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2006 CEAM Project of the Year

Industrial Area Redevelopment/Huset Parkway Reconstruction
Columbia Heights, Minnesota

The City had been working on the redevelopment of an aging foundry and industrial area that is adjacent to their municipal park and City Hall, between 37th and 40th Avenue, east of University Avenue (TH 47), for over a decade. Foundries had been in operation in the area since the early 1900s, but in the ‘40s and ‘50s, other industrial operations began moving into the area. These included machine shops, plating operations, automotive repair businesses, and chemical manufacturers. Since 1988, more and more buildings in the area had become vacant, with many becoming physically obsolete and economically non-viable. As a result, the City started forming a new vision for the area that would encompass several multi-faceted goals. These included:

• Improving the quality and quantity of physical development in the area.
• Improving the area’s economic viability.
• Meeting community housing needs.
• Improving the area’s image.
• Responding to additional needs and desires of the community as the project developed and took shape.

Momentum built when the City prepared an “Industrial Area Redevelopment Plan” that would serve as a master planning document. The City then conducted a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, which identified the extent of soil and groundwater contamination within the project area, and foreshadowed the significant effort and determination that would be needed to foster change. Huset Parkway was envisioned as serving as the “backbone” that would connect Huset Park, the largest and the most popular of the City’s parks, with the Industrial Redevelopment Area, and supporting the development of a strong interactive neighborhood.

A Phase II Environmental Report and Response Action Plan was prepared to address the soil and groundwater contamination.

In conjunction with the industrial site cleanup and other planning activities surrounding the redevelopment area, the City also needed to address issues regarding aging utilities, storm water deficiencies, park improvements, and traffic impacts/access as land use in the area changed.

Once the Phase I and II Environmental Assessments were completed, building surveys and abatement completed, the old buildings were demolished to make way for new construction.

To move the project forward, the City focused on removing the physical barriers to new development and creating an attractive environment for redevelopment. Accomplishing this required three main public initiatives. The City would need to:

• Facilitate demolishing buildings to offset the additional site preparation costs for developers.
• Assume responsibility for determining the need for site remediation and developing a plan for cleanup, understanding that a “clean site” would be essential to development.
• Employ public space improvements to create a more appealing setting; i.e., investing in streets, streetscaping, parks, and utilities to support the area’s transformation.

In the end, the City will have spent more than $6.5 million cleaning up a contaminated properties and right of way. They removed 15 blighted buildings, solved local flooding problems, invested in new housing, and rebuilt public utilities and streets. The project has realized $125 million in new property value, increasing the value in the area by 13%. This increase has effectively raised $1.7 million in new property taxes, creating a more affordable school district operating levy among other benefits.

Today, the redevelopment area is a shining example of what can be accomplished when a community sets forth a vision and a plan that focuses on creating public/private partnerships to resolve challenges and remove barriers. Having now overcome several obstacles and achieving its vision for revitalizing the project area, the City is well deserving of earning this award.