Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Several newspaper articles on hotels in Eagan. - 12/23/20001
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No. 2.153E
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by Dan Gearino
Staff Writer
In recent years, the number
of hotels in Eagan has
increased . dramatically,
prompting city officials and
hotel owners to ask whether
the market has become saturat=:
ed. . .-
A recently completed study
directed by the Eagan
Economic Development
Commission determined that
the demand for hotel rooms is
still growing.
The current hotel capacity
in Eagan is 1,482 rooms in 14
hotels, compared to 925 rooms.:'
in nine hotels in 1999
=The .;study concluded that;
most Eagan hotel visitors are,
ows nc
is not saturate
in town for business with local
corporations. The number of
these types of visits is expected
to . increase in the next five
years, the study stated.
The study was conducted by
outside analyst • Compass-
International. ..
• The City Council is particu
larly interested in 'market
demand for a hotelin the
Cedarvale area, which is the
subject of a redevelopment
plan. A hotel had been consid-
ered for the area, but such
plans may be shelved' after the
study, which determined that
corporate: demand fora hotel in I
the-:location must exist.: there.
before a hotel will be viable
A more Viable location for a
new hotel- would .be the area'
around -the_ intersection of
Highway 55 and; Highway 149,,
the study said, which is near
several large corporate :facili
ties.
The rapid growth in the
number of hotel rooms hasled
to lower occupancy rates.
According to the study, the
average rate for Eagan hotels
has gone from 76.9 percent in
1997 to the approximately .60 •
percent in 2000. However,
rates are 'expected. to rebound
from 2001 to 2005.
Ann. Carlon, executive
.director. of . the_ Eagan.
Convention ' and Visitors
Bureau (CVB), is pleased that
the study.. anticipates rising
occupancy rates and demand
See Hotel, 23A •
Hotel/Continued
for more hotel rooms. This is
especially good news consider-
ing that three more hotels have
been approved by the City
Council in the last two years and
have not yet begun construction,
she said.
The CVB has long been
aware that business travellers are
the backbone of the city's hospi-
tality industry, leading to the
CVB to market to recreational
travellers going to destinations
like the Mall of America, Carlon
said.
The study states there has
been a significant decrease in
Mall of America visitors staying
in Eagan. This is one of the few
parts of the study with which
Carlon disagrees.
Carlon said the mall remains
the number one' attraction for
recreational, weekend travellers.
While the visitors to the mall
staying in Eagan have levelled
off, there has not been a signifi-
cant decrease, she said.
According to Carlon, top
recreationaldraws for Eagan
hotel customers after the mall
include the Minnesota Zoo, col-
lege or professional sporting
events in Minneapolis and St.
Paul and museums and other
attractions in Minneapolis and
St. Paul.
Crime and hotels
110 percent increase. In 1999,
calls. increased 13 percent
despite only a 5 percent increase
in occupancy. In the first six
months of 2000, calls are up 30
percent despite no appreciable
increase in occupancy.
Police believe that hotels
aren't following state statutes
•
when registering guests. They're
not checking driver's licenses
and recording vehicle license
plates, the study stated.
The Eagan police plan to con-
tinue the hotel safety program
and will offer another class for
hotel employees in 2001, Ruby
said;
finance-commerce.com
Jus
Friday I July 31, 2015
Finance & Commerce 3
Eagan Residence Inn becomes Sonesta ES
BY ANNE BRETTS
Special to Finance & Commerce
3040 Eagandale Place, Eagan
The 120-unit Residence Inn extended
stay hotel at 3040 Eagandale Place in Ea-
gan now is known as Sonesta ES Suites
Minneapolis -St. Paul. The change is the
result of an $11.5 million deal executed
July 23, the day Sonesta International
Hotels Corp. announced it was adding
nine hotels to the 16 it already manages
under the relatively new brand.
In the Local transaction, HPT IHG-2
Properties Trust, an entity of Hospital-
ity Properties Trust in Newton, Massa-
chusetts, bought the Eagan hotel from
W2007 Equity Inns Realty, LLC, an en-
tity related to the Irving Texas, office of
New York -based Goldman Sachs.
Hospitality Properties Trust, a real
estate investment trust, today owns
292 hotels and owns or leases 184 travel
centers throughout the United States,
Canada and Puerto Rico. In 2012 HPT
acquired Sonesta International Hotels,
which manages hotels under several
brands, including Sonesta ES. The Son-
esta website for Eagan shows room rates
ranging from $139 to $189 per night.
There are nine Residence Inn proper-
ties in Minnesota, seven in the Twin Cit-
ies and one each in Rochester and Duluth.
The sale price works out to $95,833
per room. The hotel, which opened in
1988, is south of Lone Oak Road and
west of Interstate 35E. The seller bought
SUBMITI ED F'HOTO: COSTAR
The 120-unit Residence Inn extended stay hotel at 3040 Eagandale Place in
Eagan picked up a new owner and name this month, as it became part of the
Sonesta ES collection.
the property in 1994 for $9.25 million, as
part of a portfolio, according to North -
star MLS records. Dakota County val-
ues the real estate at $3.91 million for tax
purposes.
Company officials couldn't be immedi-
ately reached for comment and haven't
announced any renovations or changes
to the Eagan property.
The other new Sonesta ES locations
include Tucson, Arizona; Colorado
Springs, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska;
Princeton/Monmouth Junction and
Somers Point, New Jersey; Cincinnati,
Ohio; Oklahoma City and Burlington,
Vermont. All of the company's locations
are profiled at Sonesta.com/growth.
Purchase price: $11.5 million
Price per room: $95,833
Property ID: 10-22526-01-001, 10-
22526-01-101
Date of deed: 7-23-15
ECRV released: 7-28-15
Note to readers: Check out other hotel sales
at F&C's online Hotel Development and Sales
Tracker at finance-commerce.com.
Finance & Commerce
finance-commerce.com -
U.S. economy posts solid 2.3% �
BY MARTIN CRUTSINGER
Associated Press
- WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy
posted a solid rebound in the April -June
quarter after a harsh winter, led by a surge
in consumer spending and a recovery in
foreign trade that bode well for the rest of
the year.
It also ended up squeezing out some
growth in the first quarter, reversing an
earlier estimate that the economy shrank
at the start of the year.
The Commerce Department said
,Thursday that the gross domestic product,
the economy's total output of goods and
services, grew .at'a 2.3 percent annual rate
in the second quarter. The government
also said GDP in the January -March peri-
od grew 0.6 percent instead of shrinking at
a 0.2 percent pace.
The latest results mirror a familiar
pattern over the last few years. The econ-
omy has consistently underperformed
in the first quarter and then revved up in
the spring and 'summer. The uneven mo-
mentum has contributed to overall tepid
growth since the Great Recession officially
ended in June 2009. It's been the slowest
recovery since World War II.
Revised GDP figures for the past three
years released by the government Thurs-
day reveal that the economy's already -mod-
est growth since 2011 was even weaker
than thought.
