Rachel Development recently presented preliminary plans for the Les Bolstad Golf Course to the Falcon Heights city council. They include apartments, townhomes, single-family homes, retail and green space at the site.
The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved the $30.5 million sale of the Les Bolstad Golf Course to St. Michael-based Rachel Development last month. The U announced its intent to sell the public facility last June, citing financial and infrastructure needs.
Rachel Development’s plans, which were also presented to Falcon Heights’ Community Advisory Committee last week, include sustainability initiatives and infrastructure improvements. The developer’s team includes M/I Homes and PulteGroup.
Housing
Falcon Heights has called for a mix of housing, including townhomes, duplexes, apartments, single-family homes and patio homes, as well as shops, cafes, office space and light industrial development on the property.
Through community engagement, residents have shared preferences for connectivity, green space, mixed housing and commercial options and responsible stewardship of public resources.
According to preliminary plans, the approximately 141-acre property at 2275 Larpenteur Avenue West in Falcon Heights will include 1,458 to 1,818 housing units across 10 housing types. Those include apartments, senior housing, townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes.
A commercial area on Larpenteur Avenue could exist as standalone retail spaces or be included in an apartment complex.
Open, green space
Approximately 29 acres, or 20%, of the land is planned to remain as open space, which includes green space, stormwater and wetlands, linking the property to nearby parks and other amenities.
The largest of the property’s wetlands likely will be preserved in the development’s open spaces. Smaller wetlands may need to be removed for the development, said Paul Robinson, Rachel Development’s development director during Wednesday’s presentation. Some of the existing wetlands also may be used as part of the development’s stormwater treatment system.
“Overall, about maybe three-quarters of an acre of wetlands would be impacted. And then we would go through a process to replace that by buying credits for people who’ve created wetlands in other locations,” Robinson said.
Friends of Breck Woods has been among those who have called for Falcon Heights and neighboring St. Paul and Lauderdale to work more closely together to advocate for a balance of responsible development and conservation on the property. Naturalists have emphasized that the golf course hosts burr trees, cross-country skiing trails, coyote paths and other scenic draws.
Planning process
The plans will continue to be refined as the process proceeds with Falcon Heights’ Community Advisory Committee. That planning process is expected to last 12 to 18 months and involve reviewing concepts and additional community input.
“We look forward to working with Rachel Development and the Community Advisory Committee to transform this site into a development that reflects the vision of our community and our city’s long-term priorities,” said Falcon Heights Mayor Randy Gustafson in a statement. “As we move through the planning process, we are committed to transparency and ensuring the final plan creates lasting value for our community.”
The project is a “once in a lifetime” opportunity, and the project developers know the city wants to ensure residents are involved in the process, Robinson said.
“This is an incredible opportunity for us. This is a very incredible location. There’s not very many places like this in the Twin Cities. It’s convenient, it’s retail, it’s transit,” Robinson said. “There’s a variety of adjacent parks and open spaces. There’s a desire by the city and by us to create this life, this vision for … housing in here. And really a chance to create this cohesive neighborhood, a special, new neighborhood in the city.”
Updates on the project and future community engagement opportunities can be found at falconheightsmn.gov/183/Les-Bolstad-Golf-Course-Sale.