City Tour Handout 2021
Commissioner Bus Tour
2021
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Civic Center Park | 4401 Xylon Ave N
A variety of programs was hosted at the New Hope Performance Center this summer
including Movies and Music in the Park, Story Time in the Park and other special
events. Off-Broadway Musical Theater was also back this summer and held eight
productions of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”
The new skate park, picnic pavilion and trails have been heavily used all summer. Staff
and the city engineer continue to work with the contractor of the park project to
complete additional restoration work and replace some of the necessary plantings.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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New Hope Aquatic Park | 4401 Xylon Ave N
After a one-year delay due to COVID-19, a ribbon-cutting event was held June 2, 2021,
and the New Hope Aquatic Park opened for the season on June 5, 2021. More than 70
staff were hired, with only two of those returning from the last pool season in 2017.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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New Hope Aquatic Park | 4401 Xylon Ave N
The amenities for the new facility included a shallow recreation pool with zero-depth
entry, fast and slow body slides, current channel, vortex pool, tot slide and play
features. There is also an eight-lane, 50-meter pool, one and three-meter diving boards
and a drop slide. The summer weather was great for people to enjoy the pool and there
were only a few affected days due to rain, cool weather or wildfire smoke. The open
swim attendance for ages 2 and older was approximately 46,863, compared to 18,761 at
the old facility in 2017.
Other aquatic park programs include swim lessons, lap swim and water walking. In
addition, local swim teams rented time for practice and for three meets; two Saturday
morning meets and one regional swim meet that occurred over a full weekend.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Hy-Vee Aisles Online | 8200 42nd Ave N
In 2021, The City Council approved an amendment to Hy-Vee’s planned unit
development (PUD) for the construction of a 1,200 square-foot drive-thru kiosk on the
west side of the grocery store. This includes four drive-thru grocery pick-up lanes with
an overhead canopy, new curbing and landscaping around the building. Customers
will purchase their groceries online and drive to the kiosk to pick them up. The
groceries will be delivered directly to the kiosk from the main Hy-Vee store. The
building plans have been submitted and approved, and the valuation of the project is
$300,000.
In 2019, The Council approved a similar request for the construction of a 900 square-
foot drive-thru kiosk. Due to the pandemic and other considerations, this project was
never constructed by Hy-Vee. The projects are very similar except the new kiosk will be
slightly larger, there will be an extra drive-thru lane and the kiosk will rely on receiving
groceries from the main Hy-Vee store as opposed to receiving them all via delivery
from an off-site warehouse like was planned in 2019.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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P & C Daycare | 7700 42nd Ave N
In June of 2021, the City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for P&C
Daycare at 7700 - 42nd Ave N. The daycare will operate out of a remodeled 3,850
square-foot space that was
previously occupied by Family
Video. The daycare will also be
building a 4,300 square-foot
outdoor recreational area in the rear
of the property. The daycare plans
to have an enrollment of 53 children
aged between infants and
preschoolers, and will be staffed by
up to ten employees.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Pub 42 | 7600 42nd Ave N
In April 2021, Pub 42 applied for an ordinance amendment related to outdoor dining
performance standards. The ordinance amendment was approved by Council at the May
24, 2021 City Council meeting. The new ordinance amendment allows freestanding
restaurants located in the City Center and Community Business Zoning District to have an
unlimited outdoor dining size, as long as they meet the minimum parking and setback
requirements. Pub 42 utilized the ordinance amendment to create a 2,225 square-foot patio.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Pocket Square Cocktail Lounge| 7530 42nd Ave N
In January of 2020, the City Council approved a Conditional Use Permit to Pocket
Square Cocktail Lounge to open a microdistillery at the former Mountain Mudd
location. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pocket Square did not open until spring 2021.
Pocket Square Cocktail Lounge produces its own vodka and gin and uses both to create
unique hand-crafted cocktails for enjoyment in their lounge or their outside patio.
Pocket Square will also offer whisky in the future.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Ice Arena | 4949 Louisiana Ave N
The south sheet of ice
was added 25 years ago,
so several building
components are nearing
or have passed their life
expectancy, including the
roof. Over the past
several years staff has
worked to extend the
south rink roof life by
patching small leaks;
however, it had reached
the end of its useful life
and needed replacement.
This summer, the original
roof was replaced with a
material of a durable
synthetic rubber roofing
membrane.
Currently being installed,
a new insulated
translucent panel skylight
system will replace the
existing quarter barrel-
vault translucent skylight
along the east side of the building. The original skylight was also at the end of its life
expectancy and needed replacement. With the new skylight, some design modifications
were made to lessen the ability for snow to build up along the length of the skylight,
which had caused issues with the previous design.