Economists, however, are hopeful about
the rest of 2015. They expect overall GDP
AP PHOTO: LYNNE SLAD
Natasha Portuondo, center, sifts flour over baskets June 5 as she and Adina Roble
right, make bread at Zak the Baker'in Miami. The U.S. economy posted a solid "
rebound in the April -June quarter after a'harsh winter, the Commerce Department
said'Thursday, led by a surge in consumer spending and a recovery in foreign trad
that bode well for the rest of the,year.
growth to continue strengthening in the
second half of this year to around- 3 per-
cent, ,as consumer spending benefits from
sizable employment gains. The upbeat
outlook explains why the Federal Reserve
appears on track to start raising interest
rates this year. . ._
On Wednesday, the Fed noted that the
job market, housing and consumer spe
ing have . all improved. But it kept a
rate at a record low near zero, where
remained since 2008: The Fed said it
needs to see some more gains in the
market and feel reasonably confident t
low inflation will move back to its 2 perc
target rate.
j
Congress -passes 3-rnonth.
highway, transit aid patch
BY JOAN LOWY.
Associated Press
I nBrief
Schafer Richardson kicks
,.J' off first Rochester- project
Schafer Richardson said Thursday it broke
ground on Eastwood Ridge, a 209-unit mul-
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Joanna Foote
From: Frank Weingart [bweing08@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2009 9:47 AM
To: Joanna Foote
Subject: Re: Terrace Motel
Hi Joanna:
The motel is still there. Today it is called the Budget Host Inn, 2745 Highway 55, Eagan, MN 55121. I
remember spending a Fourth of July there in 1973 with my future wife so we could paint the motel. They used
to charge $14 a night for a room.
Across the street at the time was another motel, The Airliner which featured a Piper Cub airplane on the roof.
Today there is a large building that houses a number of businesses.
Regards:
Frank Weingart
On Thu, Apr 30, 2009 at 3:54 PM, Joanna Foote <JFoote@cityofeagan.com> wrote:
Hi Mr. Weingart,
Thank you so much for sharing these photos --the Historical Society has nothing similar. We so appreciate you sharing
your photos and family history with us.
Can you please send me the specific location information for the Motel so I can be sure to reflect it correctly with the
photo documentation.
Sincerely,
Joanna Foote
Communications Coordinator/Historical Society Liaison
From: Frank Weingart [fweing(alcomcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:50 PM
To: Historical Society
Subject: Terrace Motel
My wife, Cindy Grandparents, Gerhard and Carmen Evenson built and ran the Terrace Motel on Hwy. 55. I am attaching
a few photos of the beginnings of this motel.
Sincerely:
Frank Weingart
4044 Deerwood Place
Eagan
1
Joanna Foote
From: Frank Weingart [fweing@comcast.net]
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 3:51 PM
To: Historical Society
Subject: Terrace Motel
Attachments: Terrace Motel 1966.jpg; Original Terrace Motel October 1964.jpg; Original Terrace Motel sign
1964.jpg; Gerhard Evenson owner of Terraqce Motel 1967.jpg
My wife, Cindy Grandparents, Gerhard and Carmen Evenson built and ran the Terrace Motel on Hwy. 55. I am attaching
a few photos of the beginnings of this motel.
Sincerely:
Frank Weingart
4044 Deerwood Place
Eagan
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No. 2-153L
UPC 10334
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New.hotel.
fills need for
conference
center in ci
Additional.160 roorns
<%in city,concems fellow
6 c.' hotel manager
By Jodi L. Wallin 4-k.
Sun Newspapers "
It's big.— 55,000 square feet.
It . has _ water — 27,000 square ,
feet in its indoor water park: It -
boasts 250 seats in its conference
room plus 10,000 'square feet of
• restaurant space. And city -offi-
cials 'say it's long over due: - -
It is the -new RainTree Hotel.
- , and Water Park._ The council , "-
unanimously passed its prelimi-
nary development plan .at the
Aug. 3 meeting: _
"The city has been waiting for
a full service hotel like this with
large banquet and conference fa-
cilities for a long time," said
Mayor -Pat. Awada. "It's' some-
thing that is very needed, espe-
cially in -the northern part of -the
city . • -
"I'm very supportive of this
and happy to see it come in,"" she
said. -
Despite the council support,
One man is not happy.
• The manager of one of the
first hotels in Eagan voiced his
concerns about a saturated Mar-
' ket in the hotel industry within
the city limits. When -he began in
1983 there was no competition;
n
but: there were not as -many pea°
ple living in the' -area, either. In-
terstate 35E was . not open and
he new .Cedar-.Av.enue: bridge
liadri't been built across the Min-
tesota River. --.People • still
thought of Eagan as a -farm
own, not:a metropolitan suburb
f the Twin Cities. -
•
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H 36 1/2 u'
(651)
iA
unn, general manager of the Best
n Yankee Square Inn; told the coun-
was not opposed to competition; but
the•market cannot sustain continuing
ditions in the hotel industry There have
en Four new hotels approved or are in the
ocess of construction in Eagan during the
last year, including.RainTree: •
However, council members said -that-
RairiTree offers- something Eagan. needs
- a conference centerthat can house'
250. Councilmember Bea. Blomquist had .
suggested that RairiTree enlarge the con-
' ference facilities' in' the form of a motion:
That was best left to the private develop;
ers, decided the council.
• -The 160 rooms housed on six -floors
had Dunn .concerned. Adding 160 rooms
to the roughly 1,500 rooms that are avail-
able in. Eagan will add toalready drop-
ping occupancy rates, Dunn said.
While Councilmember Peggy'Carlson.
- shared her. concerns about saturating the
market in the future,'she said she did'not
think that the addition of RainTree was .
pushing the market to;thatpoint: The tear-.
: ing.down of hotels near the airport leaves
1,100' fewer rooms available in the:area,
and Eagan is nearby to pick up that influx
of overnight.guests. With many hotels offer
limited services,. Carlson said the services
offered•by. RainTree are needed.
Carlson also was concerned about the
parking area. Covering 47,000 square
. feet and providing 234 stalls; Carlson
questioned if that was enough to accom-
modate parking for the users of the water
park and -the conference center in- addV
tion to the hotel guests.
"We don't have to treat each facility as sep-
arate, they do overlap," said Bob Sieger of
Sieger Architects. The water park is for the.
guests and many of the conference attendees-
will either be guest's or will be attending dur-
ing the day:while guests are generally there •
at night. "We're comfortable with that num=
ber based on'experience and the dual use be
tween the' conference center and -when-the
hotel. is needing parking stalls, Sieger said.
Anohher issue was that 75 percent of the
land planned for development is.covered by:
trees, and the original plan called' for the
loss of 143 significant trees: Following a rec-
ommendation ;from the Advisory Planing'
• Commission, the .council directed Sieger to
come up with a revised tree preservation
• plan to comply with city ordinances.
