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<br />Printer version: Ramsey thinks big <br /> <br />Page 1 of3 <br /> <br />startribune.com <br /> <br />Close window <br /> <br />Last update: March 15, 2005 at 5:12 PM <br /> <br />. Ramsey thinks big <br /> <br />Sarah Me Cann <br />Star Tribune <br />Published March 16,2005 <br /> <br />Another north-metro pride and joy, the Ramsey Town Center project, is ready for birth. This one's a <br />giant. <br /> <br />Expectant developers, city officials and a task force have mapped its every feature. <br /> <br />Within the month they'll see the conception become tangible as groundbreaking begins for the Coborns <br />Grocery Store. <br /> <br />In May construction starts on the City Hall and police station, and the first 600-stall parking ramp will <br />be built. <br /> <br />This year starts off home sales along with business, retail, service and entertainment openings on the <br />322-acre site that used to be farmland. <br /> <br />The Town Center's development style, sometimes called smart growth, is gaining popularity in the Twin <br />Cities and nationally. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The idea is to avoid haphazard sprawl and instead plan a community with a sense of place that provides <br />nearby services, preserves open space, holds a range of housing types and makes all kinds of <br />transportation convenient. <br /> <br />What is the Town Center about? <br /> <br />The goal is to build a sense of community where people live, work, shop, play, work out, learn and eat <br />in an appealing atmosphere. <br /> <br />The design aims to achieve that in a dense but well-planned environment that is easy to get around by <br />foot, bike, car or public transit and embraces natural green space. <br /> <br />What will be there? <br /> <br />· A heart oftown: A 30-acre core will have a movie theater, restaurants, a Winter Garden with an indoor <br />park and banquet space, City Hall, the police station and possibly a performing arts center. <br /> <br />· Transit center: There will be 400 commuter park-and-ride spaces, which could expand to 800 in the <br />future. The area is also designed to accommodate the Northstar Commuter Rail, which does not include <br />a Ramsey stop for its first phase, buta stop in Ramsey is being strongly considered for the future. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />· Living: There will be more than 2,000 housing units including lofts, single- and multiple-family <br />housing, rentals and 300 units for senior living. All units will cost $160,000 to $500,000. <br /> <br />http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story . php ?template=print_ a&story=529 1 44 2 <br /> <br />3/16/2005 <br />