Como Avenue

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Fridley University Avenue Corridor Housing
Initiative Sponsored by Fridley City Council
and Planning Commission Fridley Housing and
Redevelopment Authority Corridor Housing
Initiative December 6, 2007
Como Avenue
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Goals and Outcomes

• 1. Capacity building resources to connect higher
  density housing to transit corridors
• links vision with market realities
• 2. Energize collaborative planning among
  neighborhoods, city, and county partners
• Build relationships
• Align planning efforts
• 3. Production of new housing along corridors
• Meets city goals and neighborhood interests
• Integrates affordable housing options
• Physically enhance neighborhoods

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Proactive Planning
Partnerships
Production
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Products

• Building of community support and direction for
  development goals

• Distillation of market viability for development
  objectives
• Strategies for site acquisition and
  implementation of development plans
• Zoning overlays or adjustment to city land use
  policy

• Commitment by the City to prioritize funding for
  development projects that emerge from the process

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Corridor Housing Initiative Technical Team

• Gretchen Nicholls (coordinator) - Center for
  Neighborhoods
• Barbara Raye (facilitator) - Center for Policy
  Planning and Performance
• Katie Thering (design) - Metropolitan Design
  Center - U of M
• Michael Byrd (design) - Formworks LLC
• Gina Ciganik (development) - Aeon
• And Featuring Scott Hickok, Paul Bolin - Fridley
  Community Development / HRA staff

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Fridley CHI Goals

• Provide strategic focus for the development of
  University Avenue parcels owned by the Fridley
  HRA.
• Strengthen participation and community
  involvement to form city goals for development
  along University Avenue.
• Present development objectives for University
  Avenue as recommendations to the Fridley Housing
  and Redevelopment Authority, City Council and
  Planning Commission for consideration.

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Citywide Goals and Planning
Saint Paul Comprehensive Plan
Pedestrian-friendly Mixed use Range of housing
types Support transit Strong institutions Variety
of parks Safe Architecture and landscaping Urban
Village Challenges
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University Avenue Focus

• .Strengthen the identity of Fridley / University
  Avenue as an important Gateway to Fridley,
• .Build connections from University Avenue to
  other parts of the city, and
• .Revitalize University Avenue to be a vital and
  viable district.

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Opportunities and Challenges for University
Avenue sites
State highway limits access for commercial
uses Shallow sites limit development options -
important to design transition to single family
residential Desire for city center (restaurants
and community gathering places How do we
maintain commercial vitality and reverse the
blight?

• Important gateway to City of Fridley - Strengthen
  identity
• Major transit corridor, within half-mile radius
  of Northstar Commuter Rail Line
• Location and access to shopping, amenities, and
  job centers
• Fridley is hub of medical facilities and
  resources
• How can we manage change to reclaim our core
  values?

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Rice Street Small Area Plan Housing

• Offer appropriate mix of housing options
• Meet the needs of a variety of ages and income
  levels
• Meet the needs of people throughout their life
  and changing lifestyle

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Rice Street Small Area Plan Neighborhood
Character

• Maintain public institutions
• Designate Milton Square as a historic building
• Create neighborhood gateways
• Create focal/social areas

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Rice Street Small Area Plan Zoning and Design
Standards

• Reinforce a compact, walkable, mixed-use,
  sustainable neighborhood
• Pedestrian-oriented and human-scale streetscape
• High-quality design, materials, and construction

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Market FactorsImpact on Businesses
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Corridor Housing Initiative
Providing a framework for housing and mixed use
development for twin cities neighborhoods www.hou
singinitiative.org
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Goals for Tonight and BeyondSteps to
Workshop I June 21st Gather information
Workshop II July 12th Block Exercise
Workshop III August 2nd Panel Discussion
Rice Street Development Objectives
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Community Values
Senior Housing City Center - Apache Plaza,
restaurants, community gathering place
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Corridor Housing InitiativeBlock Exercise
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Strengthening design and development goals
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3 Participants design
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Strengthening design and development goals
Version 1
Version 2
Version 3 Participants design
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Workshop III Developer Panel Discussion

• Alan Arthur, Aeon
• John Mehrker, Presbyterian Homes
• Bob Long, NAI Welsh (commercial broker)
• David Newman, Bancorp Group

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Community Input

• Considerations for success
• Need to be able to live by it (close proximity to
  single family residential)
• Option to move the frontage road to serve as
  buffer / transition
• Build higher buildings closer to University Ave
  to limit impact on single family homes behind.
• Current 4 story height level limit in zoning code
  (no plans to change)
• Underground parking is desirable for residential
  and office use
• Want durable buildings, well designed with
  quality materials

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Community Input

• Strengthen connections with other amenities
• Extended Medtronic Parkway would enhance
  accessibility to the area.
• Northstar Commuter Rail station area
  Establishing walkable routes to the station area
  could lead to stronger housing market for the
  University Avenue sites Bus access along
  University serves as a feeder to Northstar and
  into downtown Minneapolis.
• Strengthen connections with other parts of the
  city.
• Desire for city center gathering area for
  retail and restaurants somewhere in the City of
  Fridley
• Market Fridley as a Medical Hub

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Community Input

• Strategies for Moving Development Forward

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University Avenue Recommendations

• I. Strengthen the Positive Identity of Fridley
• .Incorporate design elements that help to enhance
  the visual appeal of the area through plantings,
  public art, ornamental lighting, and other
  interesting features.
• .Provide landscaping and new fencing along
  University Avenue.
• .Increase the scale and density to offer a more
  concentrated mix of uses and intensified
  development strategy.
• .Orientation of the buildings should face the
  center frontage road, while providing interesting
  back sides to University Avenue, or providing a
  double front to University Avenue and the
  frontage road.

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University Avenue Recommendations

• II. Create Connections
• .Consider opportunities for strengthening access
  and connections between new developments and
  other nearby amenities, such as trail systems,
  transit (including the Northstar Commuter Line
  station area), retail areas, parks, and job
  centers.
• .Create engaging pedestrian-friendly street
  level.

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University Avenue Recommendations

• Encourage Development and Revitalize University
  Avenue
• .Strong support for
• Senior housing, and assisted living options,
• A mix of housing choices to accommodate a range
  of household incomes and sizes ,
• Office building, and
• Mixed-use buildings (e.g. office, residential,
  services, and restaurant).

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Conclusion
Map of University Avenue area
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For more information
Corridor Housing Initiative Web site
www.housinginitiative.org E-mail
gnicholls_at_lisc.org Call [phone]