A final plan will besubmitted to the coun-
cil pext month. Sieger Architects hopes to
break ground on the project in November:
The water park is• scheduled for ground
• _.breaking in the spring of 2000 with comple-
tion of thefacility expected at the end of 2000.
Lisa Barthel
Lisa, Marie Barthel
(Beeler) 31, of Apple
Valley died Aug.• 1,
1999. .
She was born, Sept. 3,
1967,. in Shakopee, to
Wayne and Ione Beeler.
She grew up in Burnsville. Lisa Barthel
and worked in customer -
service:
OBITUARIES
She was born June"6, 1977,
neapolis,'to James and Ardell
• son. • -
Survivors include her parents, Ja
and Arden; 'sisters and brother -in -la
Katie, Lisa. and Jeff Gustafson; .speci
friend, -Shae Skeffington; and man
friends.'
Services were July 30 at Shepherd. of
the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple
Valley. Burial was at Acacia Park'Ceme- .
tery in Mendota Heights. Memorials are
On Aug '16, 1997, she married Chad. preferred -:to N.C.-Little ;Memorial
.Barthel in Lakeville, at Ritter Farm Park pice, 7019 Lynmar ;Lane," Edina, -MN
on their horses Deseray Rose and Sandy 55435. - - • .
Rose Arrangements were by:the Henry'
• Preceding her indeath were her fa= W. Anderson. Mortuary in Apple. Val-
.ther, Wayne: Beeler; and her grandpar- - ley. ::
Survivors include her husband,
Chad Barthel; ,mother, Ione Beeler;
sister, Deborah ,Beeler; brothers add'
"sisters -in -law, -Alan and Becky, Mike,
Craig and Chris; nieces and nephews,
'Nicholas, Darrick, Jason, Stephanie; •
Alan Jr., Sara Blaine Beeler, Jessica,
Amy, .Heather, Chelsey and 'Casey;
many other nieces, nephews, aunts:
and uncles; beloved -animals, Deseray.
.1- Rose, .Sandy Rose, and Pookey'-
• .Mass of Christian Burial was Aug. 5
Marlm Loverud
Marlin D. (Spike) Loverud, 78, of -
Apple Valley died July 31; 1999:
He was born Aug..15, 1920, in. Min-
neapolis. Loverud was a retired naval
commander: - -
'He was awarded the distinguished fly-
ing cross in .WWII. His hobbies included
`painting/watercolors.
His artwork is displayed in area festi-
The cause for this question-
ing was the application by
Oakview !LLC to build a four-
story Cornfort Inn at the inter-
section.of Lone Oak Road and
Highway. 55. The council had
previously approved a three -
_story Red Roof Inn at.the same
location to be built by the same —
developet•, but the changes in the
plan required a new vote.
The Comfort Inn would be
built in the area on the southeast
corner oI' the intersection, an
area that is currently an open
field. The parking lot and drive-
way for the hotel would be con-
structed with future adjacent
development in mind.
Council Member Peggy
Carlson used to live in the area
near the proposed. development.
"Although this business
doesn't, abut homeowners, I'm
concerned that the next one
will;" Carlson said.
• Despite Carlson's concerns,
the area has been zoned for
commercial development for
years. .Other council members
and staff commented that area
residents expect the Lone
Oak/Highway 55 area to
become developed. One staff
member said that residents with-
in 350 feet of the development
gan City Council has concernsabout hotels
by Dan Gearino
Sta/f Writer
How much is too much when
it comes 'to hotels in Eagan?
This was the question asked by had been notified that the issue
several Fagan City Council would he discussed by the coun-
members_at the Feb. 1 meeting. cil.
•No residents showed up to
protest the hotel.
Council Member Sandy
Masin turned the discussion
from the Comfort Inn proposal
to hotels in general.
"I'm getting really concerned
about hotels," Masirt said.
According to the Eagan
Convention'and Visitors Bureau,
there are currently: 14 hotels in
Eagan with three more in the
planning stages. In 1994, there
were only four hotels.
Police are concerned enough
about crime related to the hotels
that they recently started work-
ing with hotel managers to help
reduce drug dealing, prostitu-
tion and other crimes that tend
to occur in hotels. Linda Myre
of the Eagan Police Department
said that this relationship with
hotel managers has led to sever-
al arrests, including a drug arrest moratoriums on certain types of
in the last month. ' development when over-satura-
In addition to concerns about faun became a concern.
crime, several on the council "There was no serious talk of
expressed concern about over- a moratorium on hotel construc-
saturating the hotel market. tion, but the council members
Carlson said she thinks a hotel said that this should be a topic
would be ideal at the proposed for future discussion.
Cedarvale development, but The Comfort Inn develop -
hotel developers might be Tess ment was approved in a 3-1
willing to locate there if Eagan vote, with Carlson casting the
has more hotels than the market only dissenting -vote. Council
can sustain. Member Paul Bakken was
Council Member Bea absent because he was at Army
Blomquist said that in the past, Reserves basic training.
the City Council has placed
r,te,
Two Eagan motels
to be demolished
for business park
AMY SHERMAN STAFF WRITER
The eyesores known as the
Airliner and Spruce Motels will
become history this summer.
Last week, the Eagan City
Council voted to use tax -increment
financing to demolish the buildings
and remove the asbestos. The 2-
acre area where the motels stand
at 'Lawrence Avenue and Highway
55 'will be incorporated into an 80-
acre business park being devel-
oped by Wispark Corp.
City officials don't know the
cost for demolition because that
project won't go out for bid until
the fire department uses the struc-
tures for drills this summer. Since
little will be left of the buildings
after they are burned, it is diffi-
cult to predict the cost. It will
cost about $9,500 for asbestos
abatement.
The Kor family currently owns
thel motels' property, but Wispark
expects to close on the sale with
thel Eagan family next week. The
Airliner Motel was built in 1959,
and the Spruce was built the fol-
lowing year. The motels became
outdated and have been vacant for
the past five years.
The motels are in the Highway
55 redevelopment tax -increment
financing district, a 90-acre area
that generally encompasses the
south side of Highway 55 between
Lexington and Lone Oak roads.
The north side of Highway 55,
where the motels are located, is
also part of that TIF district. The
remainder of Wispark's land lies
outside the TIF district.
The only other developments in
that district are three office and
office -warehouse buildings built by
Roseville Properties on the north-
western corner of Highway 55 and
Lone Oak Road. That developer
plans to build an additional office
building on the same corner.
Eagan rarely uses TIF; the city
has only three TIF districts so far.
Under TIF,. taxes on a new devel-
opment are used for site improve-
ments such as roads rather than
being added to the city coffers.
The city uses TIF only when a
property is so blighted that no
developer will build on it without
financial assistance, according to
Mayor Tom Egan. When the TIF
district was formed two years ago,
interest in the area grew.
"All it took was a little assis-
tance for it to become a very hot
property because of the location,"
Egan said.
Wispark is in the early stages of
receiving approval from the city.
The City Council signed off on a
preliminary plan for the 35 east-
ern acres last winter, but the
council still needs to approve
development plans for the rest of
the site. By the fall, Wispark
expects to get the go-ahead.
