Be Heard - Penn Ave Study Open House

Richfield The city of Richfield is having a group of U of MN graduate students initiate a study on the future of Penn Avenue from 62nd to 68th Street. This has a few people nervous and you can hardly blame any of them.

A study of Penn Avenue is likely to have a different outcome from past proposals for the area, said Richfield Community Development Director Bruce Palmborg. The city looked at Penn Avenue in the 1980s and also about four years ago, Palmborg said. Past proposals have focused on redeveloping Penn Avenue while working directly with a developer. "I think basically why we didn't come up with anything is because there wasn't a market there for things that were desirable," he said.

The study underway differs, though, because planners will recommend a vision for the area rather than a redevelopment plan, Palmborg said. The Richfield Planning Commission and City Council would then likely consider changes to the city's Comprehensive Plan, which can be used to determine whether proposals for new structures should be suitable for the Penn area. The study is not developer-driven, he emphasized.

The nine years I have lived in Richfield has see quite a bit of change and it has also seen people being pushed out of their properties (Walser and now Magnuson Sod and AirCareGo) for various redevelopment projects. On a positive note, the article hints this will not happen on Penn.

Businesses owners along Penn Avenue shouldn't have to fear that they will be swept away by the tide of impending redevelopment, Palmborg said. "I would suspect that part of the conclusion of the study is that businesses that are there would be able to continue to operate," he said. "This isn't a plan to be followed by some implementation that has everyone uprooted."

If you have concerns about what they intend to do on Penn, I urge you to come to the open house schedule for April 6th. I missed the first one because we didn't get a letter about it until a few days before the event, but the article did say 65 people attended. I will be at the one this week. Event details: Date: Thursday, April 6th Time: 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Where: Lincoln Hills School cafeteria (7440 Penn Avenue South)