City Tour Handout 2019
City of New Hope
Commissioner Bus Tour
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
1
Police Department & City Hall | 4401 Xylon Avenue North
The City Council approved a bid from Terra General Contractors for $14.78 million in
December of 2017 for construction of a new police department and city hall.
Groundbreaking took place on January 5, 2018, and staff officially began working from
the new city hall on July 1, 2019. The new 66,000-square foot building provides much
needed space for the police department and addresses many deficiencies of the
previous city hall. It has twice as much square footage as the old city hall, most of which
is in the police station/garage and public areas in city hall.
The new police station has a larger lobby with adequate seating and two adjacent
interview rooms to provide privacy for victims, as well as a secure location to talk with
suspects. It includes improved facilities for officers such as a larger roll call room
equipped with technology, individual workstations, and ample locker room facilities.
There is a larger, more secure area for the storage of evidence and records, and a 31-stall
underground heated garage; large enough to store all police squads. The new city hall
provides additional public space, including two large meeting rooms equipped with
new technology and designed to adapt to a variety of uses, and two small conference
rooms between three staff counters. The council chambers has been specifically
designed to televise meetings and accommodate overflow crowds.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
2
Pool & Civic Center Park | 4401 Xylon Avenue North
The construction of a
new outdoor aquatic
facility and
improvements to
Civic Center Park are
underway. The final
design details took
place this past fall
and winter and the
projects were bid in
February and March.
Formal approval by
the City Council was
on March 25th and construction started the beginning of April.
The new pool facility will include a current channel, vortex pool, two body slides,
shallow-water area with zero depth entry, water walk area and a 50-meter, 8 lane pool
with diving boards, drop slide and floatable water obstacle course. A June 2020 opening
is planned.
Other amenities
within Civic Center
Park will include an
outdoor theatre, picnic
pavilion, trails, trail
lighting, and an
additional parking lot.
The cost of the
combined projects,
which includes the
demo of the old city
hall and the
construction of the
new city hall parking
lot and landscaping is
approximately $18.5 million.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
3
Hy-Vee Aisles Online | 8200 42nd Avenue N
The request for an amendment to a planned unit development and site plan review for
the construction of a 960 square-foot drive-through kiosk was approved by the City
Council on July 22, 2019. The project includes three drive-through grocery pick-up lanes
with an overhead canopy and new curbing and landscaping around the building. The
groceries will be directly delivered to the kiosk from an off-site warehouse. The
valuation of this project is approximately $1 million.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
4
North Water Tower | 4648 Aquila Avenue North
In 2018, the city planned two projects at the North Water Tower with the assistance of
the Joint Water Commission. A bypass valve was installed connecting the existing
emergency well to the city’s water system. Previously, the emergency well could only
provide water directly to the tower. The well can now directly feed the water
distribution system in case of emergencies.
Interior and exterior painting of the tower also began in 2018. Due to the late start by
the contractor and earlier than normal cold temperatures, work was not completed by
the substantial completion date in October of 2018. The contractor returned in the
spring of 2019 to complete sandblasting and painting the interior and exterior of the
water tower.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
5
Cooper High School | 8230 47th Avenue North
Cooper High School is undergoing a major renovation project this summer with
substantial improvements to the entrance and auditorium at the school. The façade on
the main entry will be replaced with more glass and a larger “COOPER” sign. The
entrance will be reconfigured to improve security within the building. The theater and
auditorium will also be remodeled. Construction is underway and the $7.38 million
project is expected to be completed by fall of 2019.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
6
Arvig Enterprises, Inc.| 5130 Winnetka Ave N
Arvig is the largest independent communications provider in the state of Minnesota. As of
today, the company has a 4,000-mile fiber network, and provides service to tens of
thousands of internet customers in more than half of Minnesota’s counties. They purchased
5130 Winnetka with the goal of consolidating their Blaine construction division and
Minnetonka sales division into one location. Between the two different divisions, Arvig
employs 43 people at its New Hope location. In 2018 Arvig Enterprises received a
Conditional Use Permit for expanded outdoor storage in order to assist the construction
side of their business to operate at its new location within New Hope.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
7
Windsor Ridge | 52nd and Pennsylvania Avenues
The city was seeking high quality single-family housing development proposals for an
8.7-acre undeveloped site that has been owned by the city for many years. The site is
located just north of the New Hope Ice Arena, directly west of Iron Horse Park on the
north side of Soo
Line Railroad.
In fall of 2018 the
city received six
proposals from 4
different
companies
regarding the
Windsor Ridge
site. After careful
consideration
SVK was chosen
as the preferred
developer for the
site.
SVK Development will develop 32 single-family units on 65 foot wide lots. The
estimated sales prices for the homes range from the mid-$300,000’s to the low $400,000’s
for each home. SVK has obtained two building permits for the construction of the first
two homes, and construction is currently underway. SVK anticipates that the project
will be complete sometime in 2021.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
8
Now Mart | 7201 Bass Lake Road
A 5,060-square foot gas station and convenience store opened in December 2018.
Construction of a 3,780-square foot car wash on the same site was completed this
summer and is now fully operational. The $8.471 million project replaced a previously
underutilized retail building.
