Columbia Heights - Hilltop - Fridley - Spring Lake Park

Twin Cities Suburbs
Mikey
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby Mikey » October 18th, 2016, 6:47 am

I don't think so. I didn't move to Rochester until '92, but Barlow's was a privately owned one-off. The weird layout in Rochester was the result of multiple additions over the years
Urbanist in the north woods

Anondson
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby Anondson » May 1st, 2018, 3:38 pm

Nearby to Northstar Fridley Station, proposal with 248 units.

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/05/sh ... n-fridley/

pannierpacker
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby pannierpacker » February 12th, 2019, 11:00 pm

Has anyone noticed that Columbia Heights has some decent urban buildings from about the 4400 block of Central Ave continuing on south to the Minneapolis border? I am curious about the history of this city and if there were more urban buildings along this highway that were torn down for suburban style construction. Maybe there are some old photos of the central business district floating around somewhere?

Given the large gap in multi-story commercial buildings from about 26th and Central until you get to Columbia Heights, it seems like Columbia Heights would be ripe for some transit oriented development and additional mixed-use high density buildings. I am wondering why we haven't seen more of this in recent years?

seanrichardryan
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby seanrichardryan » February 13th, 2019, 7:57 am

Columbia Heights was a streetcar suburb developed on spec by Thomas Lowry, but it never had feverish development. Filled out mostly post-war. 1938- http://geo.lib.umn.edu/anoka/y1938/BIM-4-8.jpg
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

twincitizen
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby twincitizen » February 13th, 2019, 3:11 pm

https://www.metrotransit.org/how-would- ... and-hwy-65

How would you improve University Ave. and Hwy. 65?
The City of Fridley will hold a series of workshops to explore what’s possible for these key corridors. What are the community’s goals and priorities from a transportation and livability viewpoint? How about the aesthetic look (i.e. fences?) Participants are encouraged to attend all four free events.

Each event will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at Fridley City Hall, 7071 University Ave. NE, Fridley, MN 55432.

Workshop I: Gather Information
Thursday, Feb. 21
What is important and unique about University Ave. and Hwy. 65? What are the concerns about mobility and aesthetics, and what can be improved?

Workshop II: Street Design Options Exercise
Thursday, March 7
An interactive workshop to create alternative street designs scenarios for University Ave. and Hwy. 65. Design and transportation experts will be on hand to share ideas and insights.

Workshop III: Panel Discussion: Learning from Other Cities
Thursday, March 21
Explore the opportunities and challenges of street design solutions with a panel of cities who will reflect on their experiences, and inform a strategic road map for the future of University Ave. and Hwy. 65.

Workshop IV: Framing Recommendations
Thursday, April 4
Contribute to the creation of street design recommendations for University Ave. and Hwy. 65, which will be submitted to the Fridley City Council and Planning Commission and MN Dept. of Transportation.

For more information contact Scott Hickok, City of Fridley, at 763-572-3590 or Gretchen Nicholls, Twin Cities LISC, at 651-265-2280.
Details at www.fridleymn.gov or the Twin Cities LISC website.

EOst
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby EOst » February 14th, 2019, 8:48 am

University Ave is such a weird and overbuilt road, and its traffic counts drop dramatically the farther south you go. It's 32500 north of 694, where a 4-6 lane divided highway makes sense, but it drops into the low 20s through Columbia Heights and then down to the low teens (12-13k) south of 40th Ave. In Northeast, you could make it a two-lane road all day without really causing any congestion.

I'm not sure what Fridley hopes to do up there since I don't see a lot of great alternatives, but Minneapolis and Columbia Heights should be pushing MnDOT to rethink their section.

Oreos&Milk
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby Oreos&Milk » February 16th, 2019, 3:51 pm

University Ave is such a weird and overbuilt road, and its traffic counts drop dramatically the farther south you go. It's 32500 north of 694, where a 4-6 lane divided highway makes sense, but it drops into the low 20s through Columbia Heights and then down to the low teens (12-13k) south of 40th Ave. In Northeast, you could make it a two-lane road all day without really causing any congestion.