Wispark's development will
include eight or nine office show-
room/warehouse buildings, accord-
ing to Greg Miller, Wispark's
regional director. Construction on
one or two buildings will begin
this summer, but Wispark can't
begin developing the remainder of
the site until the final plan has
been passed. The park will be fin-
ished within five years.
When completed, the 100,000-
square-foot buildings will be worth
about $30 million. Miller said he
has one tenant for a building, but
would not disclose the name of the
tenant.
There is one glitch in the devel-
opment process that can be
blamed on Mother Nature.
Wispark planned on calling the
area Grand Oak Business Park
because the site contained a 51-
inch oak, but half of the 150-year-
old tree was taken by a storm.
Miller said his company might
rethink the name.
The development is Wispark's
first venture into Dakota County.
The upper Midwest company,
which is a subsidiary of
Milwaukee -based Wisconsin
Energy Corp., is relatively new to
the Twin Cities, opening a
Minneapolis office a year ago. The
company is also developing a busi-
ness park in Shoreview.
Amy Sherman covers Inver Grove
Heights, Eagan and Rosemount for the
Pioneer Press. Contact her at 228-2174
or asherman®pioneerpress.com .
Suv, CLurr-en-i-4UAtt 2-14-)
-
--••--.._..,,..1 3O yM
CITY BRIEFS
Eagan landmark motel
approved for demolition
The former Airliner Motel, with its
model airplane perched on top of the roof,
welcomed visitors to Eagan along the
Highway 55 corridor earlier this century.
The motel has been vacant since fire
destroyed it in October 1993. After as-
bestos is removed, the motel will once
again go up in flames as the Eagan Vol-
unteer Fire 'Department uses the build-
ing for a training session.
Owners Phil and Ann Kor of Eagan
are selling the property to Wispark Corp.,
which has plans to redevelop about 80
acres for offices and showrooms to be
called Grand Oak Business Park. The
closing date is June 25.
The site is a portion of the Highway 55
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district.
Wispark gained approval from the City
Council June 16 to use about $70,000 ofTIF
financing for the demolition.
Deadline for tree debris
removal is June 29
Following the May 30 storm, Eagan
city crews have been out inspecting
homes and other structures for damage.
Crews have been picking up tree debris
at a rate averaging.250 truckloads per
day, said Arnie Erhart, superintendent of
streets and equipment.
Any resident or Eagan business that still
has tree debris to be removed by city crews
must place it at the curbside by June 29. Any
debris set out after that date will be the re-
sponsibility of the home or business owner.
a= _ council turns re
el :developer. over
• ta-r(—(5S�
- By SARA THOMALLA-BLOOD . the southwest corner of Rahn
v'L Cliff Road arid Rahn Way.
City.> -. Council members ; The firm is also requesting a
agreed Oct..:6 to forward a re=. planned development amend=
quest to amendthe city's ment to allow construction of a
Comprehensive. Guide Plan to . three-story, 89-unit extended
the -Metropolitan Council in stay hotel on the property.
order for a new hotel to locate The land is owned by Randy..
in Eagan. .•. Hedlund of Hedlund Engineer-:
New Ulm Enterprises, Inc is ing, a partner of Rahn Ridge
requesting `an amendment to Associates '
change .the,. land use designa- The .city's Comprehensive'
tion;: from -..limited business_ to Guide Plan -was drafted in the
commercial planned develop- late; 1970s: The . plan outlines '
ment for 2.42 acres located at land use districts and zoning'-- (See Hotel,
from
ounc'
According to Mike: Ridley,
the'. city's.- senior planner,
whenever ' an amendment is
requested, it must bes forwarded
to the Metropolitan Council for
review and comment:
This is not the first time: the
council heard the amendment
request. During : its Sept.' 14
meetings the council required
representatives- of -New Ulm
Enterprises to meet: with' area
- residents Oct. _ 1�., The city gaye_
•
Hotel
(Continued from front page)
the developer a list of 60
nearby residents to invite to
the meeting. Only 10 attended.
The city received a petition
containing 10 signatures of
residents who are opposed to _-
the land use change. In addi-
tion, letters both for and
against the landuse change
were submitted to the city by
residents and nearby- busi-
nesses.
Those in opposition said the
land in question serves as.
buffer zone between residential':
and commercial areas. They.
added they feel the new -Stay -
bridge Suites Hotel is not nec-
essary because there are al-
ready two hotels in the vicin-
ity.
The Rev. Tim Ruden, pastor.
of Cedar Ridge Church, wrote „ .
a letter that listed six concerns..;.
Ruden said he wonders if the
hotel's parking lot will be ade-
quately lit, and if -the hotel will
be staffed 24 hours a day.
He also said he. is uncomfort-
able that the hotel's trash bin
could be viewed from the
church's main entrance.
The request was also re-
viewed by Eagan's Advisory
Planning Commission. Mem-
bers recommended denying the
amendments 'because the pro-
posed 89-unit hotel would be
too close to the residential
area.
During the Oct. 6 meeting,
Mayor Tom Egan asked if the
meeting between .the developer
and residents was successful.
'"A lot has: happened since
last Thursday (Oct: 1)," said
Dale Klossner, who. organized
the petition. "I don't see any-
thing solid yet... but it's going
in the right direction for my-
self." :.
Ruden 'said he felt it would
be a good project, : but he won-
dered how • wide the berm
would be around the complex.
He also requested that berming
take place on the west side of
the. hotel, which is.'adjacent to
theFchurch.
Ridley said during an Oct. 8
interview that the city requires
berming around parking lots
and . public: right-of-ways, but
not between ,buildings. To date,
Ridley said it has not been
made clear where and to' what
extent berming would be re-
quired.
Council Member Bea
Blomquist asked ifthe berm
would impact church property.
"I know someday develop-
ment would be there... but I
don't think it will reduce future
plans," said Ruden, adding the
church could make accommo-
dations for a growing congrega-
tion, such as holding multiple
worship services.
Emmitt Erpelding, .with New
Ulm Enterprises, requested the
city approve the Comprehen-
sive Guide . Plan Amendment
.before sending it to the Met
Council. He said the council
could later make a final deci-
sion by accepting or rejecting
the latter amendment.
City Council members de-
cided toforego this step by
forwarding it directly to the
Met Council. The City 'Coun-
cil also requested the devel-
oper meet with neighbors again
to resolve remaining issues.
"I would like to see more in-
volvement from the neigh-
bors," said Egan.
The City Council hopes to
have the issue return on the
Oct. 20 agenda. However,
Ridley said the Met Council
has the option to review the
amendment in 10 or 90 days,
and he did not expect a re-
sponse in time for the Oct. 20
meeting.
Concerns
influence
M0
hotel_
f b - � •fit
Eagan City Council
forwards Comprehensive
'Plan change,to Met Counci
.� •, Imo. ^-.l�__,��.5�.,r4��3-; :,-''.