The development includes several environmentally conscious improvements, including
a stormwater collection system that retains all rainwater onsite and re -uses it for the car
wash. A filtration system removes used chemicals from the water, allowing it to be
reused in 90% to 95% of the wash. There is a vortex separation unit that also removes
gravel, sticks, leaves, and other solids from the rain water collected by the system. A
busy car wash can use more than 4 million gallons of water a year; but by utilizing the
underground tanks that can hold 100,000 gallons of water, Now Mart believes it can
meet its goal of not using any city water for its car wash.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
9
Scattered Site Housing | 6065 & 6067 Louisiana Avenue North
The city of New Hope Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the foreclosed
property located at 6065 Louisiana Avenue North in late 2015. The distressed single-family
home and other outbuildings were razed to prepare the property for redevelopment. The
base parcel was large enough to subdivide and create two buildable lots. The newly vacant
lots were offered for sale to scattered site builders through a competitive sales process, and
Great Buy Homes was selected as the preferred builder for the project. The home at 6065
Louisiana Avenue North, pictured above, was recently completed and sold for $324,000.
The other property, 6067 Louisiana Avenue North, sold for $325,000.
Before
After
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
10
Scattered Site Housing | 7311 & 7215 62nd Avenue North
As part of the city’s scattered site housing program, the city of New Hope Economic
Development Authority (EDA) acquired these two single-family homes in close
proximity along 62nd Avenue North in 2018. Both homes represent some of the oldest
in the city, as they were constructed in 1952. Both properties exceeded their anticipated
sale prices. The property at 7215 62nd Avenue North had an anticipated sale price of
$300,000 but sold for $320,000; and 7311 62nd Avenue North had an anticipated sale
price of $325,000 but sold for $350,000.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
Before After
Before After
11
IronWood Luxury Apartments | 8400 Bass Lake Road
Alatus, LLC has constructed a four-story, 183-unit luxury apartment building on the
city-owned site adjacent to the New Hope Village Golf Course. The city completed a
market feasibility study in 2015 to determine what type of redevelopment was best
suited for the site, and concluded that luxury apartments were the most viable option.
The final plat and vacation of easements for the project were approved in February
2017, and construction of the $43 million building began in the summer of 2017 and was
completed in late 2018. Building amenities include a pool deck with lounge chaises and
grilling stations, an indoor/outdoor entertainment suite with rooftop grill, work -from-
home spaces, create space/do-it-yourself workshops, panoramic views of the New Hope
Village Golf Course, a 24/7 fitness center, studio, and indoor sauna, a resident coffee
bar, and a pet spa. The city and developer negotiated a city-provided loan that will
assist in adding a high-efficiency HVAC system, which will help the building achieve
LEED Certification and result in no carbon footprint for the entire building.
The city created a redevelopment Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District in conjunction
with the project that authorized the expenditures for land/building acquisition, site
improvements and preparation, utilities, administrative costs, and other qualifying
improvements. In 2007, the city purchased five, 12-unit buildings. With land
acquisition, relocation costs, and demolition, the city invested nearly $2.2 million into
the project. In 2017, the city sold the property to Alatus, LLC to facilitate the
construction of the 183-unit apartment building for $1.443 million. The TIF District
allows the city to recoup the land write-down costs and administrative fees
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
12
Meadow Lake Drawdown | Meadow Lake
The city of New Hope, in partnership with the Shingle Creek Watershed Management
Commission (SCWMC) and the Meadow Lake Watershed Association (MLWA), is in
the preliminary planning stages of an in-lake treatment project on Meadow Lake. The
SCWMC’s engineering firm, Wenck, has drafted a lake management plan with the
ultimate goal of treating the extremely high in-lake phosphorus contamination. The
plan will address treatment of the curly-leaf pondweed infestation, the poor fish
habitat, and the phosphorus in the lake bottom sediment.
The project would
begin with a winter
long draw down of
Meadow Lake. The
drawdown would
begin in early
September to allow
for turtle and other
wildlife migration
prior to the first
freeze. In the spring,
the lake would be
allowed to fill back up during the snow-melt season. Water quality would then be
monitored over the next 2-3 years to verify that the draw down has been successful
enough to justify further treatment. If water quality results have not improved as much
as the engineers would like, a summer draw-down may be necessary to promote native
planting growth. Once water quality has reached the desired levels, chemical treatment,
most likely an alum treatment, would be applied to the lake to treat and contain the
phosphorus in the lake bottom sediments.
The SCWMC has applied for a Clean Water Fund grant for this project. The city has
been awarded Clean Water Fund grants in the past, most recently for the Northwood
Lake storm water re-use tank. If awarded, project work would begin in 2020. If not
awarded, project work would begin in 2021. This project would be fully funded by the
SCWMC.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
13
2019 Seal Coat and Fog Seal | NW Industrial Area
To maximize the life of the pavement on city streets, the city schedules annual crack
repair, seal coating, and fog sealing of selected streets. This activity is a critical part of
the city’s current pavement management strategy.