I'm not sure what Fridley hopes to do up there since I don't see a lot of great alternatives, but Minneapolis and Columbia Heights should be pushing MnDOT to rethink their section.
Convert it to freeway from 694 to 610 why not, it's already pretty much there already. There's only 10 intersections. Plus it's not like it's a biking or pedestrian friendly roadway anyways. I know there is a lot of redundancy with these almost freeways or freeways(169, 252, 47, 65, 35W, and 10) heading in the same direction. Be nice to have then either make it a freeway, or make 65 a freeway to take off the traffic volume and then convert it back into a nice urban stretch community. Like dedicated bus lanes, bike lanes and have it community focused. Just seems like were loosing having them all "almost freeways" instead of turning one into and actual freeway like 65 OR 47 while the other can be converted into a more urban friendly roadway.

Just my thoughts on it.

mamundsen
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby mamundsen » February 16th, 2019, 8:00 pm

They are working towards converting 252 into a freeway, right?

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/hwy252study/

Anondson
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Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby Anondson » February 17th, 2019, 10:42 am

Wild but right now that link says server not found.

I was thinking exactly this though, that upgrading University while 252 also gets upgraded would be a difficult argument. Even with 252, 65 from 694 to 10 might though might look good enough to get MnDOT to upgrade.

It’s an interesting thought experiment, how much through traffic from 10 to 694 will route over to 252 when it is full freeway, reducing counts on University and 65.

mattaudio
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby mattaudio » February 26th, 2019, 4:35 pm

Yeah seems like University and Central can be de-expresswayed south of Hwy 10. And E. River Rd. too.

mattaudio
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby mattaudio » August 14th, 2019, 9:18 am

Did we miss this?
https://finance-commerce.com/2019/08/co ... city-hall/
Columbia Heights may get rentals atop City Hall
Luxury apartments that developer Alatus LLC wants to build at an aging Columbia Heights office property might even lure city officials to buy space on the building’s first floor for a new City Hall.

Image

mattaudio
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby mattaudio » December 31st, 2019, 1:15 pm

Update on the shotgun marriage between Columbia Heights taxpayers and Alatus.

Columbia Heights plans America's first city hall in a luxury apartment building
http://citypages.com/news/columbia-heig ... /566577081
Alatus requested financial aid from Columbia Heights—up to $43 million worth of subsidies that would otherwise go to schools and roads. The city taking it upon itself to purchase space would further insure Alatus’ success.

Council members spoke of the proposition as if it were too good to refuse.

They reasoned that purchasing a piece of someone else’s development would be a cheaper way to get a new city hall than constructing fresh. The city and the building could share maintenance costs and parking. When the roof needed replacing, they’d split that burden too.

Unanimously, they voted to both subsidize Alatus and buy into its building.

luigipaladio
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby luigipaladio » December 31st, 2019, 3:27 pm

It seems that the only way Alatus can pull off any project is with heavy duty subsidies. $43 million for a six story apartment building with city hall on the main floor sounds like nearly half the cost of the building. It will be interesting to see if Columbia Heights can actually get Alatus to follow through on this. Perhaps it is a small enough project that Alatus can manage to build it.

pannierpacker
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby pannierpacker » January 23rd, 2020, 10:34 pm

It seems that the only way Alatus can pull off any project is with heavy duty subsidies. $43 million for a six story apartment building with city hall on the main floor sounds like nearly half the cost of the building. It will be interesting to see if Columbia Heights can actually get Alatus to follow through on this. Perhaps it is a small enough project that Alatus can manage to build it.
I don't understand how it's 43 million. The city's minutes for the Sept 23rd meeting (where this was all decided) state that the TIF district would be 1 million per year max over a 26 year period. How else is the city funding this if it's happening through means other than TIF?