Repairs to the exterior insulation finish system walls will also be completed following
the skylight installation. In addition to the roof and skylight improvements, the
dehumidification system in the south rink was also replaced this year.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing | 4215 Louisiana Ave N
The Economic
Development Authority
(EDA) acquired the
vacant and distressed
building at 4215
Louisiana Avenue North
for $125,000 in March of
2020, as part of the city’s
Scattered Site Housing
Program. The building
was constructed in 1961
as a single-family home
and was later converted
into office space. The
building was demolished
in June of 2020. In order
to allow for the
construction of a single-
family home, the parcel
was rezoned to a
residential zoning
district. The lot was sold
to custom home builder
Great Buy Homes, who
constructed a 2,500 square-foot split-level home that sold for $435,000 in July of 2021.
The builder installed a fence and several coniferous trees along the south property line
to aid with screening. The area south of the new home/fence is owned by Cook
Automotive and will be restored with grass this fall.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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2021 Infrastructure Improvement Project
The 2021 Infrastructure Improvement Project involves
the mill and overlay (shown in green) of 2.2 miles of
roadway and the reclaim and overlay (shown in
orange) of one mile of roadway. Additionally, a half-
mile of Louisiana Avenue will be reconstructed by the
city of Crystal (show in red). Pavement rehabilitation
methods were determined by the city engineer based
on current pavement conditions. This area was
determined based on the 10-year pavement
management plan.
In addition to the pavement construction, a portion of
the water main was reconstructed along Oregon
Avenue, just to the west of Lion’s Park. This section of
water main was in poor condition with a history of
numerous water breaks. A storm sewer pipe along
Oregon near 42nd Ave N was also rehabilitated as
part of this project.
Work began in April of 2020. The majority of work was completed by the end of June. A
water main issue along Oregon Avenue caused delays on completing paving on the
final streets. Restoration will occur in September once weather conditions are favorable
to grass establishment.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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2020 Infrastructure Improvement Project
The 2020 Infrastructure
Improvement Project involved the
mill and overlay of 3.75 miles of
roadway in the Hidden Valley Park
neighborhood, between Boone and
36th avenue. These mill and
overlay roadways were determined
based on the 10-year pavement
management plan.
Additionally, 36 ½ Circle and
Northwood Parkway were fully
reconstructed due to deteriorating
water main and poor pavement
conditions. The water utilities on
these streets were replaced, along
with all of the storm leads in the
roadway.
Work began in April of 2020. All
water, storm and sewer installation
was complete by mid-July and all
roadwork will be completed by
early September.
Final wear course paving of the full reconstruction area was delayed this spring and
summer due to warranty issues on the pipe installation. The contractor is working to
resolve these issues and install wear course paving by the end of the fall paving season.
The hot summer drought season impacted restoration conditions on these streets as
well. The contractor will return this fall to install additional blow mulch restoration
material when conditions are more favorable to establish seed.
City of New Hope 2019 Bus Tour
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing | 3924 Utah Ave N
In December of 2018, the Economic Development Authority (EDA) purchased the
vacant and distressed property located at 3924 Utah Avenue North for $190,100 as part
of the city’s Scattered Site Housing Program. The intent of the purchase was to
rehabilitate the home for resale and maximize the value of the finished product. In
August of 2019, the EDA approved a $173,671 contract with Day Construction for
rehabilitation of the home. This included an alternate to remodel the two bedrooms on
the second floor to create a master suite, including a large bedroom, bathroom and
walk-in closet.
The scope of work for the project included improvements to nearly all interior and
exterior areas of the house. During the construction process, it was determined that
additional repairs to the home were needed and change orders were processed for the
replacement of the roof and air conditioning unit. Including the change orders, the city
invested $185,735 into making improvements to the property. Upon completion of the
rehabilitation work, the home was sold for $375,000. City staff sold the home without a
listing real estate agent, saving between $10,000 and $12,000 in brokerage fees.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Lighted Ballfield
The Lighted Field maintenance garage received new siding, soffit and fascia, service
door and garage door this summer. It was built in 1994, had a new roof installed in 2009
and has been painted several times over the years. The maintenance garage at Victory
Park was updated at the same time.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Hammernick’s Flooring | 9449 Science Center Dr
Hammernick’s Flooring Superstore
opened a location in New Hope in
spring 2021 and had their “Grand
Opening” on June 25. Hammernick’s
was originally started in Saint Paul
75 years ago as a small carpet and
paint store. The New Hope
Hammernick’s specializes in luxury
vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank
flooring, which is one of the most
popular trends currently in floor
design. Hammernick’s moved into
the space that was last occupied by
Superior Decks and Railings.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Orijin Stone | 5100 Boone Ave N
Orijin Stone moved to New Hope in spring 2020. Orijin Stone is a direct-to-trade
wholesale natural stone provider. They cater specifically to trade professionals and their
complex, detailed projects that require time and collaboration with Orijin Stone’s highly
skilled team. Orijin Stone did extensive remodeling upgrades to the existing building.
