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REGION our end of the world in terms of our ability to _
<br /> compete for economic development and
<br /> • from page 39 jobs,"said Joseph Strauss, executive director
<br /> of the North Metro Mayors Association.
<br /> 54,568 households and 94,431 jobs. Major Target projects include improvements to
<br /> corporations located here include General Highway 100 from Highway 55 all the way
<br /> Mills Inc.,Graco Inc.,Tennant Co.and Grow through Brooklyn Center. That project is
<br /> Biz International Inc. in Golden Valley. expected to materialize within the next five
<br /> Fridley is home to Medtronic Inc. and The years. "That's a big success for Brooklyn
<br /> Rottlund Co. Inc., while New Hope is the Center,Robbinsdale,Crystal,New Hope and
<br /> headquarters for Navarre Corp. Golden Valley,"Strauss said.
<br /> Although some new development is occur- The expansion of Highway 610, also
<br /> ring,activity in this older region is being dri- called the Northern Crosstown,is another big
<br /> yen largely by redevelopment projects.In the project that will have a major impact on the
<br /> Valley Square Redevelopment Area,, for northwestern infrastructure. Highway 610
<br /> example, an 8-acre site located at the corner will connect Brooklyn Park to Maple Grove
<br /> of Highway. 55 and Wisconsin Avenue,devel- and will parallel the Highway 62 Crosstown
<br /> opers are proposing a 120,000-square-foot in the south metro.
<br /> office space.
<br /> Golden Valley was ranked among the top Outer-ring areas going`gangbusters'
<br /> 25 cities in the metro area for It's not as easy to define where the bound-
<br /> commercial/industrial permits granted in aries of the outer ring suburbs end,but some
<br /> 1995 with$7 million.Fridley is another active of the cities in this area include Corcoran,
<br /> first-tier suburb with 1995 permits valued at Rockford, Greenfield, Hassen, Rogers,
<br /> $12.2 million,according to the Met Council. Hanover,Champlin,Dayton,Anoka,Ramsey,
<br /> The bulk of the northwest metro's new res- Andover,Burns,Oak Grove,Fast Bethel and
<br /> idential and commercial development is Ham Lake. Both residential and commercial _
<br /> occurring in the middle-ring suburbs. Cities expansion is gradually permeating these rural
<br /> include Maple Grove,Brooklyn Park,Osseo, outer-ring communities. Major corporations
<br /> Coon Rapids and Blaine.These communities located here include First Team Sports Inc.in
<br /> • are home to 208,966 people, 72,723 house- Anoka,and Ultra Pac Inc.of Rogers.
<br /> holds and 64,284 jobs. Residential development here is on the
<br /> Many of these cities ranked among the top rise, but home values vary. Among the most
<br /> 20 communities in the metro area for single- active outer-ring suburbs for new residential
<br /> family home-building permits in 1996. development are Andover with 272 new per-
<br /> Plymouth reported 441; Brooklyn Park,433; mits in 1996 and Ramsey with 227.
<br /> Maple Grove, 356; Blaine, 263; and Coon Residential permit values range across the
<br /> Rapids, 243. The average value of a new board from an average of$98,225 in Ramsey
<br /> home ranged from $109,689 in Blaine to to the 21 permits in Corcoran that averaged
<br /> $84,720 in Coon Rapids.Top ranking middle- $279,517.Top ranking outer-ring suburbs for
<br /> ring suburbs for new commercial/industrial commercial/industrial permit values issued in
<br /> permits in 1995 included Coon Rapids at$34 1995 include Anoka with $13 million and
<br /> million, Plymouth at $18.4 million, Maple Champlin with$9.2 million.
<br /> Grove at$16.5 million and Brooklyn Park at In many.cases,outer-ring cities are under-
<br /> $13.3 million,according to the Met Council. going a transformation. Established rural
<br /> Plymouth hosts a variety of major corpo- communities such as Buffalo, Elk River and
<br /> rations including Polaris Industries Inc., Zimmerman are being viewed by many as
<br /> Minntech Corp., Grand Casinos Inc., Miles new Twin Cities"suburbs."Many of the cities
<br /> Homes Inc., Norstan Inc., In Home Health are capitalizing on the northwest expansion to
<br /> Inc. and Braun's Fashions Corp.Other major attract new business.
<br /> employers include Computer Network "We're all really aware of the fact that
<br /> Technology Corp. in Maple Grove, and industry is needed for the tax base,"said Judie
<br /> Damark International and Network Systems Rose,director of the Economic Development
<br /> Corp.in Brooklyn Park. Partnership of Wright County.
<br /> Plymouth has been very active in recent Residential growth is going"gangbusters"
<br /> years, and much of its land has already been in Sherburne County,partly because it is out-
<br /> developed. Maple Grove also is seeing side the Met Council's seven-county region,
<br /> increased development activity with only and there are fewer barriers for developers,
<br /> about one-half of the city developed. Growth said Michael Darger, economic development
<br /> • that started out as residential is now shifting to coordinator of Sherburne Co. 'We certainly
<br /> commercial and industrial.One new area the are the fastest-growing county in residential
<br /> city has targeted for new development is a growth in the state,"Darger said.
<br /> 2,000-acre former gravel pit. Sherburne County reported 974 single-
<br /> Although Brooklyn Park is an older com- family permits in 1996 with an average value
<br /> munity,it still has one-third of its land yet to of $97,389. And along with the residential
<br /> develop. "The city at this point is taking a growth comes increased efforts to attract new
<br /> very close look at what kind of mix of hous- business to the area.
<br /> ing they want in the city as a total,while they The big economic development issues are
<br /> still have one-third of the land to make land, people and resources. The city of Elk
<br /> changes in the balance," said Marge River,for example,plans to add an additional
<br /> Friederichs, executive vice president of the•. 400 acres of industrial property, while Big
<br /> North Hennepin Chamber of Commerce. Lake is working to bring 60 acres of industri-
<br /> Economic development in Anoka County al land on-line along Highway 10. North of
<br /> has focused almost exclusively on attracting Elk River, Zimmerman also is working to
<br /> he emerging technology-based companies, expand its city land by annexing neighboring
<br /> said Roger Jensen, executive director of the land and expanding water and sewer services.
<br /> Anoka County Economic Development One obstacle for business growth in these
<br /> Partnership. The partnership capitati7ed on outer-ring communities is the squeeze on an
<br /> the fact that Medtronic was based in Fridley, already tight labor market. Businesses are
<br /> Ind the corporation was spinning off a lot of concerned that a lack of qualified applicants
<br /> -rew companies, Jensen said. One of the big will affect their ability to grow. One
<br /> successes has been the development of the Sherburne County solutionis to promote
<br /> Minnesota Medical Enterprise Park in Coon "school-to-work" programs to get students
<br /> Rapids. into available jobs,as well as educating busi-
<br /> A major focus for many of these commu- nesses on available resources. ■
<br /> uties is improving the transportation infra-
<br /> ,tructure."Transportation obviously is key to
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