Posted: 6/4/03

South side in FL will get look for center

Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A new county North Service Center for Forest Lake could happen as early as 2005, but timing and negotiations will be key factors in the process.

A public hearing last month before the Washington County Board reviewed a five-year capital improvement program that includes funding for a new county government annex in Forest Lake.

Such a facility in Forest Lake has been studied for several years, but now it appears a formal plan is taking shape that would locate county facilities on what is today the Northland Mall complex.

But when it happens is a matter of timing, according to Chip Robinson, Forest Lake city administrator, and Dennis Hegberg, District One county commissioner.

And negotiations with land owners impacted by the project are still in the preliminary stage, the officials said.

ìThis is all real tentative,î Robinson said.

The shift to the south side of Forest Lake is a change in direction for city and county planners. For the past two years, a proposed site has been the E.J. Houle, Inc. mill site south of W. Broadway Ave. and west of Centennial Drive.

Hegberg said this week the mill site has been ruled out in part because of traffic growth downtown.

ìAnd it is growing pretty well, too,î Hegberg said of commercial projects now under construction.

With the city and county also looking for land to house a future transit center, Robinson said the mall property provides a viable site but one that will require coordination.

Robinson said city officials have had several preliminary meetings with officials of Forest Lake Associates, the mallís owner, but acquisition has not been a direct subject.

The city administrator said the mall property could be part of an even larger scale development effort that will look at land from SW 11th Avenue south to TH-97.

Those redevelopment efforts would take in property now housing Winnick Supply, Inc., Dresel Trucking and Aggregate Industries.

The long-range development, he said, could include a mix of commercial and housing projects, Robinson said.

The administrator said a 32-acre parcel of city-owned land south of 202nd St. N. and east of US-61 could be used as a relocation site for some or all of the current businesses.

Robinson said the combined city-county project would likely be done in phases with the North Service Center and transit hub the first two key ingredients for the plan.

County plans

Hegberg says timing will be important to the project.

The county this week continued its review of the capital outlay plan and the countyís desire to move forward with a $214,349,000 bonding program from 2003-2007. A June 24th public hearing continuation is also on the docket.

Plans call for three bond issues to be sold to pay for planned improvements.

Hegberg says the county is waiting on the city to help specify and secure a site for the new county government service center in Forest Lake. ìThey have to determine a location for us,î he said of the cityís role.

Right now, Hegberg says the county is planning to spend $9.8 million to build a 53,000-square-foot complex in Forest Lake. It will include 20,000 square feet for a new county library here.

In addition to the library, the new building would include space for the license center and other county programs and staff.

A key point, Hegberg says, is the timing of expansion at the main county government facility in Stillwater. The work will include new space for Court Services. That work is slated in 2007-2008 and Hegberg is optimistic the north facility can be completed by then to provide space for county services impacted by construction.

Under the current planning, Hegberg said by 2007 Court Services may be forced to conduct all court sessions in Stillwater. That would mean an end to regular court sessions offered in Forest Lake.

Hegberg is hopeful that Forest Lake can retain its court facilities during construction of the Stillwater facility and beyond. Because the 10th Judicial includes Washington, Anoka and Chisago counties, Hegberg says he hopes to convince Court Services to continue to offer court here for residents in this three-county area.

ìI disagree with that,î Hegberg said of the plan to consolidate in Stillwater. ìThat maybe makes too much sense,î he said of his idea for the three-county area.

More details

Robinson and Hegberg agree a public-private partnership will be needed to get the project completed.

For the cityís part, the administrator said the Economic Development Authority will soon begin talks for a modification of a downtown development district to allow tax-increment finance dollars in the south corridor site. Some $1 million could be shifted for use on the county government site, he said.

The city is also seeking Metro Council grant dollars to assist with the transit, housing and light rail programs envisioned in the area.

The county is planning to build a park-and-ride transit hub that would require five acres. The county has received a federal T-21 $200,000 federal grant and is setting aside budget dollars each year for the project.

The park-and-ride could accommodate bus transit on an interim basis until train transit is provided along the Rush Line Corridor, Hegberg said.

Hegberg said the county has $200,000 in T-1 dollars in hand and will be able to use some of the additional $350,000 the Rush Line Corridor has received for use in Washington, Chisago and Pine counties.

ìWe will have to match that at the county level,î Hegberg said.

The real trick for the city, Robinson said, will be crafting the public-private partnership.

The current plan for the North Service Center includes all of the Northland Mall building which would be razed to make room for the transit center and county facility.

Lake 5 Theatre and Northland Plaza, two buildings on the south end of the Northland Mall site, would not be touched.

Robinson says he envisions a plan where the EDA in cooperation with the developer would construct new commercial buildings adjacent to US-61 as new locations for Northland Mall shops and offices that wish to relocate there.

Hegberg believes a smart public-private plan would generate new property taxes that would counter the current taxes of $53,710 pain on Northland Mall and $18,610 paid on the Winnick property.

ìThe Winnick property would be redeveloped so it would be more valuable,î Hegberg said. ìIt will create a new tax base.î

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