By Jon Fure
Minnesota Sun Publications
'A three-story,
extended -stay
0*.
be built on Rah "' :' °yam'=
nCliff Road (Y"
the Hilton Gar=-
den Inn, Green
Mill Restaurant .
and Holiday Inn Express Hotel '
and Suites.
The Staybridge Suites hotel
has been proposed by New.Ulm
''Enierp ises'" :ande` ToTgers`o"ii
Properties, -the. developers and._:.
';;:operators-, of the •other- hotels in . '.
,. .that area. The hotel caters to
::people who :stay;;seven to nine
days, and, it is designed to look
more like'residential housing
than a hotel. It'is'proposed to
contain 89 units on 2.4 acres at
the southwest corner : of Rahn -
Cliff Road and Rahn Way.
A group -of area residents had
been opposed to; thehotel pro-
ject, but after ,discussing con-
cerns with the developers, some
residents said at the Oct. 6.City Council meeting that they now
support the proposal.
The council'.,can approve the
proposal only if the:land-use des-.
igiiation is "changed from Limit-
ed • Business to • Commercial
Planned Development,•which re-
quires ,an, amendment to the.
Comprehensive Plan:
Limited .Business designa-
tion is intended for areas next to .;
residential development =it
limits the types: of use:;.vs
OTEL: To P,
nip
October '
ightii g:the o,r
)fence- Prevention' .Awareness .Nigtt= in±Ro
e Rev. Pat Hall of St. John's;.
;Rosemou`
imbers, who held softly glowing liight'sticks
ke Cook'
to Sun Publications
::teen -year -old Kevin.
:way spent last Dec. 31 at a
1's home in St. Paul cele-
:ig the arrival of 1998.
win opted to celebrate with
:ages he should have not iusr
OLD E
ly consumed for another DOES
'ears. OLD EN
tter that night, Kevin got
id the wheel of an automo-
A short time later he Youth PI
zed and died. not want
is father, Tom, along with repeated
bers of the Dakota County of the ye
Y
From ma and . pa motels tofull-service hotels 7/3 / 7
Eagan experiences giant: shif t in lodging industry over the years
elav -1-3(-t1SS
BySARA THOMALLA-BLOOD . stops were a minute indication
`sS t f\,Cj 5 U of things to come — that build -
Before the opening•of the in- ing a hotel in Eagan wasn't
terstate system, Eagan's lodg such a bad idea, especially
ing industry laid along the when one considers its proxim-
well-beaten path of Highway ' ity to the Twin Cities and:''the
55 leading travelers and fami-. international airport.
lies carried in station wagons Once the placement of I-35E
north from the pastures and became a reality, the Federal
into the big city of Minneapo- Land Co. (known today as
lis. MFC Properties) bought large
At that time, there were threetracts of land and..turned thern.
motels in Eagan — the Air-, into Town Centre; and the :Yan-
liner, the Spruce and the Ter-: kee Square Shopping -_Center.'
racc. Gone today, the three. Restaurants, shops and, Rilti-
i:4'
.
•mately, a grocery store, built), we had no corporate ho-
quickly filled up the area. The tel. We weren't interstate
final piece of the puzzle was a property, (so that wasn't) the
full -service hotel. draw," recalled hotel general
The Best Western Yankee manager Tim Dunn.
Square Inn, located near Yan- Included in the amenities
kee Doodle Road and. Wash- were airport shuttle services,
ington Drive, opened in 1983. meeting rooms, and eventually
1-35E, which cuts behind the food services and an exercise
hotel, opened two years later. room.
"Although we were closer to "The hotel they built was
20,000 then than 70,000, we first class, and it still is. It
had Unisys and the United brought tremendous service to
States. Postal Service. More the community by providing
;than any reason (for being another level of lodging serv-
ice here," said City Adminis-
trator Tom Hedges. "We liter-
ally moved from the mom and
pop motel to a big -chain hotel
in the mid-'80s."
If we wait, will
they . come?
Despite having an edge on
competition by being the only
corporate hotel in the city, ,at-
tracting customers wasn't easy,
recalled Dunn. People felt Ea-
(See Hotel, (p.6A)
Current/Wednesday;'Oct: 14, 1998
1' TAKES TO GET
ER ONALOW
:
PR NORWEST
UUTY LOAN
loian .decision in as littie as°o
home equity loan. Not to mention
4
Hoiel: `Residents have a vested interest'
From Page 1A
Commercial Planned Development al .
lows more types of uses, whic i do not al-
ways work well next to resideritial'areas'.
Mayor Tom Egan said the Staybridge
Suite's proposal is an'exception'that''`
would justify the change.
"It's an excellent 'product-.itdoesn t;:
take "a `rocket scientist • to "see that -it's`a
class operation, ,with a lower intensity
than `the' -existing `ffotels'or tlie" iestau'
ant;",hesaid:•,"And` it is probably less-'- in'
trusive.to' the neighbors than' an office
building `:
"But :ne'vertheles's, the' site calls , for."-
Limited Business, which should generate
less traffic than a hotel. The residents
have a vested interest in protecting their
property values, and I understand that."
The proposal had been discussed at
the Sept. 14 City Council meeting, and
the council asked the developers to or-
ganize
an informational meeting with
the residents and representatives of
Cedar Ridge'Church. None of residents
in that area attended the Sept. 14 meet-
ing, but some had sent letters indicating
their opposition. The proposal had also
been discussed in August at an Eagan
Advisory Planning Commission public
hearing.
Egan attended the informational
meeting Oct. 1, and he said it has been
hard to measure the extent of the opposi-
tion from residents. ..
"I was disappointed that the council
deferred action until after [New Ulm En-
terprises] held an informational meeting
with the neighbors, and of the 60 to 70
personal invitations we sent out to resi-
dences — residences, not residents —
only about 10 people showed up, and I
counted about six or seven people during
the presentation at the [Oct::'6] council
slr
meeting. The interest level has been _lard
to define."
Aric Elsner was one of the residents . -
who had been opposed to the develop
ment at the Oct. 1 Meeting, but he -Said
he and some other neighbors continued-:.
to"discuss their concerns=with''an rchi
tect. He said the neighbors can accept the .
proposal if a berm' and other landscaping_,-.
can be designed to provide a`buffer'he=
tween the homes'and the hotel Cedar:Ridgex�
=The Rev.'Tim'=Ruderi of
hunch;also ndicatea support foi• "the
.project if the developers will resolve his
concerns,: such as:: including -the name, of 3 .:
therlchurch on a`sign; keeping the front;. -
desk staffed 24 hours, providing ade-
quate lighting in the parking area and
keeping the dumpster out of sight.
Representatives of New Ulm Enter-
prises agreed to the modifications, and
Egan said•the developers earned support
from the council by negotiating with the
residents.
