Laserfiche WebLink
Page 2:[1]Deleted Charles Marohn 6/10/201112:08:00 AM <br /> Developers in the City of Baxter are attempting to build an auto-oriented <br /> "downtown" amongst the big-box retail that defines the city. Coalitions are forming in <br /> Brainerd to focus efforts on revitalizing that has suffered from years of deterioration. <br /> Nisswa, its popular historic downtown limited by surrounding development, is <br /> considering establishing a new and separate downtown area that would resemble <br /> Baxter's model in design. Crosslake, borrowing a page from the New Urbanist <br /> movement, is working to establish a center town square in a community that has no <br /> natural center. <br /> Only Pequot Lakes has the combination of desire and the ease of opportunity to turn <br /> dreams of a destination downtown into reality. The existing Pequot Lakes downtown, <br /> centered on the former railroad stop, has the natural pattern of the historic downtown. <br /> A stable base of quality businesses provides the anchor from which growth can build. <br /> There is ample room for expansion, which can be supported year-round by the <br /> residential neighborhoods within walking distance. Pending highway improvements will <br /> make Pequot Lakes even more accessible to the area. The trail park is a largely untapped <br /> amenity that few downtowns can provide. The advantages all of this gives Pequot Lakes <br /> are enormous. <br /> The cost of the downtown improvements proposed in this report, though daunting, <br /> should not be an obstacle. Much of the roughly $4.5 million needed to fully implement <br /> the plan includes street improvements that are necessary regardless of the City's <br /> approach to the downtown. The ability to identify and make value-added improvements <br /> during what would otherwise be maintenance projects gives the City an opportunity to <br /> make wise and efficient spending decisions. <br /> While assessments are a necessary and key component of the overall funding and <br /> redevelopment strategies, other funding mechanisms will also be important. Tax <br /> increment financing and tax abatement are incentives that can be justified by the long- <br /> term economic and social value of a healthy downtown. Sales tax revenue, particularly <br /> that which is generated within the downtown, provides a mechanism to capture outside <br /> money to fund an area-wide destination. Negotiations with Mn/DOT and Crow Wing <br /> County in the Highway 371 project, along with partnerships with the DNR, must all be <br /> leveraged to implement the plan. <br /> With debate continuing over the ultimate alignment of Highway 371, it is important <br /> to acknowledge that the establishment of a destination downtown is both critical to and <br /> completely independent of the ultimate decision on the highway. <br /> When the highway is re-routed around the downtown, the need for enhancements <br /> becomes even more critical. With an alternate route,the City will not be able to passively <br /> rely on a few core businesses to catch the eye of drivers. Instead, solidifying the <br /> downtown as a destination will become critical to its long-term success. Enhancement <br /> dollars will need to be spent to induce redevelopment and expansion of offerings within <br /> the core downtown. <br /> Page 8:[2]Deleted Charles Marohn 6/10/201112:47:00 AM <br /> Expanding Central Lakes Region <br /> Pequot Lakes is located in the heart of the Central Lakes Region, which has been <br /> identified as a core regional growth area. Population in Cass and Crow Wing Counties is <br />