(editorial) Pavilion Vote: Not an Indication of Anti-Development

Excelsior has, rightly or wrongly, long had a reputation of being a difficult place to redevelop. Land use restrictions, historical preservation, and building codes have been cited as reasons why developers don't see Excelsior as a profitable place to invest.

With the recent rejection of the lakefront Pavilion, I can envision that outside developers will add it to their list of examples of why Excelsior is not developer-friendly. I can hear it now: "Someone was willing to build a lakefront pavilion and a parking ramp for the city at no cost, but the residents didn't want change."

Wrong.

In dealings with residents of Excelsior, I find that people are very open to renewal. Be it a run-down home or a burned-down hardware store, there is more than enough support to redevelop the city in a tasteful and gradual manner. I can name several sites, probably a dozen, in the city limits of Excelsior where there would be near-unanimous support for redevelopment of an underutilized lot. The problem is that the lakefront isn't one of them.

This was a nice idea for the wrong site. Excelsior's identity is that of a lakefront village. If you take the lakefront or the village aspect away, residents will speak up. The pavilion proposal was akin to wanting to develop a building in Washington DC -- at face value, sounds great. But then we learn that the desired location is on the Mall, in between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Out of the question.

That example might be a bit extreme, but scale it down several times and you begin to understand the impact that lakefront development has on Excelsior's identity.

I hope more ideas come along that would make use of underutilized Excelsior lots, and do so with private developers being creative on how to enhance the city. They may not all be approved, but the ones that are will become part of Excelsior's identity for future decades and will be met with enthusiastic support from residents.

Excelsior Redevelopment Part 2

The Sun Sailor's coverage of the proposal to develop the southern edge of the Commons as well as an adjacent downtown block provides more information and a balanced perspective on the topic. It can be found at:

http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2007/12/13/news/ex13monson.txt

Figuring the value of a prime, downtown, Lake Minnetonka lot is still the big question, and I maintain that that corner of the Commons is hardly a brown lot in need of revitalization. One the other hand, converting a city-owned parcel to a piece of tax-generating property would help Excelsior's finances, and expanding parking through private development and without taxing residents is the only fair way to do it.

Thoughts? Comments?

Wayzata Bay Center

It looks like the south shore of Lake Minnetonka is not alone in handwringing over what the new development should look like. Our friends on the north side of the lake are entertaining the third proposal in five years to redevelop the Wayzata Bay Center.

http://www.mnsun.com/articles/2007/11/16/news/wz15baycenter.txt

Wayzata is obviously on a different scale than the hamlets on the south shore, but the issue is not all that different: How much leeway on factors such as density or building height should be given to an "anchor" project, one that will set the tone of the community for decades to come. It isn't unlike Tonka Bay taking great care in what happens at the Tonka Bay Center, or Excelsior being careful about what goes in on Water Street, or Deephaven being cautious when it comes to new development at Chowen's Corner.

While we can sometimes be too restrictive to developers who want to use their resources and creativity to help improve our cities, there is a reason for due process on big projects like this. What the Wayzata Bay Center redevelopment is asking for -- a height variance of nearly 100% for starters -- will require careful consideration and community input. In the end, I think the entire community (which I consider the south shore to be part of) will benefit from the Wayzata Bay Center location being thriving and energetic, however that may best occur.

What's Going On With The Old Pizza Hut Building?

Anyone who has been to downtown Excelsior this summer has noticed that the old Pizza Hut / Lakeshore Deli building is not only vacant, but seemingly deserted. When I first drove by it in the early spring, I assumed that I'd see signficant construction or renovation occuring quickly. Here we are entering October, and to the casual observer nothing has changed.

A quick Google search of the property (officially known as 10 Water St.) shows that it is owned by IRET Properties, c/o Thomas James Realty, and that it switched hands in April 2006 for just under a million dollars.

Don't get me wrong -- I don't miss the Pizza Hut. The cleanliness and service were always subpar, plus Joey Nova's fills the pizza niche for me with their good quality food and nice dining area. But I do miss the terribly underrated Lakeshore Deli, and am curious what such a prominent piece of property on Lake Minnetonka is doing sitting vacant for so long.

Given that this property accounts for 6-7% of Excelsior's property tax income (more if the property is improved), I would think that redeveloping such a visible property is in their best interest, not to mention the owner's.

If you have the scoop on what is happening with this South Lake property, feel free to post your info.