Concept Plan Submittal to Metropolitan Council—Public Realm Improvements in The COR
 

The purpose of this case is to authorize staff to submit a concept plan on July 1st, 2019 to Metropolitan Council as part of the Livable Communities Demonstration Account (LCDA) program. The program purpose includes, (partial description, more on page 4 of the first attachment):
 

• Interrelating affordable housing and employment growth areas;
• Intensifying land use that leads to more compact development;
• Encouraging public infrastructure investments that connect urban neighborhoods and suburban communities, and provide project area residents with expanded opportunities for private sector employment;
• Interrelating development and transit.
• Developing land uses in centers linked to the local and regional transportation systems.

Since the beginning of Ramsey's downtown, referred to as The COR, the city has been successful bringing LCDA and Transit Oriented Development funding (TOD, a closely related program to LCDA) back to benefit the community, in an amount of approximately $5M. Partial, but notable examples include funding for the parking ramp, the Northstar Rail Station and Mississippi Skyway, the amphitheater, and Center Street.

Key funding aspects of the 2019 LCDA program include up to $7.5M for the metro area, no local match requirement and up to 3 years to implement the project(s). An additional stipulation is that the City must submit the proposal in relationship to private development that will occur. Staff is seeking acknowledgement (authorization) to submit a proposal later this month to advance concepts for improvements to the public realm elements of Sunwood Drive and Center Street, as well as the pump house, and stormwater and irrigation improvements to Municipal Plaza. This is the first step in the submittal process, but not a full grant application. Based on feedback from this round, the City Council will need to decide whether to advance a full application or not. 

The concept plan submittal does not commit the City to expenditures or actions.  Upon refinements to the plan for the aforementioned proposed improvements, staff would return with a formal LCDA funding request, and seek approval by way of City Council Resolution on July 23, 2019, for the formal submittal to Metropolitan Council on August 8th 2019. Funding awards are projected to be in November 2019.

In terms of the physical improvements a LCDA award would fund, these are elements that "elevate a development project beyond a traditional project and enhance livability through project outcomes."  (Additional eligibility detail is on page 6 of the first attachment.) 

At this stage of planning, staff is envisioning a concept plan submittal that describes the following:
 

• Wider sidewalks along both Sunwood Drive and Center Street (associated with the apartment(s) and hotel)
• A public/private plaza at the intersection of Sunwood and Center Street (associated with the hotel)
• A public plaza associated with pumphouse (at 145th Ave)
• Photo voltaic panels on the pumphouse (which would power the irrigation system for the park)
• Significant stormwater infrastructure in all of the above areas, which would capture water to be routed to Municipal Plaza for storage and reuse for irrigation.

The present estimate for the above improvements is +/- $1.5 million, with approximately 70 to 80 percent of this amount relating to the stormwater capture and reuse components.

No funding is being authorized as part of this case consideration.

Upon subsequent action by City Council to formally apply for LCDA funding, and then after successful award, improvements may be authorized in 2020-2023.  This could include associated work for sidewalk/streetscape along Sunwwod Drive/Center Street, the Pumphouse corner and Municipal Plaza—with each element having a companion funding source, E.g. Center Street, with contributions paid for by developers, Park Trust Fund for the park etc..

Staff recommends submittal of a concept plan to progress towards a LCDA funded grant.

Motion to authorize Staff to submit a Preliminary Concept Plan to the Metropolitan Council related to a potential Livable Communities Grant.