Real, Focused, Centralized
Burnsville, Minnesota
Situation
In the early 1960s, Burnsville city officials thought their downtown would end up in the area of Nicollet Boulevard and Burnsville Parkway. But this second-ring suburb in Minnesota got sidetracked. Sure, several strip malls went up in this intersection’s area.
But in the 1970s, the Burnsville Center mall opened on County Road 42. Over the following 10 years, more and more buildings were built near the Burnsville Center. So it seemed the downtown had moved that way too.
In the early 1990s, during its days as a bedroom community with typical suburban development and sprawl, Burnsville conducted a city-wide planning process called Partnership for Tomorrow. Partnership for Tomorrow brought together more than 700 residents over the course of years to discuss the future of Burnsville. It’s no surprise that the central concept that emerged was the desire for a real, focused, centralized downtown. And that’s how Heart of the City got its start, and the downtown started to head back toward Nicollet Boulevard and Burnsville Parkway.
Goals
Partnership for Tomorrow began as a way to enhance the streetscape in the intersection of Nicollet Boulevard and Burnsville Parkway. But once community members got together, their sights were soon set higher. They wanted a vibrant downtown. Their goals included:
- Create and urban, downtown feel.
- Allow for mixed use buildings.
- Increase the tax base of the area.
- Bring arts and cultural opportunities to Burnsville.
- Include housing that meets the needs of various demographics, including empty nesters.
Solution
Bringing the community together in Partnership for Tomorrow in 1995 was a successful start that ultimately led to the Heart of the City. These are some other things that helped it along:
- A clear, central goal for creating a downtown was established by listening carefully to residents and businesses before breaking ground.
- In 1998 the city became the master developer for the project. Development framework and HOC1 and 2 zoning districts were adopted in 1999.
- A new committee helped ensure that development fit with goals set in HOC ordinance and design framework manual.
- Tax increment financing district was approved to enable redevelopment of the property within Heart of the City.
- The city purchased parcels of land to set aside for preferred developments, such as for hotels.
- Burnsville Community Foundation formed to accept donations toward community beautification, including public art.
- Ongoing communications with residents, neighbors and businesses was key to success. This included a monthly construction meeting, annual communication event and regular updates to adjacent residents. Fun events were held early on to show residents the value of the progress and improvements.
DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
- For the park and ride: Minnesota Valley Transit Authority, Minnesota Department of Transportation and Metropolitan Council.
- City master developer partners: Sherman & Associates, King Construction, OPUS/KSH, Dakota County CDA, Springbrook Corporation, Stonebridge Development and Lintor Corporation.
- Nicollet Commons Park: Metropolitan Council, Dakota County CDA, Burnsville Community Foundation, MARAFIE Foundation and Burnsville Rotary.
Progress
The Heart of the City project was well-served by stakeholder collaboration and contribution.
- At full development, Heart of the City is expected to bring in three to four million dollars annually in property tax base, compared to the $200,000 before.
- The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority serves two million riders each year. It saw ridership increase by nearly seven percent from 2007 to 2008. The Heart of the City Park and Ride with its 370-space ramp is popular.
- Burnsville Transit Station serves nearly 300 buses per day.
- Burnsville ranks in the top ten cities in the U.S. for transportation in small cities and for green space in small cities according to the National Resources Defense Council.
- Burnsville Independent School District converted a strip mall into an education center in 1998.
- There is a 1.5 acre town square, Nicollet Commons Park.
- Nicollet Plaza replaced the vacated K-Mart with a mixed use project including housing and retail.
- Various mix use condominiums have been built with retail on ground level.
- The Dakota County Community Development Agency opened affordable rental townhomes with 34 units in 2003.
- In 2009 the Burnsville Performing Arts Center opened with a 1,000 seat theater.
It turns out the Burnsville city officials of the early 1960s were right after all—the Heart of the City would end up in the area of Nicollet Boulevard and Burnsville Parkway. And a vibrant city at that.
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