07-12-2018 Planning Commission Packet

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26 the area, financial impediments are great. The City has expressed a willingness to assist financially, if possible, but only in a project that would resolve the many issues related to current site and building conditions. The north and east portions of District 2 has some of the same soil problems, but due to extensive exposure to the 694/35-E interchange area, has seen a higher level of development, with recent redevelopment occurring on some properties. The City’s goals in this area are to continue this redevelopment pattern, with land uses to include large-scale commercial activities including office, office-showroom, office-warehouse, and other compatible uses. Retail uses may be appropriate but will be judged carefully due to concerns with access from Rice Street to the west, or Little Canada Road to the south. District 3 At Rice Street and Little Canada Road, the City has taken an active redevelopment role in reclaiming a series of long-standing underutilized properties for higher end mixed use development. This process is ongoing and follows an extensive redevelopment plan that was done expressly for this area. Retail uses dominate in most areas, with attached residential development in some areas. Office uses also comprise some parts of the district. The entire area has been zoned “PUD” to permit a more extensive City role in regulating building style, site use, and land uses. The northern-most portion of this district along Rice Street may benefit from redevelopment as well, and the City has expressed a willingness to permit certain low-impact industrial uses in portions of the district that have little exposure. Such uses would need to be limited to those which can compatibly coexist with the retail focus of the area. The Market Place, a suburban shopping center, has seen a series of rehab projects, and continues to provide space for retail uses, although visibility has raised some issues for retail viability over the years. For the near term, no significant changes are foreseen for this portion of the district, however, in the long term, a more intensive mixed-use redevelopment would fit well with other newer projects. District 4 The southeast corner of the community is dominated by commercial uses along Rice Street, including revitalized commercial areas near the Rice Street/TH 36 interchange, and in stitutional uses including a school property and the corporate campus site for Abbott. There is a limited amount of residential use in this district, including a small twin home development, and a mobile home community which is zoned for eventual commercial uses. With the ongoing development of the Abbott campus, this area is also fully developed. The primary development issue in this district relates to the eventual reconstruction of the Rice/TH 36 interchange, the Rice Street/County Road B2 intersection, and traffic capacity improvements to Rice Street itself. These projects are the subject of discussions between the local communities and Ramsey County, but are not expected to impact the City’s proposed land uses in the area. As a related early component of these improvements, the City has been instrumental in the