Despite coming up short with a funding request at the legislature this year, Ramsey County is still pushing ahead with plans for $89 million worth of infrastructure work related to the ambitious Rice Creek Commons mixed-use development in Arden Hills.
Ramsey County sought $25 million in state bonding to assist with stormwater work and construction of a public roadway, known as Spine Road, on the 427-acre county-owned development site at the northwest quadrant of Interstate 35W and Highway 96.
The legislature adjourned in May without passing a bonding bill, but county officials said Thursday plans are still moving forward.
“The county is currently working with the Joint Development Authority, city of Arden Hills and development partners on opportunities to advance infrastructure plans while looking ahead to continued bonding conversations at the legislature next session,” Larina Vosika DeWalt, redevelopment manager for Ramsey County, said in an emailed statement.
In its funding pitch, Ramsey County said the infrastructure work holds the key to “unlocking the development potential” of the once-polluted site, also known as the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition property. Working with the city and developer Alatus, Ramsey County expects the site to eventually attract $1 billion of development.
Described by Ramsey County as a “cohesive mix of residential and commercial neighborhoods surrounding a town center,” Rice Creek Commons could eventually include more than 200 acres of public space and nearly 2,000 housing units, including affordable housing. The county has invested about $43.7 million on the once-polluted site to date.
In March, Ramsey County put out a request for proposals for engineering services to develop design plans and specifications for Rice Creek Commons infrastructure, including “grading, roadways, drainage, stormwater management features, mitigated wetlands and public utilities.”
Also included is final design work for the Spine Road, which will provide “primary access to future residential neighborhoods and commercial areas throughout the site, as well as a direct connection to Interstate 35W,” according to the RFP.
Design work under that contract is expected to begin July 1, as scheduled in the RFP.
“The Rice Creek Commons infrastructure contract is in the final stages of the procurement process and remains on track for a start date on or around July 1. Ramsey County anticipates having additional information to share as early as next week,” DeWalt said in the statement.
‘Model’ for sustainability
Earlier this year, the development partners hired Ever-Green Energy to partner with Xcel Energy and the energy committee of the Rice Creek Commons Joint Development Authority on a plan to make Rice Creek Commons a “model for innovative and equitable climate resilient development.”
Minnesota-based engineering and architecture firm LHB, an Ever-Green Energy subcontractor, is working on a similar initiative for The Heights, an ambitious mixed-use redevelopment of the former Hillcrest Golf Course in St. Paul.
Rick Carter, chairman of the board of LHB, said a number of environmental options for Rice Creek Commons are on the table, including the possibility of implementing sustainability guidelines such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED for Communities.
The sustainability team is “crunching all the numbers to say, ‘If they build according to this level of pretty aggressive energy efficiency today, and we can do so much in the way of waste reduction and EV promotion, we can get that greenhouse gas emission down as close as we can to zero,” Carter said in an interview this week.
Another key parcel adjacent to the site is lined up for commercial redevelopment. In January, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a $12.7 million sale and purchase agreement with Ryan Cos. US Inc. for the 40-acre parcel, known as “Outlot A.”
Ryan said it planned to bring up to 600,000 square feet of new uses to the property. Possible uses include a corporate campus, a research and development center, life science offices, manufacturing and distribution facilities, retail and restaurant space.
Zoned for commercial development, the property is along Interstate 35W and has direct access from County Road H on the northwest portion of the Rice Creek Commons redevelopment area.
Ryan “continues to see these 40 acres as one of the best build-to-suit sites in the region, ideal for attracting regional or national employers,” Peter Fitzgerald, Ryan’s vice president of real estate development, said in an email Thursday.
“Identifying the right group requires diligence and we are actively engaging with potential end users,” Fitzgerald said. “We’re excited about the opportunity to work alongside Ramsey County and the city of Arden hills to attract an amazing company and create momentum for the greater Rice Creek Commons development.”
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