"The New Ulm and Torgerson group
has been trying hard to be very accom-
modating to those residents who -still ex-
press concerns with the size = it's an at-
tractive building, but it is big," he said. -
"The city has to look at a broader per-
spective than the residents' concerns,'
like what this will do for the tax base, or •
the need for a hotel like this. I cannot pre-
judge whether the council will approve it
— it has to be approved by a 4/5 vote
but I got the impression approval is much
more likely after all the work the devel-
opers have done to get `residents' input."
The council voted to forward the pro-
posal to the Met Council, which is ex-
pected to be returned in less than 90
days.
The City Council will vote ori the final
proposal after the Met comments
on the Comprehensive Plan change. •
'Motel
(Continued from front page).
gan, was too far away and that
the river hindered'access:
Plus, Eagan wasn't on -the
map like nearby Bloomington
and its recognized 1-494 strip.
If -people knew anything about
Eagan, they knew it was a
farm town, said Dunn.
"It was not overnight. We
didn't just open the doors and
we were instantly 'filled.' We
had to make people aware we
were here," said Dunn.
Eagan officials soon realized
it had yet to tap into a lucra-
tive industry — hotels. Realiz-
ing one hotel was not enough,
officials looked into attracting
more corporate hotels.
• Despite the city's location
and its potential, developers
weren't biting.
Between 1980 and 1990, Ea-
gan more than doubled its
population. Industries catering
to the community's needs
quickly followed. Eagan offi-
cials soon found themselves in
the midst of a dilemma. Offi-
cials wanted a full-scale hotel,
but they also wanted restau-
rants. Both would need on -sale
liquor licenses.
But the state only allocates a
certain number of on -sale liq-
uor licenses to cities based on
that decade's census figures.
What would happen if the city
had to choose between two ap-
plicants?
OTELS ARE lining up in Eagan, as seen here near
ijiff Road and I-35E. Currently there are 12 hotels
and 1,500 rooms in the city. Photo by Rick Orndorf
hotel rooms for family reunions
and weddings. The airport de-
cided to stay at its present lo-
,cation,•rand-The Mall of Amer,
tca was hutlt. -
This development trend is
expected to continue with the,
building of the convention cen-
ter in St. Paul and the introduc-
tion of a professional hockey
team in that city.
Eagan's hotel industry also
enjoyed a spill -over market
from Bloomington and other
big hotel cities.
"Sometimes you couldn't
find a room in the cities within
200 miles," said Dunn.
WheGthesE,aga�n: convention
yarid�' �Visrtors== Bureau' '(CV,'B) ,.
began in 1993, ':there were
three hotels. The Eagan coun-
cil passed a lodging tax, with
those funds being used to pro-
mote the hotel industry.
"Why do we exist? We have
a slogan: `To put heads in
beds,'" said CVB Public Re-
lations Director Sue Hegarty.
By August 1997 there were
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Call
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651-306-1615
wei. SIGNAL MORTGAGE
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Although no .stockpiling of t"
licenses .;occurred :nor were
%.there . any' major: arguments,
this issue became -a topic fre-
quently. discussed by the .City
Council.
Ultimately; city staff went to
elected representatives at the
state • level three times during
the 1990s'to see if they could
get special legislation to in-
crease the number of on -sale
liquor licenses Eagan could
receive. Special legislation
was granted in 1994, 1996 and
1998.
By law,;,the city's.population
in 1990 allowed for 18. Special
legislation:' raised that to 30.
Currently;':.23;=licenses are is-
sued.
. "The law was -based on the
1990 census. We. were growing
fast. By the time we reached
the 2000 •census, we'd have
been way behind population
calculations, said city Fi-
nance Director Gene VanOver-
beke.
The tides turn
A series of `happy accidents
happened almost simultane-
ously, pushing the hotel indus-
try in Eagan. The Cedar Bridge
was built, relieving the Minne-
sota River barrier. Corporate
companies began relocating to
Eagan, increasing the need for
hotel rooms and conference
space. The population contin-
ued to rise, re.uiring additional
eight hotels with atotal' of 92
rooms. Room Fates, ranged 'fro]
$35, to $15.7 a night.
Today
• Today there,.; are • ;12 : hotel
with a ,Combined" total .:of ar
proximately. 1;500 rooms. Tw,
more hotels are .currently undc
construction. and another wa
recently approved by the Cit:
Council. A potential 16th hotc
will be before •the City Counc;
at. the • council's Aug. 3 meet
ing.
There are • economy hotel:
and full -service hotels con;
plete with suites. There are ex
tended -stay hotels ,.and mid
range, hotels. ' .
"Hotels are , what drive th
economy in Eagan," said 1-Ic
garty, "because the renters ar
temporary residents. -They bu.
gasoline, eat out, need thei
dry cleaning done."
Hegarty said the average sta
at an . extended -stay hotel i
two months.
"They weave themselves int.
the community," • she said
"They go to the grocery store:
send flowers back home to :
loved one, use rental cars. I
they are business people, the:
may use the print shop to gc
things run off. ,It has a domin.
effect on our economy."
Dunn contends competition i
fierce, and Yankee Square Ini
has been remodeled a coupl,
of times to keep up with th,
trends. But it is also not un
common for hotels to refer cus
tomers to one another if one is
booked for the night.
Occupancy rates up througl
1998 have been strong. Al-
though a specific,rnumh� was
�YTiot(avai,Ca le'`��'inddstry�ryt}s�deFs
d }' '"H`tl !"b T{.f'Stc.t«t-^I o
sayFat's ;well a T,0:1lie••^hote'
industry's average. •
But with the good come:
some bad. As the hotel industr'
continues to grow, the Eagat
Police Department is begin
Wing to see a risc in three area
of crime — narcotics, checl
forgery/credit card fraud, ant
prostitution.
"It's a safc, anonymous aren:
to operate in a; hotel," said Po
lice Chief Patrick Geagan
"They pay. cash for a -.room of
the interstate. They use a prc
paid cell phone."
The chief recalled a recce
incident where police made
bust on three individuals fror
Chicago staying in an Eaga
hotel. Among the items seize•
were a kilo of cocaine an
$48,000 in cash, he said.
Police are beginning to im
plement a program modele,
after their Crime Free Multi
.11ousuig program. The prograr
would allow a relationship t
be built between hotel manat
ers and the Police Departmen
Managers and staff would h
trained to recognize suspiciou
activity. In addition, the Polic
Department would help to bee
up security in and around th
hotel.
"The Police Department i
taking this very seriously.
said Gcagan. "We don't wat
to allow this type of activity t
get a foothold on the city an
hotel developments."
The future
The hotel being pitched t
the council Aug. 3 is a $6 mii
lion, six -story! stfucture. Build
(See Note
(Continued)
ing • amenities Include 160
guest room suites, a confer-
. ence center, a restaurant and a
water recreational facility
complete with waterslides.
For many, this project would
fulfill Eagan's definition of a
full -service hotel. But for oth-
ers, this may. supersaturate an
already unsettled market.
In 1999, hotels have been
experiencing a softer market.
Hegarty said it is due to the
amount of families and insur-
ance representatives involved
in the .major storms of 1997
and 1998 to which the hotels
catered.
