Rice Creek Commons Update

District Perspectives. Ramsey County Commissioner, District 5

Although it’s not right here in the city, I know many of you are still interested in the former TCAAP property in Arden Hills (now Rice Creek Commons) and how we are working to make it a productive place for people to live and work. One of our challenges is that we are a fully developed county in Ramsey County and the only way to expand the tax base is to clean up brownfields. In 2013, we purchased this property (the largest superfund site in the state) and cleaned it up. By redeveloping this parcel, we will expand our tax base and will be able to reduce every Ramsey County taxpayer’s burden. Like most big redevelopment projects, it takes time and we need to get cities, the county and developers to agree and we need the economic vision to fit today’s conditions. Here is the update.

The Joint Development Authority (JDA) continues to have productive conversations to advance plans for Rice Creek Commons, a once-in-a-generation development opportunity.

We’ve worked collaboratively to build upon prior work of the JDA and community engagement while thoughtfully factoring in how community needs have changed in recent years. The site remains one of the premiere opportunities not just in Minnesota but for fully urbanized counties like ours across the country.

Recent milestones include:

• Outlot A: After working closely with the JDA on a request for development interest, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners approved a purchase and sale agreement with Ryan Companies for Outlot A, a 40-acre, shovel-ready parcel located on the north end of the Rice Creek Commons redevelopment site. Since its approval, Ryan Companies has actively marketed the site to a variety of potential end users.
• Housing: Earlier this year, the Arden Hills City Council approved amendments to the TCAAP Redevelopment Code (TRC) and the city’s Comprehensive Plan that set the maximum number of housing units allowed on the site at 1,960. The JDA collectively moved forward with the increase based on research on current and future housing demands. The decision was informed by community engagement through public meetings and testimony, as well as conversations with Alatus LLC, our development partner, about how to add units without compromising greenspace, amenities and the overall feel of the community.
• Infrastructure: This spring, Ramsey County – in partnership with the JDA and City of Arden Hills – selected Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. to provide infrastructure engineering services, starting with the Spine Road that will serve as the main public roadway through Rice Creek Commons. 
• Green energy: Last year, the JDA refreshed its green energy vision, aligning it with goals in the State of Minnesota’s Climate Action Framework: carbon neutrality, clean energy, climate resiliency, equity and innovation. The JDA and project team are taking tangible steps to implement this ambitious vision, including a decision to pursue LEED for Communities certification at the Platinum level, creating sustainability guidelines for the entire site, and working with Ever-Green Energy and LHB to analyze the site’s energy needs and potential green energy solutions.

I’m grateful to my county and City of Arden Hills colleagues on the JDA for their ongoing partnership to realize our shared vision of creating economic prosperity, building an inclusive economy and developing a climate-forward community.