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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes • June 19, 2001 Page 8 1 that he was a principal of the firm, and was filling in for John Shardlow, who had a prior 2 commitment tonight. 3 He stated that he was there to provide a recap of the big picture of the process of redeveloping 4 the Northwest Quadrant. He reviewed his background, indicating his high level of expertise with 5 regard to the project. He also expressed how much his firm has enjoyed working on this project 6 with the staff in the City of St. Anthony. He indicated that it was important to remember that it 7 is a step-by-step incremental process, and that they need to keep an eye on the future and to build 8 on the momentum that has been created. 9 Mr. Rapp stated it was crucial in a redevelopment process that the City to have a vision, as well 10 as an understanding of the reasons behind the redevelopment project that they are about to 11 embark on. He added that it would be very important for the developers that will be coming 12 forward and providing their capital, to have an understanding of the level of partnership that they 13 will be entering into with them, so that they know that they have the chance to impart their 14 expertise into the project. 15 Mr. Rapp indicated that there are several reasons as to why a city decides to reinvest in itself. He _16" stated that the Apache Plaza area is a significant piece of property in the City of St. Anthony, and noted that it appears to be an appropriate time for the City to respond to the changes that have 18 taken place in the retail market that have left Apache Plaza behind. He stated the need to 19 determine whether the City is prepared to make the necessary changes. 20 Mr. Rapp indicated that the steering committee has determined some concepts and ideas that will 21 be presented tonight by Jeff Basil. He added that it is important that they all understand what the 22 priorities have been for the project. 23 Mr. Rapp stated that the property was very well located for a lot of different things, but that there 24 was a major impediment, called the Midwest Asphalt Plant. Determining how to deal with 25 Midwest Asphalt Plant is the largest, and first step that needs to be addressed in the project. 26 Mr. Rapp stated that DSU was winding down their involvement, but that they would be 27 providing the Planning Commission with a packet of information next month. He indicated that 28 the packet would include the broad concepts that they want them to look at, the priorities and 29 phasing of the development, a design framework, and a developers selection process outline. 30 Mr. Rapp cautioned the Commission to think about a design framework with general guidelines, 31 rather than with specific and detailed design standards. He added that it is an easier way to get 32 their concept and vision communicated to the potential developers, while allowing the 33 developers to help fashion their needs within the desired framework. 04 Chair Melsha asked if what Mr. Rapp was describing was similar to the Heart of the City in 35 Burnsville. Mr. Rapp replied that the Heart of the City was a little too refined for the potential 36 developers, which is why he was encouraging them to keep their guidelines fairly general.