(VIDEO) City Takes Steps to Revitalize 36th Street Area

St. Louis Park city officials have made revitalizing the 36th Street corridor a top priority, and on Monday night, two big steps were taken in that direction.

First, City Council celebrated new public art on 36th near Wooddale Avenue with a ribbon cutting. The art is meant to “bring people to the street,” and it does so in a very literal fashion—two new concrete benches in the shape of sprawling people now rest in a small gathering spot off the busy road.

The ribbon cutting also celebrated the new Wooddale Avenue Bridge, which opened in the fall. The project, which cost roughly $18 million, carries traffic over Highway 7, alleviating what once was a huge safety concern.

“That bridge is really an example of how the partnerships that we are really proud of in St. Louis Park work,” said Mayor Jeff Jacobs, who noted that city, county, state and federal officials all worked together to make the project happen.

After the ribbon cutting, council approved a project that should further bolster the area—a 10-story, 192-unit apartment complex near the corner of 36th and Park Center Boulevard.

The Park Summit Development—which was originally slated to be a senior living facility until plans were modified—is expected to break ground this fall at 3601 Park Center Boulevard. Construction is then expected to take 14 to 16 months.

Developers showed off the latest plans Monday night and said the building will feature plenty of green space in an outdoor courtyard. Brick, glass and pre-finished metal will be the building materials of choice, and the developers said they see the complex fitting into an urban arts corridor that could blossom with the anticipated addition of a light rail stop nearby.

“It’s a very exciting and interesting project,” said David Gevers, director of development with the real estate group that is overseeing the project, E.J. Plesko and Associates.

However, several council members expressed some concerns over the effect this new building could have on an already congested area for motorists. Developers said the building will have ample parking, which should help keep vehicles off the road, and a new signal light will be installed as well.

Councilwoman Sue Sanger said she was concerned that the building will be too dense and exceed a city provision that regulates how many housing units can be built per acre. Sanger issued the only vote against the proposal, which passed 6-1.