Grants to Help Apple Valley Move Ahead With Projects in 2012

The current development climate can make it difficult to predict exactly which development projects in a city will get off the ground, and when.

"It's kind of like Legos," said Apple Valley Community Development Director Bruce Nordquist. "Everything fits together in a certain way."

But while these types of projects take time to conceive, plan and execute, a few grants the City of Apple Valley received last year could help get some new ones get going in 2012.

More Senior Housing

In December, the Metropolitan Council, a regional planning body for seven Twin Cities metro counties, for two projects as part of its Livable Communities Act Grant Program.

One was a grant of $896,000 to buy land for a 214-unit senior housing complex on the west side of the Cobblestone Lake neighborhood, and to add features to the park space there, according to a planning commission memo.

The housing—market-rate units for seniors in different stages of life—has been approved since 2008, Nordquist said.

The land purchase is an example of a public-private partnership to help meet the city's development needs, he said.

The city also might pitch in with things like public infrastructure or parking; a past example would be the city's assistance with the parking deck at , Nordquist said.

A Dakota County housing needs study conducted in 2005 showed Apple Valley's senior population was expected to more than triple between 2000 and 2030.

Trails to Transit

The second Met Council grant of $174,800 will go toward the creation of pedestrian trails from Founders Lane and Garrett Avenue, where an apartment building is planned, to the .

Nordquist said he hopes construction on the planned 240-unit building, slated to be called Gathering, will get underway sometime in 2012.

The grant will fund 650 feet of sidewalk along the east side of Garrett Avenue and 1,200 feet from Founders Lane through a city pond area to Garrett, all for biking and walking, and will pay to light the trails at night.

An important part of development is how a property connects to the other properties around it, Nordquist said.

Bus Rapid Transit

Earlier in 2011, the city received two pre-development grants, also from the Met Council.

One was $70,000 to hire a consultant to study development opportunities along Cedar Avenue with the introduction of the bus rapid transit system, slated to begin running in the fall.

The city expects to hire the consultant early this year to look into design guidelines, potential land use and demographics of people who could use resources along Cedar, according to the planning commission memo.

Hanson Property Study

The second pre-development grant was $50,000 the city has used to hire a consultant to analyze feasible uses for the 80-acre former Hanson Concrete Plant, which closed in March 2010. The land is at Johnny Cake Ridge Road and 150th Street West.

City officials now can use the study to determine what types of industrial occupants might be good for the property, according to a planning commission memo from December.

Time Square Renovations, Fiber Optics

The city initially considered submitting proposals for two other Met Council Livable Communities grants, which ultimately it did not receive:

• Time Square strip mall renovations: $171,300

• Fiber optic conduit line along the future extension of 147th Street West, between Pilot Knob Road and Flagstaff Avenue: $145,000

"We thought we'd take the plunge," Nordquist said of the fiber optic line, since high-speed Internet is valuable to the industrial business the city could attract. Despite not having that grant money, Nordquist said showing the city would support potential businesses' needs is still a priority.