This summer approximately 9.5 miles of street were
rated and filled, seal coated and fog sealed. The
contractor also removed the striping from the
roadway prior to seal coat. On past projects the seal
coat and fog seal product has been wearing off much
faster than expected on areas of the road that were
striped. In order to prevent this material failure, the
contractor hydro-blasted the striping off of the
roadway, as shown in the photo to the right.
The intent of this process is to seal the roadway so
that no moisture is absorbed into the roadway and
roadbed, which is the leading cause of asphalt failure.
After the road cracks are filled, the contractor applies an asphaltic emulsion and trap
rock aggregate. Excess rock is swept of the roadway prior to the fog sealing. The fog
sealing further seals the road surface and eliminates any excess rock release. It also
provides the appearance and feel of a jet black, brand new road surface, while
extending the life span of the roadway.
City of New Hope 2018 Bus Tour
14
Industrial Equities/TCA | 9449 Science Center Drive
A 48,000 square foot speculative industrial building was constructed in 2016. The high-
quality, single story, multi-tenant building replaced a vacant and distressed industrial
building and will provide flexible space to meet the needs of many potential tenants. As
of September 2018, Twin City Acoustics occupies two-thirds of the building and the
project is valued at $2.7 million. A Tax Increment Financing District was created to
provide up to $370,000 in assistance for the demolition and abatement expenses.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
7
15
Holy Trinity Church | 4240 Gettysburg Avenue North
Holy Trinity Church is working on an expansion to its school. The project is valuated at
$1.848 million. This project includes an 11,000 square foot addition to the second floor
that will be used to accommodate a growing K-8 school population, as well as a 1,000
square foot expansion to the main floor entryway. This project is estimated to be
completed in the fall of 2019.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
16
Jaycee Park| 3032 Independence Circle North
The playground improvement project at Jaycee Park started with neighborhood planning
meetings this past winter and the installation took place in May and June. The previous
equipment was replaced in 1994 and was the oldest in the system. The project included a
new playground container, equipment, wood fiber surfacing, a new access trail from
Independence Circle, park signage, a bench and a picnic table with sun shade. The
funding for this project was available in the Park Infrastructure Fund and is estimated at
$171,000, including indirect costs.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
17
CubeSmart Self Storage | 3216 Winnetka Avenue North
The previously vacant industrial building at 3216 Winnetka Avenue North is currently
being converted into a CubeSmart self-storage facility. The $3.75 million project
included a 23,000 square foot addition to the second floor at the southwest corner of the
building. Building improvements included several exterior modifications and
improvements, including the second floor addition, fresh paint on the windows,
parking area improvements, and a new outdoor storage area. The facility opened to the
public on March 15, 2019 and includes approximately 800 storage units that are
available for rent.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
18
Winpark Drive Reconstruct| Winpark Drive
The 2019 Winpark Drive Infrastructure Improvement Project was originally identified
for a full reconstruction due to known deteriorating water main and poor pavement
conditions. Engineering staff determined during the design of the project that all of the
water utility on Winpark Drive would need to be replaced, along with all of the storm
leads in the roadway. The road width was reduced from 40’ to 35’ to reduce
unnecessary impervious surfaces and benefit the storm water treatment. In addition to
the reduced impervious area, a large storm water treatment device was installed in the
boulevard to treat runoff for phosphorus.
Work began in April of 2019. All water and storm sewer installation was complete by
mid-July, and all roadwork was complete by the end of August. This contract has an
incentive on it to encourage the contractor to complete all work including final
restoration by September 27, 2019. The city does not anticipate any issue with the
contractor meeting this deadline. Final paving will occur in late spring of 2020.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
19
Scattered Site Housing | 3856 Maryland Avenue North
The city of Crystal has
owned the single-family
lot located at 3856
Maryland Avenue
North for several years.
The lot has been used as
a connector that joins
Lions Park in New
Hope to Kentucky Park
in Crystal. The city of
New Hope Economic
Development Authority
(EDA) purchased vacant
lot from the city of
Crystal. Once the
purchase is complete, the EDA sold the lot to Donnay Homes. As part of the project, the
park connection will be maintained by constructing a trail along the northern edge of
the site. The city of Crystal has agreed to pay for and install the trail, and the city of
New Hope will maintain it upon completion.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
20
Streetlights and Banners | 42nd Avenue North
This project replaced the city-owned street lights on 42nd Avenue North between Xylon
and Louisiana. Work began in June of 2019 with the removal of all the existing lights on
42nd Ave N, and will be completed in the fall of 2019 with the installation of 35 new, 16-
foot tall, decorative pedestrian streetlights.
The new streetlights will feature six new unique city banner designs that are designed
to promote inclusiveness through the incorporation of the five most common languages
used in the city according to the school district: English, Spanish, Hmong, Swahili and
Vietnamese.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
21
McDonald’s | 4201 Winnetka Avenue North
McDonald’s renovated its building/façade and added a second drive-through lane as
part of a site plan review that was approved in March of 2018. Improvements included
the replacement of the building’s exterior façade, ADA accessibility updates, parking lot
improvements, new signage, and the installation of a second drive-through lane and
ordering board. The $450,000 project was completed in the fall of 2018.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour