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MINUTES <br />CITY COUNCIL <br />JULY 19, 1995 <br />Target retail market includes seniors, young working <br />singles/couples, commuters, families living in the <br />area, study area residents who desire a destination <br />place for shopping/entertainment, Twin Cities residents <br />desirinq the same, and study area residents wanting <br />convenient access to public services. <br />Bujold presented a map showing that Little Canada is <br />part of the northeast office sector. Market trends <br />for office space show the northeast sector as a strong <br />location for office and office/warehouse in 1994. New <br />office/warehouse is 100% occupied, rents are <br />increasing, and there appears to be a two-year supply <br />of the space. Target markets include small users <br />looking for 1,000 to 5,000 square feet, <br />office/warehouse users, large corporate users seeking a <br />campus space. Bujold stated that she was not sure she <br />would recommend the corporate use since it is difficult <br />to market that kind of space. Bujold felt the focus <br />should be on the small user. <br />Schroeder reported that the physical forces of the area <br />include the amount of traffic along Rice Street, the <br />fact that nearly the entire corridor is made up of <br />commercial uses, the high density of population in the <br />area, the opportunities for visibility, and the <br />existing undeveloped land. <br />Schroeder presented three concepts for how the area <br />might be oriented. Alternative 1 could create one node <br />for the County Road C and Little Canada Road areas as a <br />single, unified downtown area. County Road C and <br />Little Canada Road would serve as a parkway link to 35E <br />and Country Drive. Both ends of Rice Street could be <br />developed with large corporate users. The various <br />commercial nodes along Rice Street would be divided by <br />residential uses. Alternative 2 would separate County <br />Road C and Little Canada Road areas as distinct nodes. <br />Round Lake would have more of a community entity. <br />Development at either end of Rice Street would remain <br />the same as under Alternative 1. Alternative 3 would <br />have distinct nodes up and down Rice Street which would <br />be oriented toward commercial. Outside the immediate <br />area of Rice Street and Little Canada Road, development <br />would be more neighborhood oriented. Schroeder <br />reported that he would like to discuss these <br />alternatives with the City Planner to determine what is <br />happening in updating the Comp Plan and future land <br />uses in this area. <br />Mark Lendway pointed out the existing development along <br />Rice Street and Little Canada Road, and asked if the <br />3 <br />