businesses easier for them and for us. There are a ton of those little businesses between Lake and 28th. They grew there during the train era when the Milwaukee Road/Soo Line ran through what is now the Greenway.
It's also good that Abbott wants to put their corporate headquarters in the Sears Building. Having them as an anchor tenant makes the whole Sears project more doable (more likely to make money than become a money pit). Corporate HQs also mean jobs for people around here.
WizardMarks, Central
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