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Print Page Premium Stop site redevelopment could begin in '07 By Anne Culver Sun Focus (Created: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 10:15 PM CST) Breaking ground this year on the Premium Stop redevelopment project off County Road 10 is a realistic goal, said Mounds View Director of Community Development Jim Ericson at a neighborhood meeting Feb. 15. The City of Mounds View acquired the abandoned Premium Stop gas station property at 2390 County Road 10 in 2006, and eliminated the dilapidated building to encourage meaningful redevelopment. To help determine the best re-use of the property, the Mounds View City Council authorized a market analysis and planning study to be conducted on the site, including adjacent and nearby undeveloped and underdeveloped areas along County Road 10. The council's goal in authorizing the study was to create a vision for the area, rather than reacting to development proposals as they were submitted. "We're hoping we can identify what the vision is," Ericson said. "So when [the developers] come in, they can do something consistent with the vision." According to the City of Mound View's web site (www.ci.moundsview.mn.us), on which detailed information regarding the Premium Stop redevelopment planning process can be found, "The Premium Stop Redevelopment Area plan envisions the creation of a compact, 'walkable' commercial node with a mix of retail, office and housing." The firm of Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban (DSU) prepared the study in conjunction with city consultant Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik and Associates (BRAA.) Council members expressed their support for the consultants' redevelopment scenarios at a Dec. 11, 2006, City Council meeting, and called for a neighborhood meeting with property owners within and adjacent to the study area. John Slack, of DSU, presented six concepts at the neighborhood meeting, ranging from short- to long-term redevelopment. The first of the scenarios, Concept A, projected to begin this year, contemplates the construction of a 5,000-square-foot office/retail building on the Premium Stop site. The existing Japanese restaurant would remain, with a shared parking lot; and streetscape, trailways and landscaping would be introduced. C1 and C2, the intermediate-term scenarios, suggest adding another 3,000-square-foot building where the existing Japanese restaurant could be relocated. Robert's Sports Bar could be replaced by a mix of townhomes and senior housing, as the market study showed a demand for this type of residential development. The plans also incorporate a 5,000-square-foot office building, with new trail elements and additional landscaping. The last of the scenarios, D1 and D2, which, according to Ericson, could take place anywhere from 10 to 20 years in the future, show the residential area at the corner of County Road 10 and Wooddale Drive replaced with 60,000 feet of corporate office space in a pair of two-story buildings. Residents raised questions at the meeting about what would happen to the current property owners in the projected redevelopment areas. "It's up to the developer to negotiate with the property owners," Ericson said. "This is a vision. These aren't marching orders; they aren't eviction papers." Several residents expressed concern over the potential lack of separation between residential and Page 1 of 2Sun Newspapers - MNSUN.com - Premium Stop site redevelopment could begin in '07 3/5/2007http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2007/02/27/news/fo22mvredevelopment.prt