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REJournals.com -Big Lake draws attention as commuter rail terminus, but development e... Page 1 of 3
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<br />Jan. 07, 2008 • 09:42 AM
<br />Tuesday January O1 2008
<br />Welcome, Catherine
<br />Big Lake draws attention as commuter rail terminus, i
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<br />but development expectations are tempered gnou
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<br />Developers, city officials taking a 'wait-and-see' attitude as retail, housing markets in
<br />Sherburne County shake out
<br />Anne Bretts Staff Writer
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<br />Sure, the $340 million Northstar Commuter Rail line is good news for Big Lake, __~
<br />Anoka, Coon Rapids and Fridley. And of course, local officials in those `,;~ ,
<br />communities believe the line will spur development along the Burlington
<br />Northern Santa Fe tracks that will carry the commuter line's estimated 4,100 '_!
<br />riders each work day, starting in 2009. ~ c ,
<br />Still, out at the end of the 40-mile line from downtown Minneapolis to Big Lake, ~~_~~~,~.~~~~~-~'
<br />folks aren't bracing for a land rush just yet, even though work is under way in
<br />Big Lake on a 60,000 square foot maintenance facility for the rail line, Wednesday;
<br />employing approximately 23 to 26 full time employees. In the meantime, a F~~?TUil~~r 1~
<br />transit bus line designed to run until the trains take over is filled each day. Z~(~$
<br />"Ever bod s holdin back takin await-and-see a roach " sa s Jim Thares
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<br />community development director for the city of Big Lake. "I think people
<br />believe that once the train starts running you'll see some projects, but I doubt ,orz~c,~x~t5~•
<br />that there will be any dirt turning before the trains start running."
<br />Thares also points out that adecade-long housing boom that produced up to
<br />150 homes a year went bust along with the national market earlier in the year, ~.,..,i
<br />resulting in much more realistic expectations for the near future. RfAl.ES1AtE,~l
<br />And the mixed-use developments that have had some success in the more
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<br />densely populated city and suburban locations have hit hard times in sma .
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<br />towns: The nearby Ramsey Town Center, for instance, has collapsed in a eNE1NSl.ETTER
<br />financial failure of epic proportions without ever getting off the drawing board,
<br />and in Elk River, aretail/townhome project downtown has had limited success, ~.~~,~~
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<br />with rental units full but retail leasing and townhome sales weak. -
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<br />Chuck Heitz, a Big Lake city councilor for 21 years and the head of the local ~. ~ ~.....,~ .v...,..,
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<br />economic development authority, says the recent publicity over final federal
<br />funding for the Northstar rail project has put the town on the radar of the Twin
<br />Cities business community.
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<br />"People are hearing about Big Lake and saying, 'There must be something
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<br />going on up there,"' he says. But he adds the economic situation in Wright and .
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<br />Sherburne counties is far more complicated that the expected success of a
<br />single rail line. ~ '~~ -
<br />Heitz, Thares and others involved with northern metro counties say they have would you like to
<br />advertise W+m us?
<br />several factors workin in their favor.
<br />9 Learn how you can_.
<br />* The area lies between the Twin Cities and St. Cloud, so it benefits from the
<br />rapid growth coming from both directions. The distance is shorter than between
<br />the Twin Cities and Duluth or Rochester, so growth is condensed and has more
<br />impact.
<br />* The Interstate 94 and Highway 169 freeways are major regional and national
<br />transportation routes, moving people and goods.
<br />* Large industrial sites and relatively low land costs draw suburban businesses
<br />http://www.mrej.com/story.cfin?Market=MN&StoryID=15395 1/7/2008
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