There is an article in the Star Tribune today about Elk Run, the biggest project I have worked on. I have been working on the traffic study for the development for about a year. The study area is about 5,000 acres and will obviously generate a lot of traffic. The traffic study along with the entire Alternative Urban Areawide Review environmental document is in for review. The major finding of the study is that a large interchange will need to be built at Highway 52/County Road 12. This interchange was already planned, but the area will have a lot more traffic than Mn/DOT and Olmsted County originally envisioned. It is important that we protect the safety and mobility along Highway 52, which means no traffic signals along the highway corridor.
The article about Elk Run was a little on the skeptical side. Tower Investments realizes the development is not business as usual. They are attempting to create a destination development. I think they feel a little like Walt Disney proposing Disney Land. Obviously new ideas usually meet with a dose of skepticism. I hope they pull off Elk Run. It would be a huge boost to Minnesota’s economy. I wish the Star Tribune would have focused on that angle.
It looks like project is either complete or on it’s way. I don’t know what phase project is in.