INFORMATION #1 EDSR 01-14-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REJournals.com -Big Lake draws attention as commuter rail terminus, but development e... Page 3 of 3 5,651 workers commuting out and only about 1,452 commuting into Big Lake each day. Commuters heading out end up in surrounding communities but also as far away as St. Cloud and downtown Minneapolis. But there is a strong manufacturing sector as well. Macht says that in 2006, the Big Lake area had 2,960 workers in 336 companies, with a total payroll of $98.9 million. Of those, 208 companies were inside the city, with 2,212 jobs. The good news for Big Lake was that 27.3 percent were in goods production, compared to a state total of only 18.9 percent. And Big Lake added 902 jobs between 2000 and 2006, an increase of a whopping 43.8 percent compared to the state rate o 2.4 percent. Other major job sectors are education, ambulatory healthcare services, construction and retail. Sherburne County Administrator Roger Benson says the success of the three- year-old coach line along the Northstar route shows the new rail line will be a success in terms of ridership. He sees the impact being felt most directly in small developments near the stations. Another benefit will be less tangible, as the cities along the line market themselves to workers and employers. "I think a lot of people will look at it as an amenity, like nice parks," he says. He also says that while the focus has been on the connection to the Twin Cities, he believes the link to St. Cloud, which isn't in the budget yet, is just as important to residents. "There are a lot of students and faculty who go to St. Cloud," he says. There also are a lot of people in the area who work and shop in St. Cloud and the other cities west of the current route. The Northstar Commuter Rail line might have one unexpected benefit. No one factored the housing slump into the Northstar timetable, and the line alone won't turn the economy around. But it could give the area an advantage in as buyers re-enter the market. "I think it will bounce back sooner because it is a growth corridor," Thares says of the residential market. "Having the train link will help it." ;~lrnessota Re&i E. tat ~ Jrur~~ar ~; 5i ~P:'wrrsT~ L;'v c!, ~riie ~07 Mii~na;,pfili5, MN S°,4~v L <°H '31u 19:,x} fte:al Lst~te I'ublfshi~ig Cirst:p 415 N St~:e 3tr~ei Chic;~~ra ILo06'10 1 f3H3-753-7E3LH C:Qpy riyt'tt :?(i (7G~,?~ 7_; <) r«al Esia~.a E'uh.i>h.i~t; Ei mup. [3y is ,Inq U~iS 5~te yo a ag rFe t:> the 7P_~ms; Ot Use . http://www.mrej.com/story.cfm?Market=MN&StoryID=15395 1/7/2008