City of Edina Makes Move to Increase Parking at 50th & France

Parking woes at Edina's busy 50th & France shopping district could soon lessen, with the city taking steps to expand the north parking ramp on West 49½ Street.

The City of Edina recently approved a purchase agreement with the owner of the Edina Realty building just east of the existing parking ramp at 3930 West 49½ Street Street. The city will pay $2.65 million for the building, with the current tenants already planning to relocate later this spring.

"We've been talking about parking improvements at 50th & France for quite some time," Economic Development Director Bill Neuendorf said. "Without having land to actually build parking improvements, it's tough to get something accomplished."

Neuendorf said the city will finance the purchase using Tax Increment Financing (TIF) monies from Edina's southeast redevelopment district. 

City Council Member Ann Swenson echoed Neuendorf's comments regarding the lengthy history of the search for parking in the area, saying it worked out nicely that the city was looking for parking and the building will be vacant for the first time in more than three decades.

"All in all, it's like everything fell in place at the right time," Swenson said. "I'm really excited for this opportunity for that business section and for our residents of edina who often tell me they get frustrated with the parking there."

"I think we're making a very judicious acquisition here to make sure our downtown in Edina stays very viable in the future," Mayor Jim Hovland said.

The City of Edina will officially close on the property June 3, with plans to raze the building later in 2013. The space will allow the city to expand the north parking ramp, providing additional public parking for both customers and employees of the shopping district. That parking will come in particularly handy as the city hopes to renovate its other existing ramps in the near future.

"Construction of additional parking at the North Ramp is preferred prior to the renovation of the South and Middle Ramps," a city report reads. "This new parking will make up for the temporary loss of spaces during the renovation process. "

The Star Tribune reports the ramp expansion would add more than 100 spaces to the shopping mecca, which presently has 1,347 total spaces. Previous studies of the district showed a need for at least 1,500 spots, which prompted the city to begin seeking potential property in the area.

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