The 80-acre project is to include 737 housing units, 225,000 sf of office space and 325,000 sf of retail space--of which a big-box retailer such as Wal-Mart or Costco would take up 150,000 sf. The lead developer of the project is Rottlund Homes. But Judge Michael Monahan rejected a plea by the Friends of Twin Lakes to halt development of the Twin Lakes project for further environmental review by the state. Yet Monahan let stand a separate lawsuit against the city by the citizens' group that contends the development, as currently planned, would violate the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act. The lawsuit is slated for trial in December.
The group says it wants more green space, and smaller independent shops rather than large, chain-owned stores. City officials and developers argue that that is not economically feasible. A big box is necessary to support the smaller, more service-oriented stores.
The project is the first phase of a city plan to redevelop about 280 acres of largely abandoned industrial property northeast of County Road C and Cleveland Avenue. The land is polluted with hazardous chemicals, and Rottlund is spending about $8.6 million to clean up the first 80 acres.
In June, the City of Roseville approved a tax increment financing deal to help fund the first phase. Compared with the original plan, the project now includes 85% less office space, 38% more retail space and 136% more housing. Monahan ruled against the group's claim that the changes nullified previous environmental reviews, concluding that altering the plan did not violate of the Minnesota Environmental Protection Act. The citizens' group is alleging that because the makeup of the project has changed markedly since it was proposed more than four years ago, a new and more comprehensive environmental review is needed.
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