This will fix a very important site, wiping out an ugly office building and parking ramp and replacing it with a much more urban building that serves a better purpose.

I'm concerned about the rest of Central Ave though. If this much subsidy is needed to build apartments, something else is going to have to happen to get these other sites nearby replaced. There are strip malls north of the Alatus site with huge setbacks. Also wondering if Bobby and Steve's will ever move further north up Central Ave closer to 694. Their buildings make a terrible gateway to the city.

pannierpacker
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby pannierpacker » January 23rd, 2020, 10:40 pm

Also, Hy-Vee plan for Columbia Heights is still on hold:
https://www.hometownsource.com/abc_news ... b6cd9.html

It looks like the plans have expired. In my opinion, they should just demo that old building and put the Hy-Vee right along the frontage of Central Ave, with the parking in back. It would look so much better! If Hy-Vee can't afford to do that, I want to see someone else come in do the site correctly.

nordeast homer
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby nordeast homer » January 24th, 2020, 11:02 am

There is a significant grade difference between Central and that parking lot, but that's just one of many reasons why they would never front Central with the store. No grocery store will want a front and back entrance to their space; it creates a security nightmare. This means that you would just have the backside of a grocery store fronting a major thoroughfare; I highly doubt the city would want or allow that.

SurlyLHT
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby SurlyLHT » January 24th, 2020, 11:37 am

There is a significant grade difference between Central and that parking lot, but that's just one of many reasons why they would never front Central with the store. No grocery store will want a front and back entrance to their space; it creates a security nightmare. This means that you would just have the backside of a grocery store fronting a major thoroughfare; I highly doubt the city would want or allow that.
The Hyvee in Robbinsdale has a front and back entrance. I saw put a pocket park on that incline.

pannierpacker
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby pannierpacker » January 27th, 2020, 11:46 pm

There is a significant grade difference between Central and that parking lot, but that's just one of many reasons why they would never front Central with the store. No grocery store will want a front and back entrance to their space; it creates a security nightmare. This means that you would just have the backside of a grocery store fronting a major thoroughfare; I highly doubt the city would want or allow that.
The Hyvee in Robbinsdale has a front and back entrance. I saw put a pocket park on that incline.
HarMar Cub also has a front and back entrance.

A staircase and wheel chair/bike ramp would have no problem making that grade descent to get to the businesses. A great example of this is the southwest corner of Lexington and County Rd E in Arden Hills, where such a ramp is used to access a Walgreens. They could have also put the commercial building sideways against Central Ave so that less parking lot would front Central (i.e. The Aldi west of the lightrail line on Lake Street in Minneapolis). As it stands today there is way too much ugly surface parking facing Central Ave. And I'm betting most of it went unused when the old grocery store used to be there except maybe when it was 75% was full at 5pm on the evening before Thanksgiving some year back in the 70s.

This particular location probably would work better with an office building or residential type of structure that is multiple levels since most rear entrances have things like parking garages and other stuff that makes sense to have at a lower level than the front of the building. They could even put onstreet parking on Central Ave if they are really thinking ahead. They already have it on many other parts of Central.

nordeast homer
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby nordeast homer » January 28th, 2020, 11:34 am

To be honest, I'd rather see them tear down and rebuild anyway. With the age of the building I have to believe it would cost just as much to make the building efficient as it would to start from scratch. I could see putting up some multifamily housing on-site along with a new grocery store.

Hero
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Re: Fridley - Columbia Heights - Spring Lake Park

Postby Hero » June 6th, 2022, 1:29 am

Did we miss this?
https://finance-commerce.com/2019/08/co ... city-hall/
Columbia Heights may get rentals atop City Hall
Luxury apartments that developer Alatus LLC wants to build at an aging Columbia Heights office property might even lure city officials to buy space on the building’s first floor for a new City Hall.

Image
This is nearing completion. Google Streetview has a shot of it from Apr 2022.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/3989+ ... 93.2466901


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