Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 04/10/2014

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City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan Chapter 3: Community Background History The City of Ramsey is located in the southwestern corner of Anoka County, on the northwest edge of the seven -county Twin Cities metropolitan area, as shown in Figure 3-2. Two rivers pass through the City of Ramsey, as the Rum River is located at the eastern border of the City and the Mississippi at the southern border. Initial settlement of the Ramsey can be attributed to trade activities along the Mississippi River in the southwest corner of Ramsey at Highway 10 and the Mississippi River. This settlement became a permanent colony in 1850, and was known as Itasca Village. The town grew to include a hotel, trading post, and a post office. The railroad reached Ramsey in 1864. Settlement in the area continued, and the Township of Ramsey was organized in 1857. Originally called Watertown Township, the township was renamed as Ramsey Township in 1858 after Governor Ramsey, the first territorial governor of Minnesota. Many of Ramsey's original settlers had arrived on a steamboat also named after this governor. Ramsey Township incorporated as a city in 1974, with a population of 8,000. Due to the lack of municipal services, much of Ramsey's growth throughout the 1970s and 1980s consisted of the development of large lot single family homes with septic systems. This residential growth was the primary land use other than agriculture in the City. The city's growth has been driven by its proximity to the Minneapolis -St. Paul area. The Minneapolis -St. Paul metropolitan area has also experienced rapid growth in recent years, and much of this growth has occurred in northwest communities such as Ramsey. In 1985 municipal sewer and water reached a small area of southeast Ramsey, allowing for denser, more urban development. With the introduction of sewer and water service, industry and commercial uses became more prominent. Today the City consists of farms, large lot single family homes, and more urban single family and multi -family homes in the areas of the City served by sewer, as well as several business parks and commercial areas. Town Center Project The City of Ramsey lacks an identifiable downtown but a large cutting edge project is underway to create one. The idea of creating a downtown area from scratch first surfaced in 1998. The City of Ramsey and developer Bruce Nedegaard realized the potential benefit from attracting a stop on the proposed Northstar commuter rail line. They envisioned a transit orientated, pedestrian friendly, mixed use development with a downtown feel. The plan set in motion included restaurants, retail space, city facilities, a charter school, office space, numerous housing options, a large parking ramp and a commuter rail stop. Work began on the project in spring of 2004 with completion expected in 3-5 years. The project is located north of TH10/169 bordered by Armstrong Blvd. to the west and Ramsey Blvd. to the east. Infrastructure was installed costing the city about $17 million and the county $4.2 million In the fall of 2005, the Coborn's Supermarket opened. Later that fall the developer defaulted on a $35 million dollar loan, which lead to RTC, LLC estate taking over as the lead lender on the loan. In early October 2006, the new Ramsey Municipal Center opened housing City Hall and the Police Department. Since the completion of these improvements however, the original developer of the project went bankrupt and has passed away. The slowdown in the housing market has also had an effect on the project. Construction has slowed dramatically on the Town Center Project. The land once owned by Nedegaard's Ramsey Town Center, LLC is now owned by RTC, LLC estate. The City's goal is to preserve the original plan for Town Center. City of Ramsey 2030 Comprehensive Plan 3-4