About TCAAP Redevelopment

UPCOMING ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING

Links to the advisory meetings can be found here when available. 

From Former Ammunition Plant to Rice Creek Commons

The City of Arden Hills is partnering with Ramsey County and Alatus LLC to redevelop a portion of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP) that is located within City boundaries.

Visit the County's website for the most up-to-date information on TCAAP/Rice Creek Commons.

The proposed 427-acre redevelopment is referred to as Rice Creek Commons and will include:

• Retail, office and light industrial development
• A town center
• Well-defined neighborhoods with architectural diversity
• A wide variety of housing options to serve young professionals, empty nesters, and seniors.
• Abundant parks and open space
• Trails that provide for convenient and safe pedestrian access to commercial areas and other site amenities

The development will provide new housing, a town center and jobs in a city area that will be the size of downtown of Saint Paul. It's anticipated to increase the population of Arden Hills by 40 percent over 15 to 20 years. 

Prior Litigation

In 2019, the TCAAP property was the subject of litigation between the County and City. In 2021, the judge issued a ruling that left the Joint Powers Agreement intact and the underlying Joint Development Authority remaining as the board overseeing the project. The Judge's ruling can be found here.  

AUAR Update

View the 2019 Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR) Update Adopted (PDF) and visit the Master Plan for more information about the AUAR process. 

Current Status

In 2022, The City and Alatus agreed to a terms sheet, which could be worked into a Master Developer Agreement (MDA). The terms sheet outlined how the City and developer agreed to reduce risk to the City, fund necessary infrastructure improvements, provide Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for parking on the development, and outline affordable housing units. A press release for the announcement was issued on May 10, 2022. The County's responded to the City on June 9, 2022, with their vision and goals for the project. 

In 2023, the Joint Development Authority met in February for the first time since 2019. As one of their first business items, the JDA approved a Joint Values Statement to guide future discussions and development. The JDA also approved the formation of an advisory committee to meet more frequently than the JDA and make recommendations to the JDA on business items. While the advisory committee meetings are not public meetings as it is not subject to the Open Meeting Law, a running summary of the advisory committee meetings can be found below and associated materials from the meeting. The summary will be updated bi-weekly following the advisory committee meetings.

Summary of Advisory Committee Meetings

Documents from Advisory Committee Meetings:

• June 9, 2023:
  • Updated Infrastructure Costs - these costs are estimates from Kimley Horn based on 2023 prices and 60% percent design of the project. The City Costs are items C. Sanitary Sewer ($1,892,210) and D. Watermain Improvements ($2,081,075). Not included in these estimates is the City Water Tower ($7,000,000). 
  • Proposed Density Scenarios - these scenarios were proposed by Alatus for consideration.
  • Deal Points for MDA - this document is comprised of items that need to be solved for a proposed Master Developer Agreement, this was prepared by Kennedy and Graven, the JDA attorney.
  • Project Financing Options - Ehlers, Financial Advisor for both the JDA and City, prepared this document to illustrate potential financing options available for the project.