Business Could Boom Along Southwest LRT Line

When it comes to the proposed Southwest Light Rail Transit line, business is the operative word.

The line, which would connect downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie via the western suburbs, would run through several significant business zones. And developers say the current “locally preferred alternative” was specifically designed that way—even if other routes would have been more direct from point A to point B.

Patch recently had the chance to take a tour along the proposed route. Below, we’ve highlighted three proposed stops at which business should play a significant role, in one way or another:

“The Golden Triangle”

• Where: Between highways 169 and 212, south of Highway 62
• Details: This area is projected to add 60,000 jobs by 2030, said Bruce Nustad, president of the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce. Currently, there about 20,000 employees in the triangle. Supervalu is the largest employer in the area, accounting for roughly 1,500 of those jobs. The line would run right past SuperValu, with the station being on top of a nearby ridge that currently has a small bike path.
• Quote: “The reality is, if we want to accommodate all those jobs, from a congestion perspective, we really have to do some creative things. One of the tools we’ll need is light rail.” - Nustad

"City West"

• Where: North of Golden Triangle, near Highway 212 and 62nd Street West
• Details: Unlike the Golden Triangle site, this area is less developed currently. In fact, a good amount of wetlands and woodlands border the proposed stop. But development is coming. United Health Group, which is one of the largest employers along the line, is planning on adding a 72-acre campus in the area. Remaining land from that development is being donated to the light rail project.
• Quote: “Any opportunity for us to see new, more innovative, cost effective means of public transportation, we think is a plus.” -Gregg Murray, senior vice president at Opportunity Partners, a company that provides services for adults with disabilities and is located less than a mile from the City West stop

Wooddale Avenue

• Where: Near the intersection of Wooddale Avenue and Highway 7 in St. Louis Park
• Details: This area doesn't have the current or proposed office parks that Golden Triangle and City West do, but business still plays a role. A new is going up a stone's throw from the proposed stop, and other commercial and residential buildings litter the nearby 36th Street. And while Louisiana Avenue will be the most immediate stop to , Wooddale will undoubtedly play a role in facilitating hospital traffic as well.
• Quote: "Maybe (patients) wouldn’t have hospital access otherwise ... We think that’s positive for the community.” - Matt Lechner, Park Nicollet media relations

Before these stops become reality, preliminary engineering and environmental analysis both need to be done. These steps are separate, but they will run at roughly a parallel pace over the next two years. When both are complete, construction can begin. Construction is slated to take about three years, with the line projected to open in 2018.

There is also the question of cost. The line is estimated to cost roughly $1.25 billion, and funding sources—including around $625 million from the federal government—have not been fully secured. Developers are hoping to get $25 million from a state bonding bill this year.

Amid the planning for the line itself, officials in St. Louis Park have started focusing on the three proposed local stations. While they may not get to decide exactly where the stops go, local officials—along with residents—figure to have some say in how the stations actually look and feel. To that end, Met Council has given the city money to study the three stops. Some of that planning has .

For more on the Southwest Light Rail project, see this .