But Dunn believes it is a sign
that the market is over -built.
"We've certainly. faced a lot
of competition over the years,
but the occupancy levels are
starting to, drop. We need to
convince the city to step back
and slow things down. We al-
ready have more than enough
i.. ,,.-•r 'cb _'i! ni.
rooms.' The ;cities are ovc
-built, and part of it is becau:
of Eagan," said Dunn. .
- Furthermore', a study cori
pleted in 1997 by Compass 1
ternational Research and 1:
formation Services . indicate
that growth' and . demar
through 2002, could allow 1
one-100-plus- room, full-servic
hotel to be built every fi'
years without:significantly ui
dermining the. current businc
base. Eagan.' has already e,
ceeded that rate.
Has the novelty of' staying i
Eagan worn off? Both Hegari
and Dunn say no. , • .
"They prefer to come her(
They can get to attraction
more easily than other one:
and we're closest to the airpor
In Eagan we'.re away from th
really heavy traffic.. We hav
shopping and 'restaurants.. Pee
ple desire to come here hi
cause we're accessible," sai.
Dunn.
Eagan's Holiday Inn Express plans
The Holiday Inn Express in
Eagan will add 50 two -room
suites, an exercise room, an-
other conference room and
coin laundry facilities.
In addition to award -winning
service, guests who stay in the
new suites will enjoy a kitch-
enette, in -room coffee makers,
king-size bed, queen -size
sleeper sofa, dining table and
chairs, desk, iron and ironing
board, recliners, two TVs, two
telephones and two vanities. '
Some suites will also have pri-
vate whirlpools.
expansion
aa;
The ` larger conference wont
will have a 65 minimum seat-
ing capacity. 'Guests also will
enjoy 'a complimentary break-
fast buffet.
The project is scheduled to
be completed in March 1996.
-•
• .
ByiSiieReggiirtr. • C011Cent
StaffiWilthe :'•'•
- O;h'OieleprePOsaleat oppOsite end:sofvelop al hoieVreciiiire&tic-Ciiiiipreliensive
the:, city were: denied apprnvaI-bx..the guideplaniamendinent;MayorTomEgan,
.EaganCitYCiiunCil'AilY.151'" : .,-"f.':'' '-'..,--' • andrcouncilimemberesaidkthetiiteshoul&
' : Residente:who,,liVeFoniPfn Oak DriVe,....:',"' remain: as: it: was intended. asi;w:Eimitedv
in-southepyBagange.ve:thelouncil?*sp,e7.-E,StisinessirOca*ibir., :.- : ...• .. -. t .,,,'...;',.i.:,.....;•' ,;y:,.., t1014;gagamhas,a4Residence:InnbyMar--- dle:. Also; the motel, would, be located,t-,-,
, J •-k• •_•-•
.':-• titionTreque-4m.' gtlietthey mit allOwej3. 8.‘r":40-,t3;4',"IfthinliH, :faiii..effi-ce building. oirthiesiteari_'°.-4rioW,Icross:from,where..Homesteadlifil,_ - next toL1-.135EandIthielocationinakewitt: ,
.- :. •
:::.• roonvinoternear„The.CrosOinge shoppir,ig..,,,i The, .._ ,iifiii„sunciragreedvirmanszit -:'But-.it
,w
t to theplam. out; 24hour s ,
extended! stay! hi?tel/inoter. design app
provedtin? recent months: EXtende&Stay•
Ameriree and' Homesteadk Village. have
been a roved; for.construction: addl..-
-al. prime location; for prostitutiOnt4inik •
.'-'siiisinoresuitiihret.lianemot,e11,-7EgarisEud&f„:t4igepylineito?huild., • n, • CS .1
sant'. market saturation that. drug distributamr,-, wrote Pike With-
'•,-:_ centei-V1167; ISCa. .ti.on;.. acrosst from Dairyy-s; the..
Atp!ep., and Holiday him Bkpress;. il.r. lie;tt'.7'':::.. =owl
y;fdeniedt„amendine*,regnest : ---,• :„:piede„counblici!,memlrs.objec,. t :
...t.
..--..:, tWeezkalrreeldenti'aF arefel4ncF, the com.;;;kihnit.5'dia--„ ....,,,:e4.,- ig,,..„1k4iii,_:-..... gLili,...1e :.'"._.,,!:a,Yer, hotel.._. .,--......1t,Wago PP safety;...,4,, - :;•,, ••• . ,,
iii•iiiiitlrCeiiter4.:Nb brand name had... . ;":12k-us''th&-n- council tiearog
' -,.• -.-- ,,,,te, , . . _
ta+5:-- -4414.:Stii'diOPtas;:didilnot.Oarettip.provide24,
Iilgetedi,fClittlieproposedilietel', accordj.iikt;cv:ii*for4rtlyters•:**Tilto*B.t4diflplu:#4 lioli,:tCjitciter servi ce,suat asthe.Bisi.„
Bali— cl,#edhinit?...thetdegielblier:,' ;--,'A,.''.: ..';':lietelrolitlnetiteiElieliiii cit:Sniare ...; .13 "ie!-fiiirilbes ,. Because there, is,, lesa.
new, stay-mot.cial;., clam.
, . , - . ...-..,•.. ,.--.4, , ..,--•,.,,,,,•!,,,,.....,....1„... teri .....,_ ... 1_ ,._,.....
r:InT114cl'anim'S;J:trns'd*IeiYieC173OPmmril:P4144idixigC°Ininis_iftheli:tH"';''-. D-,11. iitiBijkal-:,,„.Thek,Rrizesen _
•
Xtend
• Duane Pikeresearched the. potential for
taY hotels, . . • _•
•cnminah activity; hotele without;
hour: service staff!:
- "Without24-hour managemen res
dents oCthet motel: would be: forcedijoy.,
calLthepolicet for; even: minor.. incidentik
that: management would normally,lian4 1
,ank2e3.4„..oversixpex
"tatior.diiicr • thavel,beeir,provided-Witli vetoperepleadedthein
case
persons-
tafr whe, commit•.
'these crimes woulik be,able to, conduct .
their business without worrying; about.
management calling,t police or- making_.:
them'-leavet: .
Council, members( agreed. but the
•
counciltaPprovei o _ :epnce acento: e o _ _
, entryitlireughlockeddoorsi. • -
, f..); •
t
tiuttliet6o4Ciltthouglit,oth-eiwii3' t-StudinPhiewouldhavebeentthethird-F.:- .nifv;,,Bieventioni-• .Officer , • - HOTELS- ToTagp 12A-:
IS
411. •
Despite residents' concerns,
council approves two -hotel plan
By ANN BRUCCIANI LYON
The Eagan City Council gave
the preliminary go-ahead Aug.
20 for a controversial plan to
construct two, four-story hotels
in Eagan.
Honey Tree LTD plans to
construct a Comfort Suites ho-
tel and conference center and
the Sleep Inn west of Nicols
Road and bounded on the
north, west and south by Erin
Drive.
