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REJournals.com -Elk River welcomes new dowtown housing, industrial park activity Page 2 of 3 For instance, he says MetroPlains recently has been involved in historical would yo rehabilitation projects in Winona (Washington Crossing, the former Winona advertise Middle School buildings), and Albert Lea (the rehab of the former Lea Center Learn nod Building into affordable and market-rate housing). The firm also is active in new home construction geared toward affordability, such as the Heritage Green of Cambridge project, which will have 149 single-family homes and 98 multifamily units when completed. McCready says MetroPlains will own and manage the rental housing portions of the projects, while the retail areas will be owned and managed by project partner FTK Properties. The developers are hoping the projects will be completed and ready for move-in by the end of next year. City officials are pinning a lot of hopes on the two new buildings. Elk River has had various plans over the course of the last 30 years to jumpstart what had become a stagnant Main Street. About four years ago the city launched another effort, and this time it was able to overcome opposition from some residents who favored the status quo, thanks to a strong development proposal that included plenty of community input. "I think that obviously that any type of new building in downtown will have an impetus on other types of redevelopment," says Elk River Community Development Director Scott Clark. "There's really two kinds of redevelopment: city-initiated and private sector-initiated. The redevelopment here has been under the arm of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the City Council. But when people see the reality of those new buildings, we'll end up seeing more private investment." Also part of the plan is a new city park that will link the Jackson Square area to the Mississippi, to be called River's Edge Commons. It's part of an effort to renew downtown Elk River in such a way that will allow it to "turn its face to the river." Also among the plans is a riverwalk for the area behind the Bluffs building. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Elk River's attempts to capitalize on the coming of the Northstar Commuter Rail is bearing fruit at its Northstar Business Park located just south of the intersection of Highways 10 and 169. Three businesses have announced their intentions of moving to the park, which will be within walking distance of a planned commuter train station. They include Medical Extrusion Technologies Inc., which recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for 20,000 square foot facility on 2.64 acres and is expected to create 23 jobs; Alliance Machine Inc., with an 18,000 square foot facility on 2.84 acres; and Crystal Distribution Inc., which will build a 30,000 square foot facility on 3.7 acres. Another business, Classic Acrylics Inc., is building a 20,000 square foot facility on 2.48 acres in the nearby, privately-owned Elk River Business Park. "One of the positive things about Elk River, as it says on our welcome signs, we're really where the city ends and the country begins," says Clark. "We're almost part of outstate Minnesota. So one of the advantages from a housing standpoint is you can find any kind of housing that your employees might want, from 'old small town' to suburban to large lot development. http://www.mrej.com/story.cfin?Market=MN&StoryID=13822 11 /22/2005 _.