Reasons to Participate: Blake School Growth and Downtown Development

Explore how to get the Eighth Avenue project back on track: In April, to redevelop a former Park Nicollet site on Eighth Avenue site envisioned as . But in September, the developer received a two-month extension to get its financing in order after one of the company’s owners experienced health problems that reduced the amount of money available for the project. Hopkins and Klodt officials will get together at Tuesday’s City Council work session to discuss plans for moving forward. Klodt has been able to partner with a real estate and management company that would buy and manage the property—giving Klodt the financial wherewithal to fund land acquisition and construction. Staff will also discuss a possible opportunity to bring artists’ live-work spaces to first-floor units through a national endowment called ArtPlace.

See what The Blake School envisions for its campus expansion: The Blake School wants to upgrade its campus, but its earlier plans —something that goes against the city’s goal of preserving as many single-family homes as possible. School and city officials have met over the past several months, and the school says it is now ready to move forward with a “concept plan”—with the intention to bring a proposal to the Zoning and Planning Commission in early 2012. Blake School leaders will visit Tuesday’s work session to discuss their plans.

Find out what the school district will be lobbying for: The Legislative Action Coalition, which helps the Hopkins School Board advocate for education-related legislation, will present a proposed state and federal platform at Thursday’s board meeting. Subjects include No Child Left Behind Act testing reform and funding formula restructuring.

***

Meetings

Hopkins City Council Work Session

• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
• Raspberry Room,

Hopkins School Board

• 7 p.m. Thursday
• Boardroom,