Opus Development readies plans for Point at Arbor Lakes

Eight years after completing the third phase of the Arbor Lakes commercial area in Maple Grove, Opus Development Co. is preparing to build out the last developable parcel of what was once a gravel mine on the northwest corner of the interstate loop around the metro area.

Opus has obtained an option on the 36-acre plot in the northwest quadrant of the bustling intersection of Elm Creek Boulevard and Hemlock Lane. On Monday, it will formally present its plans for the Point at Arbor Lakes, which include 168,000 square feet of office-showroom uses, a 120-room hotel and a mix of retail.

The only confirmed retail taker so far is Hy-Vee, which is planning a 92,000-square-foot grocery store on the south side of the property, its third location in the Twin Cities. Two new free-standing restaurants and a third eatery in a 10,000-square-foot multi­tenant retail building are also part of the plans.

Opus Development President David Menke said in a statement the company was "excited to again be working with the city of Maple Grove and other key stakeholders toward bringing new mixed-use options to the area," but otherwise declined to comment as the proposal began its journey through the city approval process.

The site, currently owned by the Seleen Family Trust, has remained vacant after Opus in 2006 finished building out the other three quadrants of the intersection, transforming them from a mining zone into a top regional shopping destination.

Its first effort at Arbor Lakes was Main Street, completed in 1999 and anchored by a Best Buy and Byerly's grocery store. As part of that initial build-out, the Arbor Lakes Medical Building was erected in 2000 at the northwest corner of Elm Creek and Hemlock.

Opus completed its southwest quadrant in 2003 with the opening of the Shoppes at Arbor Lakes, a 412,000-square foot "lifestyle center" featuring a Pottery Barn and a Trader Joe's grocery. Two years later, the southeast corner emerged as the Fountains at Arbor Lakes, a 750,000-square-foot "power center" that includes a Costco and a pair of hotels.

The recession put the brakes on efforts by others to build out the final, northeast parcel. One proposal, called Reflections at Arbor Lakes, was pitched by local developer Brian Manion in 2007. He envisioned a pair of five-story office towers, 362 units of senior housing and a 245-room Radisson Hotel.

An attempt by Maple Grove-based Arrow Companies to restart the Reflections concept was withdrawn in February.

The Point at Arbor Lakes would be a logical and attractive endgame for the Elm Creek-Hemlock intersection, said Stefanie Meyer, a principal and senior vice president with Mid-America Real Estate, which is not involved with the project.

"It really kind of balances out the whole picture there," she said. "HyVee will be a great anchor tenant, with Byerly's and Cub Foods up the street. With a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's also at Arbor Lakes, there would be any grocery price-point that you'd want."

Opus' decision to opt for office-showroom uses rather than multifamily housing on the northern half of the site will require rezoning. The city had designated the spot to help meet its goals of bringing more housing to its "Gravel Mining Area" redevelopment zone, and so would need to amend its Metropolitan Council-approved comprehensive plan in order for the plans to proceed.