Dakota County news briefs: Redevelopment getting back on track at Lockheed Martin corporate campus

The redevelopment of the former Lockheed Martin corporate campus in Eagan appears to be getting back on track.

Minneapolis-based CSM Corp. has revised its original plans for a large-scale retail center on the 47-acre site to include some medical office space. The developer also hopes to include a family entertainment venue like a bowling alley, said Vice President Thomas Palmquist. He said the project would still be predominantly retail, including stores, restaurants and service businesses.

CSM withdrew its original plan late last year and has spent the last several months on revisions to take into consideration the city's preference for a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-used development.

Palmquist said CSM expects to submit its new plans to the city next month. If approved, construction could begin by the summer of 2014.

Christina Royal is the new provost and chief academic office at Inver Hills Community College, replacing Joan Kuzma Costello, who recently retired after 24 years at the school.

Royal comes from Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, where she was associate vice president for e-learning and innovation.

"She has significant experience in online and blended instruction, strategic academic planning and accreditation," the college said in a statement announcing the appointment, "and brings to Inver Hills a forward-thinking approach to contemporary teaching and learning practices and solutions."

A snapshot of the health of the Mississippi River will be presented in Apple Valley on Tuesday, July 16. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at Hayes Community and Senior Center.

Friends of the Mississippi River and the National Park Service's Mississippi National River and Recreation Area unit developed the "State of the River Report." Leaders of several other organizations wrote the report, which summarizes the health of water quality and the aquatic ecosystem. It also highlights key trends that impact the river and offers potential solutions to protect the river and its watershed.

Local water quality experts will begin a conversation in the second half of the event, when participants will get the opportunity to ask questions.

To register, contact FMR Watershed Program Registrar Lindsay Hefferan at lhefferan@fmr.org. Include the event title, your name and contact information, and the number of people in your party.

The Farmington City Council will continue talks on the 2014 budget cuts, beginning with a look at the fire department's needs at a council workshop Monday. The July 8 meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. at Farmington City Hall.

The proposed 2014 budget originally included requests from the fire department that made up the largest chunk of the levy increase that the city was planning — a proposed $312,000 increase to the department's budget.

That proposed increase includes a new fire vehicle for $125,000, an increase for equipment of $45,000, training classes increasing by $23,000, building maintenance by $61,000, uniforms by $8,000 and workers compensations included in the budget for the first time at $24,000.

At past meetings, City Council members said they feel like their hands are tied, and they expressed anger and frustration with state legislators and the governor for setting these laws for local budgets next year.