SW. quadrant, Creek Lane and Seville Drive, Jordan
Type: Mixed use
Senior housing: 50 units
Medical clinic: 5,000 square feet
Library: 8,000 square feet
Developer: Scott County Community Development Agency
Architect: UrbanWorks Architecture
Details: A project that features affordable senior housing as well as medical and public uses is underway in Jordan.
Brentwood Court, a two-building campus that broke ground in May, will be anchored by 50 units of senior housing provided by Scott County.
In an unusual spin, the apartment building will also include a new 8,000-square-foot library branch for Jordan, replacing a cramped facility in the city's downtown.
The decision to put the library in the new development came after a long and sometimes bitter debate from residents who wanted a new facility in Jordan's historic downtown. Others, however, argued that would be too costly and instead called for the library's inclusion in Brentwood Court as a cost-effective opportunity.
Under the deal that was reached, the county loaned the city $1 million -- saving it $60,000 in bond transaction fees -- and coupled the library project with the senior housing in one of the buildings.
The other part of the Brentwood Court campus is a new health clinic and pharmacy to be leased to St. Francis Regional Medical Center. The clinic will measure 5,000 square feet and the pharmacy (including a drive-through window) 2,500 square feet.
The project's unique combination of elements has already earned it a merit award from the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, which cited its creativity in bringing together separate uses into a cohesive whole.
"The synergies really work in this development because it answers a lot of needs," said Bill Jaffa, executive director of the Scott County Community Development Agency.
Although Jordan has about 5,500 residents, he said, "they don't have a medical clinic and they've not had a pharmacy since 1998."
Don Jacobson is a St. Paul-based freelance writer. He can be contacted at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.
The school is changing an elective course while still working with the Eden Prairie-based health care giant after students raised concerns.
