Agenda - Council - 02/14/2006 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Draft highway-orientated retail. This area is not served by City sewer and water. Many of the uses are contained on large lots that have small buildings on them. Several are used for outdoor storage with only minor accessory buildings upon them. This area is also burdened with the fact that major transportation corridors are planned for tiffs area. These improvements include an upgrade of Armstrong Blvd. to four lanes with limited access, the construction of freeway interchange at Armstrong Blvd. and Hwy. 10, and most importantly, the Mississippi River Bridge Crossing (See Figure 1). The future bridge crossing is the most significant of the major transportation improvements as it will create an art/tidal boundary from adjacent development to the west. The bridge crossing will also make the land in this area much more visible and much more feasible for commercial/retail/office uses. Keeping the existing uses in this area west of the Ramsey Town Center does not seem to be a viable option. Absent any public involvement, th_is area will eventually convert to commercial/retail/office uses in a piecemeal fashion dictated by individual choices by sellers and buyers. Conclusion: A review of current land uses around the Ramsey Town Center shows that redeveloping to the south is impractical as it w/ll be converted to h/ghway fight- of-way, east of the Kamsey Town Center contains a newer business park that has several major employers, and the land to the north currently exists and is guided for' residential purposes. The area to the west of Ramsey Town Center due to its collection of vacant lots, industrial buildings, outdoor storage, and retail uses is a candidate for redevelopment. Coupling the variety of uses with the fact that major transportation corridors will impact this area in a way that will be disruptive to the existing uses as well as providing the area more visibility, it becomes clear that the area west of the Ramsey Town Center will undergo a change. A haphazard development west of the Ramsey Town Center is not in the best interest of the City of Ramsey nor its residents. Therefore, the City of Ramsey has determined that it MI1 focus on the studying the area west of the Ramsey Town Center and explore ways in which the City can foster the development. For the purposes of this report the area west of Ramsey Town Center will be called "Ramsey Crossings". The reminder of this report will review the following information as it pertains to the Ramsey Crossings area. · The site characteristics of Ramsey Crossings. · Discussion of previous plans, studies, and guiding documents for Rarnsey Crossings. · The rationale for development of th/s area · Determination of the next steps. 2236- 4