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project as it stands is similar to the Calthorpe concept. He added that the project website has received a lot of hits; the majority of citizen concern seems to be regarding the project's traffic generation. There are 37 FTE (full-time equivalent) staff cm'rently working on the project. Engcn said Ramsey Town Center LLC wants existing Ramsey businesses to have first crack at locating in the Town Center, and wanted to establish a Ramsey business council with a first meeting possibly in early February. He added that putting an emphasis on local businesses (Ramsey and Twin Cities) will help the project be successful. Engen said discussions with the school district about the project were just beginning. l'rincipal Planner Trudgeon asked about the timing for the project. Engen said the entire project might take 10 years to build out, while the heart of the project (including residential) might take 3-5 years. Trudgeon said a number of factors affect the timing of the project: infrastructure design and phasing, siting of the Park and Ride, project phasing and funding, the Sunwood Drive extension, Met Council funding, and land acquisition. There was discussion of the status of the Park and Ride and the North Star Corridor project. Steve Sis asked if the fact that the project was being built on a greenfield site meant cost savings could be passed to commercial and residential developers. Tim Engen said yes, in the area of 20-30%. There was discussion of the role of public subsidy in the pro. ject. Tim Engen said there was consideration of allowing builders to construct housing on a residential district basis rather than lot-by-lot, in a PUD-type approach. He said most of the builders (about 18 total) were already lined up for the project. Councihnember Pearson asked about public facilities in the project; there was a discussion of the role of city hall and govermnent functions in the Town Center, particularly police and fire. Principal Planner Trudgeon said these concerns were beginning to be addressed at the staff level. Tim Engen said Ramsey Town Center LLC was aiming for a range of lifecycle housing, and is currently considering a senior campus area and a medical facility. Community Development Intern Geisler asked about the mix of housing being proposed for the project. Engen said there would be row houses, condominiums, some apartments, and a small amount of single-family housing and housing over retail. There was more discussion of the status of the potential Mississippi River bridge crossing. Eric Watson asked about ownership on the site. Engen said all land included in the concept plan is on contract. There was discussion of the possibility of creating an "entertainment pool" that Town Center businesses would contribute to in order to program entertainment in Town Center public spaces. Meeting adjourned.