These guidelines are for redevelopment of Hillcrest Village were adopted by the Board of Directors of the North East Neighborhoods Development Corporation, District 2 Community Council, and the White Bear Avenue Business Association.

Long-term goals for the neighborhood and the city.

·          Develop a long-term vision of what the Hillcrest area is going to evolve into through our redevelopment efforts. Use the Calthrope plan as a general guild, not a detailed blueprint.

·          Use the Hillcrest Opportunity site as a demonstration of the  principle of smart growth and mixed-use urban village development. Design and choose housing and commercial uses so that these reinforce and complement each other.

·          Acquire properties for redevelopment in a manner that does not artificially inflate the value of surrounding property, making these parcels more difficult to redevelop. Minimize profit taking by intelligent project staging

·          Preserve and enhance unique neighborhood resources and use them as catalysts for redevelopment( examples: Hillcrest Knoll Park, Hayden Heights Library.)’

·          Use every available planning and zoning tool to achieve this goal by a series of individual short step that bring us closer to realizing the vision.

·          Use the nexus of the Larpenteur and White Bear Avenue intersection and work out from this point, while also taking timely advantages of commercial properties that become available for revitalization.

·          Establish a mechanism that allow for upkeep and maintenance of common area, boulevards, sidewalk, and parking lots though one management agreement or assessment district.

·          Encourage public art and neighborhood design considerations on all new projects. Insist on high quality materials and work for all future projects.

Build A Sustainable Business District

·          The end result of Hillcrest redevelopment should be a business district sustainable in size and content.

·          Strive to retain and attract destination business on White Bear Avenue.

·          Redevelopment should be staged so that existing business that fit into the redeveloped Hillcrest Village can be retained and relocated in the present service area, only once, and with a minimum of disruption.

·          Preserve existing small business that provide shopping and service needs to the immediate neighborhoods,

·          Create space to retain small, family owned businesses, don’t “price them out” of the Hillcrest Village.

·          Reduce the vacant, underused and marginal retail space to encourage the retention of sustainable business operations.

1961 Sherwood Ave

Saint Paul, MN 55119

Phone: 651-774-2220

Email: district2@usfamily.net

Fax: 651-774-2135

To contact us:

Goals and Objectives | Hillcrest Village Redevelopment Principles | Letters from Staff and President | National Night Out | Recycling | Annual Clean Up | Virtual Block Clubs | Adult English Class | Neighborhood Contact List

·          Remember that not all “commercial space” is “retail space”. Take efforts to attract and retain the service business, restaurants, medical and professional practice that add to the mix without contributing to any retail gilt.

·          Use the proposed redevelopment at the former Hafner’s site and the new Walgreen’s store (at the northwest corner pf Larpenteur and White Bear Avenue) as catalyst for the redevelopment work on the Hillcrest Center.

·          Implement “mixed use” on portions of all blocks north of Hoyt Avenue.

New Housing as Part of the Mix

·          Develop alternative including condos and Townhomes that add to existing choice and complement the housing already available in the Hillcrest area.

·          Consider incorporation of additional housing development.

·          Give high priority to adding housing sites along the corridor.

·          Use new housing as a redevelopment tool.

Transportation

·          Coordinate the Hillcrest development with transportation planning efforts top increase mobility options for residents, including bus, bicycling and walking

·          Complete the transit station improvement to use Hillcrest as a nexus to allow connection to downtown St. Paul, downtown Minneapolis, Stillwater, White Bear Lake, Maplewood Mall, Rosedale Mall, U of M, the International Airport and Mall of America.

·          Use transit planning to make Hillcrest an attractive and viable destination for riders who will patronize local businesses.