7.3. SR 08-15-2005 - Laserfiche WebLink

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special session that ended July 13. Governor Pawlenty may call for a special session to address stadiums and other issues this fall. Chuck Ballentine, of NCDA member Hennepin County, chaired a third discussion at the Northstar Project Office on June 22 with staff from HOK Architects, Twins Management, Hennepin County, and the Northstar Project Office. Discussion focused on areas of potential space conflicts adjacent to the commuter rail and light rail platforms. The property owners of the Twins ballpark site have teamed with Hines developers and announced plans for a major transit oriented development either with or without the ballpark. Stated plans include 1,000 residential units with a ballpark or a mixed-use development including 3,000 residential units without a ballpark. The property owners cite the inter-modal access afforded by Northstar and Hiawatha as key elements in their development plans. Staff continue to meet with both ballpark designers and the developers. VIII. Procurement System Review The FT A conducted a procurement system review of Mn/DOT and the Metropolitan Council, including the Northstar and Hiawatha Projects. Staff from Leon Sneed and Associates arrived June 6 and departed June 24. The review team also visited Anoka County to interview NCDA procurement personnel and view NCDA procured contracts. At the exit conference the review team described shortcomings they found in the overall procurement processes of each organization as well as shortcomings within specific contract files. They noted that as the projects progressed and the agencies learned more about the FT A's requirements, the shortcomings were reduced. The review team will complete their final report by July 26 and the organizations will have an opportunity to respond. IX. BNSF Negotiations The NCDA and BNSF have fully executed the Rail Passenger Capital Improvements Agreement and Amendment #1. The Agreement specifies the capacity improvements that will undergo advanced and final design. The amendment added funding to the contract amount to pay for the engineering of certain improvements that were included in the scope but had not yet been fully negotiated with BNSF's engineering consultant. BNSF issued a request for proposals for a consultant to perform the work, consistent with federal procurement requirements. BNSF has assigned a project manager to oversee the work, which should commence by mid-July. PMT member Ken Stevens will act as liaison with the railroad on the engineering activities. Northstar's lead negotiator, Cliff Greene of the Greene Espellaw firm, has identified priorities for the next phase of negotiations, including liability and risk allocation, tax consequences of the transaction for BNSF, and options for structuring the operating agreement. The anticipated time frame for the completion of the Monthly Report -14- Northstar Corridor Rail Project July 18, 2005