Whatever happened to the Rivers Edge project?
Please note: This article focuses on a former development proposed for St. Paul Park. There is also a River'sEdge proposal (one word) proposed for downtown St. Paul in 2019. Check our river corridor land use and development blog for updates.
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It wasnt long ago that news about Rivers Edge, a proposal to build 1,900 residences around a forested backwater bay in Saint Paul Park, was a frequent feature in Mississippi Messages. But for nearly two years the project has idled, in part because of poor market conditions.
Although the project has stalled, 300 acres of land within the state-designated Mississippi River Critical Area were recently annexed from Grey Cloud Island Township by Saint Paul Park. The Township fought the annexation for many years, in part because of concerns that the rivers natural environment and wildlife habitat would be degraded by intense development. D.R. Horton has proposed to change the annexed land from the Rural Open Space District, which provides the highest level of protection within the critical area, to Urban Diversified, the least protective district.
Now that the 300 acres are part of Saint Paul Park, the Citys 2008 comprehensive plan update will need to include a critical area plan amendment for the annexed land. Its not yet clear what the City will propose in its plan, but there will be plenty of opportunities to respond. In addition to a public hearing, a 60-day comment period, and oversight by the Met Council, the DNR is the final arbiter regarding changes to local critical area plans. The DNR has indicated on numerous occasions that it is not likely to change the district boundary at this location, and intense urban development will not be permitted.
The Saint Paul Park comprehensive plan update will be released this summer. Stay tuned for news about what is proposed, how to weigh in or how to get involved.
Read more about the Rivers Edge issue at our project page.