The photos are before and after pictures of the Orijin Stone warehouse area after the
extensive remodeling.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Public Works Facility | 5500 International Pkwy
Last fall, the City Council approved the phase one Public Works Expansion project. The
project was split into two phases to avoid the need for bonding to fund the project.
Phase one improvements include a new security system, cameras and gates; new soils
storage building and truck storage renovations; pavement replacement; mechanics bay
air conditioning, parts room renovation, repaint wall, sealer and parking spaces;
relocated fitness room, trench drain corrections; and new garage doors. An alternate
was also awarded on this project to install new translucent wall panels in the public
works garage area.
Construction began in June on the phase one of the expansion project. The contractor
anticipates all work completed by late fall.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Meadow Lake Drawdown
The city of New Hope, in partnership with the Shingle Creek Watershed Management
Commission and the Meadow Lake Watershed Association, will begin the in-lake
treatment project on Meadow Lake this fall. This project will address treatment of the
curly-leaf pondweed infestation, the poor fish habitat and the phosphorus in the lake
bottom sediment.
The project will
begin with a winter-
long drawdown of
Meadow Lake. The
drawdown will
begin later this fall.
In the spring, the
lake will be allowed
to fill back up
during the snow-
melt season. Water
quality will then be
monitored over the next two to three years to verify that the drawdown has been
successful enough to justify further treatment. If water quality results have not
improved as much as the engineers would like, a summer drawdown 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.
This project is fully funded by a Clean Water Fund Grant and a Board of Soil and Water
Resources grant. The city will have some responsibility of cost on an adjacent pipe
replacement project that will begin in November.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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New Hope Golf Course | 8130 Bass Lake Rd
New Hope Golf Course staff
have continued to make
landscaping improvements
around the patio which was
installed in 2019. A cart path
and plantings have been
added and the putting green
is being expanded.
The clubhouse was built in
2001, so after 20 years, some
replacements and updates are
needed. This summer the
HVAC system was replaced,
which included the furnace,
air conditioner and
economizer.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing |5353 & 5355 Oregon Ave N
The Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the single-family home located at 5353
Oregon Avenue North for $170,000 in May of 2018, as part of the city’s Scattered Site Housing
Program. The home was demolished and a variance was approved to allow for splitting of the
lot into two parcels. One of the two lots was slightly smaller than the city’s minimum lot size for
the R-1, Single-family Residential District, thus necessitating the variance. A Request for
Proposals marketing the lots was sent to builders and Great Buy Homes was selected to
construct two split-level homes. The home at 5353 Oregon Avenue North sold for $385,750 in
March of 2021 and the home at 5355 Oregon Avenue North sold for $389,921 in November of
2020, for a combined total of $775,671. Prior to the lot split, the parcel that is now occupied by
both of the new homes was valued at $150,000 when acquired in 2018 (increase of 417%). Below
is a picture of the single property before demolition.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Windsor Ridge Development| 51st Ave N
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 four different companies regarding
the Windsor Ridge site. After careful consideration SVK was chosen as the preferred
developer for the site.
SVK Development is developing 32 single-family units on 65 foot-wide lots. The
estimated sales prices for the homes range from the high-$300,000s to the mid $400,000s
for each home. So far 20 lots have sold at an average price of $420,713.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing | 5201 Oregon Ave N
The Economic Development
Authority (EDA) acquired the
single-family home located at 5201
Oregon Ave N for $145,500 in
September of 2018, as part of the
city’s scattered site housing
program. The home was
demolished and the lot was
prepared for construction of a new
single-family home. The lot was
sold to custom home builder
Novak-Fleck, who constructed a
2,800-square foot two-story home
that sold for $401,600 in April of
2020. The pictures on the left show
“before and after” pictures of the
property.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing | 5213 Pennsylvania Ave N
The Economic Development Authority (EDA) acquired the single-family home located at 5213
Pennsylvania Avenue North for $170,000 in February of 2021, as part of the city’s Scattered Site
Housing Program. The home was demolished and the lot was prepared for construction of a
new single-family home. The lot was sold to custom home builder Donnay Homes, who will be
constructing 2,700-square foot two-story home that is projected to sell for $485,000. It is
expected that the home will be completed by the end of 2021.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Railroad Tracks | Winnetka & Boone Avenues
This year the city partnered with
Hennepin County and C.P. Railroad
to construct critical repairs on the
railroad crossings at Winnetka
(pictured above) and Boone (pictured
below) avenues.
