I-35W PAC Moves Forward

As an introduction, a goal for today’s meeting was established and agreed upon by members of the Committee: our objective was to engage in further discussion regarding the proposed locations of the transit station and arrive at a final recommendation to be presented to policy makers.

One of the key points in moving forward with this project is continued communication with the neighborhoods affected by the the project, MNDOT and the consultants are making the rounds meeting with these groups. Input from these meetings will be taken into consideration when finalizing plans for the station. Letters from both the Central and Whittier neighborhoods were presented by their representatives at this meeting. Summaries are: Central’s letter stated they did not want Lake Street or the freeway widened in any manner; they do not support the taking of any property in Central; they do not support an “over Lake Street” location; they expect high quality design and pedestrian orientation of the streetscape and transit station.

The Whitter letter supports the transit station and would prefer a Midway/Lake Street location; asks that the station be in keeping with the size and scale of the area and become a “destination;” requests no expansion of the current 35W footprint and Lake Street transit and traffic lane footprint; that the historic Healy District not be disturbed; that Lake Street be reopened at the K-Mart site. The group agreed to maintain the integrity and focus of the Station Location Objectives as part of the design process:
• Convenient pedestrian routes to and from the station
• Direct connections to buses on Lake Street
• Convenient connections to the Greenway
• Good visibility to the station from Lake Street
• Reinforces the redevelopment of Lake Street
• Reinforces the reopening of Nicollet Avenue
• Flexibility for phased construction
• Does not have negative impact on surrounding neighborhoods’ safety

Estimated costs for this project range from $50 to $80 million dollars, depending on station location. At the end of the meeting, the group agreed to proceed with recommending a Lake Street location, combining the proposed “A” – “B” options, both of which are in the $50-$55 million dollar range and place the station at Lake Street. There are design differences between the two options, but both are very compatible with the objectives and recommendations of both the neighborhoods and the committee. In closing, further discussion will involve the “plaza” or station area regarding platform size, the design of the streetscape at Lake Street, and connecting the east and west sides of I-35W.by Fred Retzloff