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PRESORTED <br />STANDARD <br />U.S. POSTAGE <br />PAID <br />Elk PERMIT N0.106 <br />~\ ELK RIVER, MN <br />River <br />13065 Orono Pkwy <br />Elk River. MN 55330 <br />Northstar Rail Line looks to be on track for 2009 <br />LEGISLATURE, GOVERNOR APPEAR COMMITTED TO APPROVING FINAL PROJECT <br />or the past couple of years, Elk <br />River City officials and business <br />owners have been big supporters <br />of the proposed Northstar Commuter <br />Rail Line, which would make a 40-mile <br />run between Minneapolis and Big Lake <br />starting as soon as 2009. <br />~~~~ <br />Included in the proposal is a commuter <br />station in Elk River, which would be <br />at a Park & Ride lot within walking <br />distance of the City's Northstar <br />Business Park, near U.S. Highways 10 <br />and 169. <br />As of recent weeks, the news coming <br />from the Minnesota Legislature <br />concerning Northstar continued to be <br />positive. <br />The good news started in spring 2005, <br />when the Legislature committed $37.5 <br />million to the project. <br />Later in the year, the Federal Transit <br />Administration (FTA) placed the <br />Northstaz Commuter project on <br />its "recommended" list-meaning <br />Minnesota would, in all likelihood, <br />receive 50 percent of the project costs <br />from the Federal government. The <br />most recent estimates indicate that the <br />Northstaz project would cost about <br />$300 million. <br />In January of this yeaz, Gov. Tim <br />Pawlenty proposed $60 million in his <br />bonding bill for Northstar -the amount <br />needed to receive federal funding. In <br />recent weeks, the Minnesota Senate <br />followed the governor's lead, voting <br />in favor of allocating $60 million to <br />Northstar in its bonding bill. <br />Later, in April, the Minnesota House <br />voted for a bonding bill that included <br />$50 million for Northstar. <br />The discrepancy in the amounts is <br />likely to be ironed out before the 2006 <br />Legislature concludes. <br />"The Legislature has already put lots of <br />money into this project and we really <br />expect the dollar amount to be worked <br />out," says Elk River Mayor Stephanie <br />Klinzing, who has been involved in the <br />Northstar project. <br />It is expected that the two houses of <br />the Legislature will come together and <br />agree on $60 million -the amount <br />needed to gamer full federal funding, <br />Ms. Klinzing says. <br />As noted earlier, the good news from <br />the Legislature is great news for Elk <br />River. <br />Local business owners say completion <br />of the Northstar line, to be added to <br />tracks operated by Burlington Northern <br />Sante Fe (BNSF) railroad, will help <br />them recruit and retain employees from <br />throughout the Twin Cities. <br />Future phases of the commuter line <br />would connect to places as far away <br />as St. Cloud, the Mall ofAmerica, <br />Minneapolis-St. Paul International <br />Airport and downtown St. Paul. A <br />ride from Elk River to downtown <br />Minneapolis is expected to take just 30 <br />minutes -with no time lost sitting in <br />traffic jams. <br />"It's a selling point for companies <br />when they're looking [o hire or <br />recruit employees," says Mayor <br />Klinzing, "because i[ allows [hem to <br />hire people -quality people -from <br />a variety of places in the metro area. <br />The employees who want to take the <br />commuter line don't have to worry <br />about being stuck in traffic, or parking <br />issues. That's why throughout the <br />country it's been proven that companies <br />prefer to be located near commuter rail <br />lines:' ^ <br />City of EIk River Economic Development Spring <br />