Work began on the Winnetka
crossing in early May. Repairs
included the replacement of a failing
storm sewer pipe and the
replacement of the railroad tracks.
Grade adjustments were made along
Winnetka near the tracks to create a
much smoother drive while crossing
the tracks. Work took approximately
five weeks to complete.
Once work was completed at the
Winnetka crossing work began at the
Boone Avenue crossing. The railroad
completed the track replacement
process in three days, and the city’s
contractor paved the new pavement
transition joints the next day
allowing for the crossing to open
after less than a week of closure.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Little Acre Park Basketball Hoops
A new court and hoops were added
this summer. The original court was
built more than 30 years ago. Last
resurfaced in 2014, it had had varying
levels of repair over the years and had
deteriorated to the point of needing
replacement.
Annual inspections of court surfaces
are performed by staff at all of the
parks to determine maintenance
priorities. Court surfaces need
periodic crack filling, resurfacing
and/or repainting to keep them safe
for users. When court surfaces have
been resurfaced too many times, the
layers built up on the surface easily
flake off, making continued
resurfacing improvements difficult. At
that point, the city considers
replacement.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Corner Park
The playground improvement project at Corner Park started with neighborhood
planning meetings this past winter and the installation took place in June. The previous
equipment was replaced in 1997 and was the oldest in the New Hope park system. The
project included a new playground container, equipment, wood fiber surfacing, new
pedestrian ramp, park signage, bench and picnic table with sun shade. The funding for
this project was available in the Park Infrastructure Fund and is estimated at $165,000,
including indirect costs.
City of New Hope 2020 Bus Tour
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Escuela Exitos | 4741 Zealand Ave N
In April of 2021, the City Council approved a
Conditional Use Permit to Escuela Existos to
open a Spanish Immersion school at 4741
Zealand Ave N. This property was previously
owned by New Hope Church. The Charter
School, Escuela Exitos, will be a Kindergarten
through 8th grade, two-way dual language
Spanish/English immersion school. The
school plans to serve 165 students during the
2021-2022 school year with enrollment
increasing and capping out at 390 students by
the 2023-2024 school year. According to the
applicant, the school model would meet a
growing demand of families in New Hope
and surrounding communities that currently
sit on long waitlists for immersion school
options.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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Scattered Site Housing | 8720 47th Ave N
The Economic Development Authority (EDA) committed $76,250 in Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to a Habitat for Humanity rehabilitation
project. Habitat for Humanity purchased the home at 8720 - 47th Avenue North in
November of 2020 and started work on the property in May of 2021. Improvements
planned for the home include lead/asbestos removal, new roof, new siding, new
soffit/fascia, new windows, new driveway and garage slab, new front steps, new
flooring, HVAC, plumbing, and electrical improvements, new interior doors,
installation of insulation, new cabinets and tree trimming.
Habitat for Humanity is a global nonprofit housing organization working in local
communities across all 50 states in the United States and in approximately 70 countries.
They work in communities to help build or improve homes and advocate for affordable
housing. Habitat for Humanity homeowners help build their own homes alongside
volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. A family selection committee selects
homeowners based on the applicant’s level of need, their willingness to partner with the
organization, and their ability to repay a mortgage through an affordable payment plan.
City of New Hope 2021 Bus Tour
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2021 Seal Coat and Fog Seal
To maximize the life of the pavement on the 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, .80 miles of street were crack
filled and 3.25 miles of street were crack filled, seal coated and fog sealed. Additionally,
mastic crack fill product will be installed along .72 miles of Boone Avenue between 42nd
and 49th avenues to repair the failing pavement joints.
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 off 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 2021 Bus Tour
List of Bus Tour Stops
1. Civic Center Park
2. Aquatic Center
3. Hy-Vee Aisles Online
4. P & C Daycare
5. Pub 42
6. Pocket Square
7. Ice Arena
8. Scattered Site - 4215 Louisiana
9. 2021 Infrastructure Improvement Project
10. 2020 Infrastructure Improvement Project
11. Scattered Site - 3924 Utah Ave N
12. Lighted Ballfield new storage
13. Hammernick’s
14. Orijin Stone
15. Public Works Facility
16. Meadow Lake Drawdown
17. Golf Course
18. Scattered Site – 5353 & 5355 Oregon Ave N
19. Windsor Ridge
20. Scattered Site - 5201 Oregon
21. Scattered Site - 5213 Oregon
22. Railroad Tracks
23. Little Acre Park Basketball hoops
24. Corner Park
25. Escuela Exitos
26. Scattered Site - 8720 47th Ave N
27. 2021 Seal Coat and Fog Seal