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U.S. Bank/Walgreens
900 County Road 42, Burnsville
Type: Retail
Size: 14,000 square feet (Walgreens), 5,000 square feet (bank)
Area: 3.3 acres
Developer: U.S. Bank
Architect: HTG Architects
Details: Burnsville's main shopping corridor is getting another boost, a reflection both of the growth of the area as a prime south-suburban retail center and the lack of raw land for new development.
U.S. Bank has won city approval for a redevelopment plan that will let it replace its 31-year-old bank and make room for a new Walgreens drugstore along the north side of County Road 42, just west of Interstate 35, at Burnhaven Mall.
Officials at U.S. Bank declined to comment on the project, saying that some details need to be finalized before a formal announcement can be made. But city documents indicate the bank owns the entire 3.3-acre site and is planning to raze the current bank, build a new one next to it and later erect the Walgreens on the emptied space.
The Burnsville City Council last month approved the planned unit development, or PUD, for the project. The Walgreens building will use the company's familiar architecture and red brick facade. The bank, designed by HTG Architects of Eden Prairie, will include a more contemporary look than the original structure and better alignment with neighboring buildings -- Barnes and Noble Booksellers to the east and MGM Liquors to the west.
"We're glad to see them moving ahead," said city planner Chris Slania. "It's a great opportunity to give the site a fresh look."
The plan brings the buildings closer to the road, putting the emphasis on the structures instead of the parking lots. It also solves a couple of other problems, eliminating one access point along the city's busiest stretch of roadway and adding a retention pond and stormwater management system.
The project is one of several in the area that have moved ahead despite the real estate slowdown.
"We have been very lucky that the drop hasn't been dramatic," Slania said of the commercial real estate sector. "I've been surprised at how steady it has been."
There's more involved than luck. As one of the area's mature suburbs, Burnsville has been fully developed for years. That means housing construction hasn't been a major factor in its economy. Commercial development is about 80 percent of construction in the city, and because land is at a premium along County Road 42, redevelopment has allowed the city to avoid the outdated feel that can drive down the value of older retail areas.
"We've had good luck with Burnsville," Slania said. "There have been a lot of nice additions to that corridor."
The bank is part of the Burnhaven Mall development on the highway's north side. The site, originally anchored by a standard Target store attached to a small retail center, has grown and evolved over the years. In 2007, the Target store and part of the mall were demolished to make room for a SuperTarget. To the west of the current project, an old restaurant that had changed hands several times over the years has been redeveloped into a TCF Bank branch.
The wave of redevelopment in the area over the past few years also includes a major remodeling of Burnsville Center and a new multiscreen movie theater complex, which opened this fall in the center's parking lot.
The city also has seen a growth in its "automobile alley" along I-35, with a Walser Subaru under construction at the north end of the city and the Walser Honda dealership along Buck Hill Road undergoing a major remodeling.
ANNE BRETTS
Anne Bretts is a freelance writer based in Northfield. She can be reached at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.
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