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3 <br />DOWNTOWN ELK RIVER <br />Downtown has been the economic and cultural heart of the city, <br />ever since the first trains rolled into town in the 1870’s. Today, the <br />downtown core area - the area on Main Street west of Highway <br />10 - is a series of walkable blocks with main street commercial <br />buildings and apartment housing. This commercial heart quickly <br />transitions to a single family neighborhood to the west. <br />North of the core, is a mix of industrial and small commercial, <br />eventually transitioning to a small residential neighborhood. To <br />the east of the core then is a small commercial corridor along <br />Main Street, connecting Highway’s 10 and 169. <br />Downtown faces a series of infrastructure and natural <br />challenges. Bounded by Highway 169 to the east, the downtown <br />is bisected by Highway 10 and the rail line, right through its <br />core. The difficulties each presents in terms of connectivity and <br />development, cannot be overstated. Further, the Mississippi <br />bounds the area to the south. While there are immense <br />opportunities to better connect to the river, today, the downtown <br />only minimally addresses the river. <br />Despite these challenges, there are numerous opportunities <br />for the city to guide transformational redevelopment, promote <br />enhanced multimodal connectivity, and provide destination <br />public space experiences. <br />Scale of OpportunityHeart of the City <br />The scale of the downtown area is comparable to several other downtowns in <br />surrounding communities. Additionally, its a size in which its core area is all within <br />an approximately 10-minute walk - a standard measure for a comfortable walking <br />distance. <br />Downtown Anoka <br />Downtown Elk River <br />Downtown Monticello <br />Downtown St. Cloud <br />10 min walk <br />DOWNTOWN CORE <br />HWY <br />1 <br />0 <br />BNSF <br />R <br />A <br />I <br />L <br /> <br />L <br />I <br />N <br />E <br />MISSISSIPPI RIVER <br />HW <br />Y <br /> <br />1 <br />6 <br />9 <br />Page 73 of 157