The 21.2 acre site is a phased development, beginning with the initial development of the 14,820 square foot Walgreens building and the remodel of the remaining 46,000 square foot existing retail building as show on the supporting site plans.
Site Design
The site design complements the adjoining retail, commercial, and residential uses through the use of quality architecture, dense landscaping and the pedestrian friendly walkway system. The integrated design of the site, buildings, internal roadway, infrastructure requirements, storm water design, and landscape image results in the coordinated overall site plan as illustrated on the Rendered Site Plan. The storm water ponds and existing swale have been designed as a site feature, made accessible to the entire site through the proposed pedestrian walkway.
The ponds will showcase water fountains. Near the water feature there will be the plaza, a gathering and sitting area with an overhead trellis, lighting, bike racks, and decorative benches and trash receptacles. The restaurant building is anticipated to have two tenants with seasonal patio areas and an overhead trellis that will look out over the north pond.
Landscape Design
The landscape design for the site utilizes a palette of plant material consisting of a mixture of deciduous, coniferous, and ornamental tree and shrub plantings, with a focus on boulevard plantings along the main access roadway. Highway 110 will be bermed and planted with low shrubs and overstory trees to screen the adjacent parking areas. The east and southeast property lines will contain trees screening the development from the adjacent Dodge Nature Center and CDA properties. Additional overstory trees are added along South Plaza Drive and Dodd Road.
The three main entrances into the property at Highway 110, Dodd Road, and South Plaza Drive will be heavily landscaped with trees, shrubs, and seasonal perennial or annual flowers. All parking islands are landscaped as well.
Architectural Design
All the buildings within this mixed use development will contain similar and compatible high quality design details and building materials to ensure cohesiveness between the various commercial and housing components. The initial phase’s new retail and restaurant buildings contain multiple brick and stone and stucco-like materials, vertically extended glass storefronts, metal sun shades and awnings, decorative column lighting, sidewalk pavers, and corner tower features.
Although the Walgreens building is prototypical in size, the exterior building design and materials will closely match the other new buildings. At the existing retail building, the westernmost portion will be removed to accommodate the Walgreens building. The design of the new west façade and the existing remaining storefront will also match the new buildings along Highway 110. The south façade facing South Plaza Drive is improved to match the storefront materials and will include screened delivery and trash areas.
Paster Enterprises’ overall goal for this mixed use redevelopment is to create a quality, pedestrian friendly, complementary suburban campus that will benefit the residents of Mendota Heights and surrounding areas with commercial services, office space, and housing.
Phase One Activities
The initial construction of the 14,820 square foot Walgreens building, the remodeled remaining 46,000 retail building, storm water pond and roadway connection is anticipated to begin in the early spring of 2010. The north and east portions of the site will be mass graded to allow for building construction and roadway connections through the site. The mass grading will also provide for an expansion of the existing pond to treat the existing site and the full build-out of the remainder of the site.
As mass grading is completed, underground utilities will be extended to provide service for the proposed buildings. The sanitary sewer will be extended from an interceptor sewer that bisects the site, with watermain extending from an existing site watermain system. Storm sewer will be extended from the constructed ponds to capture runoff from the proposed site. Private utilities (gas, phone, electric) will be extended upon the completion of the majority of site work, once roadways and parking areas are established.
Upon completion of the utility work, the roadways, parking areas and the right-in/right-out from Highway 110 will be constructed. The construction of these permanent surfaces will then allow for installation of site lighting, landscaping and site amenities. It is anticipated that building construction will begin during this phase of site work.
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