Work could start this year on MVTA Park and Ride

• Photo: Park and Ride

Rosemount received concepts for the park and ride that will be built on 145th Street West and Burnley Avenue.

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Activity is moving right along for a planned Rosemount park and ride lot. This week a designer delivered the preliminary drawings for the building and the city demolished an old house that stood on the property. The park and ride will be constructed on the corner of 145th Street and Burnely Avenue.

Community development director Kim Lindquist said while funding to build the project this year hasn’t been approved yet, the engineering and design consultant for the project, Stanec, has worked in anticipation that it will be. The plans will undergo formal review by the planning commission at its Feb. 28 meeting and the council will review it again in March.

If funding gets approved, Lindquist said it shouldn’t take long to construct the project. Formally, the project is scheduled for 2013 but MVTA and city officials hope to get started earlier.

MVTA representative Beverly Miller told the council on Feb. 21 that construction should begin this summer with substantial completion done by November. When complete they will have service going to Minneapolis. Eventually she said they hope to add service to St. Paul as well.

A Federal Congestion Management and Air Quality grant is partially financing the project. The Metropolitan Council will provide the local match required as part of the grant. The MVTA has paid for design fees and an environmental review. The city has contributed the Redevelopment Investment Grant it received through the Community Development Agency for enhancements of the project.

The city and MVTA officials had hoped to start construction last year, but soil contamination and compliance with National Historic Preservation Laws delayed it. With those issues resolved, Lindquist said it’s probable the project will get the go ahead in 2012.

According to a staff memo plans call for the park and ride to have entrances on Burnley Avenue only. Bus pull overs will be added on Burnley. The project will include a passenger shelter on the northwest portion of the site. The shelter will be climate controlled and will include a unisex restroom, drinking fountain and mechanical room. The park and ride will include 102 parking spaces, five of which will be handicap parking.

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