7.0. HRSR 06-27-2001 - Laserfiche WebLink

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` -. • , ,, : „.,,,, „ ,,, sa:e 4 I 4" '4,."' C 4,'. :4' 2B` MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2001 Lakeville Barber Shop with its old- NEIGHBORS : ld- NEIGHBORS : Downtowns fashioned barber pole and aiming ♦CONTINUED FROM 1B for one of dozens of beauty salons in SPOTLIGHT O N Burnsville or Apple Valley. ! to draw as many residents and Burnsville city leaders are happy METRO SUBURBS tourists as expected. to have their business, but they • ` • "It's a lot of location, location, also want a downtown, specifically, 1t1t1�S SeeP location," said Stillwater city a $100 million project they're call- administrator Nile Kriesel. Since ing the Heart of the City. Stillwater spent several million Although the Metropolitan Coun- dollars to revamp the city's streets cil touts the project as an ideal n n and sidewalks, the tax base in the model for the more compact devel- dO YMowarea has increased 10 percent to 12 opment called"smart growth" and 11 percent a year since 1991. has granted the city millions for "Stillwater is an example of the project, the sentiment inside • • •• what can happen," he said. But he the city is decidedly mixed. 1 en 1 �le isn't sure the city's model can be Some residents and council mem- 1 v reproduced just anywhere. The bers say spending grant and tax- city's long history and picturesque increment financing funds to buy TAMMY J.OSE{D STAFF WRITER surroundings are central to its up the aging buildings and strip downtown success, he said. malls is premature. Others say the owntown suburbia. That would have And that success doesn't come 32-acre site surrounding Nicollet Ijn an oxymoron just a decade ago, without problems — residents feel- Avenue will never feel like a true eeow city officials from Lakeville to ing pushed out by all the tourists, downtown. Forest Lake are scramblin to revamp for one. Before the redevelopment, Others echo Burnsville resident existing downtowns and build new town residents could stop downtown and Wayne Huelskoetter, who heads up centers. . recognize 29 of 30 people, Kriesel the project's steering committee, Suburbs once hapy to be Twin Cities said. Now, one out of 30 familiar who said recently that the city bedroom communities are now striving for faces is more typical as shoppers needs a central place for residents their own identities and, increasingly, that from around the metro area flood "to play, to eat, to shop and to live." includes creating new downtowns. And to downtown Stillwater. Without an existing downtown, those small towns once far removed from That creates problem No. 2: however, it could be difficult to • the metro area are fighting to retain their parking. convince developers to use the individuality — and their downtowns — as That's a problem that suburbs pedestrian-friendly models that suburban development threatens to swallow like Lakeville — where downtown make downtowns so appealing, said them whole. -- business owners are trying to draw Jim Robinson, White Bear Lake's Inspired by successful downtowns in the new people to the 120-year-old dis- community development director. likes of White Bear Lake, Hastings and trict — would like to have, said Over the past decade that city Stillwater, planners across the metro area Greg Peterka, one of the leaders of has expanded its original downtown also hope to draw the affluent shoppers the Lakeville Downtown Business and decreased vacant property in that frequent those upscale shops to their Association. the area from about 30 percent to own tax districts. "We have a beautiful downtown, nearly zero and drawn in much But without Stillwater's history or White- but nobody uses it," said Grant more revenue for the city's tax Bear Lake's charm, some residents wonder Jacobson, who lives downtown. coffers. whether they'll be left with the Trill if the It's not that Lakeville doesn't So despite the caveats, it's that multimillion-dollar downtown projects fail have the people: In the past decade success that is proving irresistible alone, the city grew 73 percent, to Burnsville and other suburbs, DOWNTOWNS CONTINUED ON 2B ► from 24,854 to 43,128, according to such as Mendota Heights, Roseville recently released census figures. and Ramsey, which are also con- j. But Lakeville's downtown, origi- sidering creating new downtowns, nally a separate city named Fair- or other suburbs — Forest Lake, field, is south of most of that Rosemount and others —that want growth. It's closer to the pickups to redevelop existing downtowns. io, that raise dust as they barrel down "If you don't do something, it's gravel farm roads than moms in just going to continue to languish," sport utility vehicles hauling their Kriesel said. kids to after-school activities. As the growth moves south, down- Tammy J.Oseid,who covers Apple Valley, town business owners hope to cap- Burnsville and Lakeville,can be reached ture some of it, but for now, most at toseid@pioneerpress.com new residents are passing on the or(651)228-2171.