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Metro Transit: two new park-and-rides in Brooklyn Park
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| Brooklyn Park would like to see a new park-and-ride and transit-oriented development on the Anchor Block property at Brooklyn Blvd. and County Road 81. |
July 2004—Metro Transit is looking at the possibility of building two park-and-ride lots in Brooklyn Park. One would replace the lot that will be lost in 2007 when construction begins on an elaborate network of ramps connecting the “Devil’s Triangle” of Highway 169, CR 81 and 85th Ave.
Tom Thorstenson, manager of facilities engineering for Metro Transit, said capital funding is available to build a 400-space interim lot in the vicinity of CR 81 and Brooklyn Boulevard that could expand to a 1,200-space facility with the eventual construction of a parking ramp. Subject to the availability of operating funds, express service would run to downtown Minneapolis via Interstate 94.
He also said property is readily available at CR 81 and 63rd Ave. on a site owned by the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority. Again, if operating funds are available, express bus service from this park-and-ride would run to downtown Minneapolis via CR 81 and W. Broadway.
Brooklyn Park planning director Bob Schreier said he favors the potential of a site at CR 81 and Brooklyn Blvd. that is the current home to the industrial supplier Anchor Block.
The Anchor Block property is much larger than the 63rd Ave. site, Schreier said, and would support high-density residential and commercial redevelopment along with a transit facility.
“With the right partnership of private and government interests, I can see big things happening at Anchor Block,” said Schreier, adding that the creation of a TIF [tax increment financing] district is an option if conditions are right.
Schrier said he would like to see the Hennepin County property at 63rd Ave. and CR 81 converted to a park-and-ride as a second phase of transit-oriented development.