After listening to the con-
cerns of residents of an adja-
cent housing development at a
previous council meeting, the
City Council asked Honey
ree LTD to alter the devel-
pment to make it less obtru-
sive. Honey Tree LTD com-
plied and modified its original
plans. The changes included:
• A reduction in the devel-
opment's breadth from three
lots to two lots, which resulted
from the elimination of a pre-
viously planned Country
Kitchen restaurant
• A reduction in the build-
ings' height from five stories to
four stories, a difference of ap-
proximately 13 inches
• A reduction in the size of
the conference center from
4,355 square feet to 3,740
square feet
Furthermore, the developer
agreed to use shorter, 30-foot
light standards and to shield
lighting on the east side of the
development so that it is de-
e t
mize the effect on property
owners. The developer also
agreed to change its signage,
using one pylon sign instead of
two.
Despite Honey Tree LTD's
alterations and savvy pro -
family, pro -neighborhood pres-
entation, residents pleaded
with council members to op-
pose the development.
"We're looking for something
that will serve our needs and
we, feel that these hotels offer
no benefit to us," said resident
Cindy Childs, who also stated
that she and her neighbors are
not opposed to development of
the site but are opposed to the
type of development being
proposed.
Childs added her concerns
that decreases in property val-
ues and in safety for neighbor-
hood children would occur if
the development was approved.
When a resident questioned
the council about whether zon-
ing changes were made to fa-
vor the Honey Tree LTD de-
velopment, Mayor Tom Egan
clarified that no changes had
been made. He explained that
hotels were a permitted use
under the community shopping
center (CSC) zoning classifi-
cation.
In a final appeal, resident
Roxie Soderholm spoke out
against the development: "We
may not have corporate back-
ing, it may just be our weekly
paychecks, but we are quality
eo . le tr
We are concerned about this
(development). As our City
Council, we ask you to, at the
very least, put a cap on this
until some of this stuff is
ironed out."
In response to the residents'
statements, Council Member
Shawn Hunter said, "We serve
50,000 people including the
businesses and the health of
the entire community is what
we have to take into considera-
tion. Part of that health is the
health of the business commu-
nity and the health of the trav-
eling public ... relatives who
come to the community and
want to stay in (it). The asser-
tion (is) that hotels are some-
how inherently evil and that
guests are evil and don't care. I
just don't buy that argument at
all."
Hunter then presented infor-
mation about Eagan's hotel
room rates and the decreases
in room availability before
stating that the development is
"obviously a needed service."
He also stated the economic
benefits of having travelers
spend their dollars at Eagan
businesses.
Despite the facts the council
presented about the benefits of
hotel industry, including an
estimated traffic reduction of
6,000 daily trips to and from a
hotel versus an office building
and a mall, the development's
neighboring residents were dis-
satisfied with the 5-0 vote.
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Similar scenarios used
in 'two armed robberies
By BRENDA HAUGEN
Eagan police are investigat-
ing two armedrobberies that
may be related.
The first occurred at 3 p.m.
,Aug. 10 at Snyder Drug in the
Cedarvale Mall. According to
Sgt. Jim McDonald, a man en-
tered the business, approached
the clerk and produced an
eight -inch meat cleaver.
The suspect told the clerk to
open the register. After she did,
the man reached into the till
and took about $400, which he
kept in his hands as he walked
out of the store, McDonald
said.
"The man ran in a northeast
direction outside of the busi-
ness. He may have been driv-
ing a gray Nissan Pathfinder
with a partial license plate of
561, McDonald said. The sus-
pect is believed to have been
alone in the vehicle.
The second incident hap-
pened at 12:10 a.m. Aug. 15 at
Yankee Square- Inn, 3450
Washington Drive.
A clerk was alone in the
lobby with her back to the
doors when she felt a presence,
McDonald said. A man 'then
put his leather -gloved hand
over her mouth, McDonald
said.
The suspect showed the clerk
a long butcher knife, and he
and the clerk walked behind
the counter, according to
McDonald. The man told the
clerk to open the register,
which she did, and he took the
entire drawer and put it in 'a
black knapsack, McDonald
said. The suspectasked if there
was other money lying around,
and the clerk gave him rolled
coins, according to McDonald.
The suspect took the woman
to the office before he left, and
she was able to call police
from there.
Neither of the clerks was in-
jured in the two incidents,
McDonald said.
The suspect in the Snyder
Drug robbery is described as a
black man in his early 20s. He
had short, black hair, brown
eyes, was 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-9,
140 to 150 pounds. He was
wearing a navy blue t-shirt and
jeans and had no glasses or
facial hair.
The - suspect in the Yankee
Square Inn robbery is described
as a black man with a slender
build, 5-foot-9, brown eyes and
a bald or shaved head. He was
wearing a black, long-sleeved
shirt.
With the similar descriptions
and the similar scenarios of the
crimes, police believe they
may be looking for one sus-
pect.
"We've got no reason to be-
lieve they're any different,"
McDonald said.
The investigation is continu-
ing. Anyone with information
may call the. Eagan Police De-
partment tipline at 686-1111.
ity Council approves
Eagan's 15th. hotel
The Eagan City Council approved a proposal to construct the
city's 15th hotel during its Jan. 4 meeting.
The six -story, 87-room hotel will be on 1.7 acres north of
Corporate Center Drive and east of Pilot Knob Road, adjacent to the
Holiday Inn Select property.
The site was originally planned for a 4,500 square foot restaurant.
However, the placement of the Lone Oak Cafe inside the Holiday Inn
Select makes the construction of another restaurant not economical-
ly feasible.
The new hotel and the Holiday Inn Select will be share the same
owner but will be franchised under different flags.
—Lori Hall"
Hotels: Public safety concerns council
From Page lA
David Schmid, real estate manager
for Studio Plus, said although lobby
hours would be restricted, a manage-
ment representative would be on the
premises 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. Their guest profile is a full-time
employee traveling alone on assignment,
Schmid said.
Michelle Foster, senior director of real
estate for Opus who is developing Eagan
Promenade, said the location originally
was designed enti ly for retail. It was at
the urging of the council that a hotel was
sought for the site, Foster said
The council did not waver. "Maybe we're
imagining the worst, but we're trying to
protect against the worst happening," said
City Administrator Tom Hedges.
Last week's council vote is not the end
of the line for hotel proposals in Eagan. On
July 22, there was a public hearing sched-
uled by the advisory planning commission
regarding a 100-room Hilton Garden Inn
at 1975 Rahncliff Court.
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1 11E .T IJ''
Fo‘..DEE2,
SecriNS
Courtesy Mrs. Paul Liebelt
1931--Robert E. Tiinze with shotgun and jackrabbit.
( - •
Courtesy Mrs. Paul Liebelt
May 31, 1930--Joseph McCarthy. The photograph was taken in the
backyard of the Dixie Inn. Joseph and his wife Lillian nee TeTendre
lived next door. The car is a 1925-26 Puick four -door sedan, a
really fine -running car.