County Road E Corridor Action Plan: Community Workshop Series Fall 2022

The County Road E Corridor is an economic hub for the communities along the corridor with enormous potential for revitalization and placemaking.  In recognition of the importance of this corridor, the cities of White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and Gem Lake with support from Ramsey County partnered for a series of community workshops and discussions led by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Twin Cities in September and October 2022 to guide future investments along the corridor. Based on the community's input through the workshop series, the process produced an action plan and summary report which includes near, medium, and long-term goals and action steps.  The report will serve as a tool to attract investment through development and inform policymakers as they plan for infrastructure improvements.

We would like to thank the many community members who participated in the workshop series!  We are grateful for the time and energy participants put into shaping the County Road E Corridor Action Plan!

Below is a summary of the series as well as links to supporting documentation.

WORKSHOP I: Gather Information
Wednesday, September 14, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Century College, 3300 Century Ave, White Bear Lake
 

Workshop I Summary:

The County Road E Corridor Action Plan community process is underway!  The first workshop was held on Wednesday, September 14^th to gather information about what is unique and interesting about County Road E, what can be added to improve the area and make it feel more connected, and concerns about what’s not working.  The goals of the process are to:

1) gain perspectives on community needs and wants along the corridor,

2) improve understanding of what is viable and realistic for available redevelopment sites along the corridor,

3) attract investment to the corridor to maintain and improve vitality, and

4) improve quality of life for County Road E residents and stakeholders. 

Key opportunity sites for each of the cities connected to the corridor were identified.  Information was also provided on existing uses in the area, trends in housing, commercial and industrial uses, and an overview of County Road E street design.  Information from these presentations can be found here.

Workshop participants were invited to participate in small group conversations and provide their feedback by answering a series of questions.  A summary of that input can be found here.

If you were unable to attend the meeting, but would like to share your feedback to the questions discussed in the small group conversations you can complete this form.

The series of community workshops are a collaboration among the three cities of White Bear Lake, Gem Lake, and Vadnais Heights, with funding support provided by Ramsey County.   Please join us for future workshops, and bring your friends and neighbors!

WORKSHOP II A - C: Exploring Development Options - The Block Exercise
Attendees participated in an interactive workshop to create development scenarios for key sites along the County Road E Corridor. Land use and design experts were on hand to share ideas and insights. Sites were divided among three workshops by city.  Summaries of each city's block exercises are linked below.

A. Vadnais Heights sites
Wednesday, September 28, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St

Click here for a summary of the Vadnais Heights Block Exercise

B. White Bear Lake sites
Thursday, September 29, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3770 Bellaire Ave, White Bear Lake

Click here for a summary of the White Bear Lake Block Exercise

C. Gem Lake sites
Wednesday, October 5, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Heritage Hall, 4200 Otter Lake Road, Gem Lake

Click here for a summary of the Gem Lake Block Exercise

Workshop III: Developer Panel Discussion
Wednesday, October 12, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St
Attendees had the opportunity to hear feedback from a panel of development professionals with a range of expertise about the scenarios developed in the block exercises as well as other information to consider in the creation of the corridor action plan.  Click here for a summary of the meeting.

Workshop IV: Framing Recommendations
Wednesday, October 26, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St
Participants worked together to refine County Road E Corridor action plan recommendations based on input from the previous three sessions, which was submitted to a Project Team of local government and private partners for consideration. 

For more information contact:

• Tracy Shimek, City of White Bear Lake, 651-762- 4838 or tshimek@whitebearlake.org
• Nolan Wall, City of Vadnais Heights, at 651-204-6027 or nolan.wall@cityvadnaisheights.com
• Ben Johnson, Gem Lake City Council Member, at  ben.johnson@gemlakemn.org
• Gretchen Nicholls, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, at 612-327-2149 or gnicholls@lisc.org

For questions about the redevelopment process, contact Jason Lindahl, Community Development Director, City of White Bear Lake at (651) 429-8562 or jlindahl@whitebearlake.org.