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EDC Minutes <br />December 18, 2015 <br />Page 3 of 5 <br />Business Retention & Expansion Visit (BR&E) Updates <br />Coordinator Beeman informed the Commission that he has completed three business <br />visits since the last meeting. The first, was Sky's Salon. They have one employee and <br />are happy were they are. They were pleased that the city was considering going to a <br />collective garbage service. They gave the city 7 of 10 possible points for serviceability. <br />Next, was Raymond Vandeveer Realty who started in 2008 and services clients in a 50 <br />mile radius. They have three office spaces available. There are several other businesses <br />in the same facility and they gave the city 8 of 10 points. <br />Last, was Midwest Medical Services. They have been in Mounds View since 1006, just <br />completed a $120,000 renovation and purchased the building about a month ago. They <br />are looking for 25,000 more square feet and would like to own versus lease. They have <br />looked as the vacant Zep Manufacturing building but the owner in unwilling to sell the <br />property. They are a good stable company employing 142 fulltime and 42 part-time <br />employees. The company is growing and they are looking to expand in other states. <br />Rice Creek Commons (TCAAP) Development Update <br />Next, Coordinator Beeman provided an update on anticipated improvements relating to <br />Rice Creek Commons. He informed the Commission that the Ramsey County project <br />manager spoke at the last Mounds View Business Council meeting. Stating the soils <br />corrections were originally to be remediated to a commercial grade, but later decided to <br />upgrade the remediation to a residential grade. This increased the costs another $1.5 <br />mill but overall the County felt that it was worth the money. The aquifer is still <br />contaminated but they removed 49 miles of material including 400,000 tons of concrete <br />and asphalt, 43,700 feet of railroad track, 39,000 feet of fencing, and nearly 178,000 feet <br />of piping from the gas mains to sanitary pipe. Ninety three percent of all these materials <br />were recycled and can be reused for other projects. <br />Chair Helgemoe stated that he had attended a New Brighton Chamber meeting and <br />Heather Worthington, County Administrator spoke more in depth on the project and said <br />they were up for an award because of the remediation activities. There were massive <br />amounts of wood and steel recycled. They are going to start talking to a Master <br />Developer in the first quarter of 2016 and they will begin construction on the site in 2017. <br />It is a very big project that will affect Mounds View. Helgemoe suggested that the EDC <br />possibly have Heather speak at an EDC meeting at a later date to go more in depth on <br />some of the details of the project. Helgemoe stated they were proposing about 4000 <br />residents and new projections are about 2500. <br />Commissioner Freichels stated that the biggest project for Mounds View will be the <br />interchange improvements starting in 2016. Learning how business will be the least <br />impacted, and inlet and outlets and alternate routes were also good information. <br />Beeman stated, that by 2030 they are expecting 20,000-30,000 in traffic counts and will <br />be looking for a large grocer as an anchor. Helgemoe, added attracting a grocer was <br />also brought up in his New Brighton meeting. The area is devoid of a large grocer and <br />they would also expect more retail to follow this type of anchor business. <br />