OUR SHARED VISION
The Rice & Larpenteur Area is a safe, engaging and inviting neighborhood center that includes common spaces, a high-quality pedestrian environment and robust reinvestment for the diverse people of the surrounding communities to live, conduct business, and play together.
The Rice & Larpenteur Vision Plan was adopted by the cities of Maplewood, Roseville, and Saint Paul to help guide future public and private investment in the neighborhood. The plan includes analysis of land use, market conditions, natural resources, transportation and traffic, community health indicators, resiliency, and bicycle and pedestrian circulation.
When it comes to land uses and redevelopment of privately held property, the Vision Plan functions as a guide to the style and purpose of future redevelopment projects that are both feasible in the marketplace and agreeable to city and community participants. Redevelopment of key sites that are privately owned will be at the discretion of the landowner.
Land owners and developers interested in projects in the Rice and Larpenteur area should contact Alliance Staff or their respective city official. Public support for approved development concepts may be available. The Rice & Larpenteur Area in Saint Paul and Roseville is a designated Opportunity Zone.
The Urban Land Institute conducted a study of the neighborhood by national experts in creating healthy corridors. The resulting study and recommendations, which compliments the Vision Plan recommendations, can be found here.
BIG IDEAS
Connect to the lake
Strengthen the connection between McCarrons Lake and the heart of the commercial district at Rice and Larpenteur.
Enhance streetscape and lighting
Enhance the public realm streetscape with pedestrian amenities and enhanced lighting. The enhanced streetscaping will occur primarily along Rice and Larpenteur. Secondary streetscape treatment may occur along Marion Street and Wheelock Parkway.
Make it walkable
Enhance pedestrian connectivity by improving street crossings, eliminating unnecessary driveways, improving intersections, creating shorter street blocks, and defining future design guidelines for building placement.
A park @ the heart
Create a central community gathering space at the intersection of Rice Street and Larpenteur Avenue. The gathering space should include broader connections to other regional open space amenities through an enhanced public realm.
Marion Greenway
Enhance the connection from McCarrons Lake to the Washington Technology Magnet School. This connection will require improved (above standard) crossings at Wheelock Parkway and at Larpenteur Avenue.
Tame the streets
Slow traffic to create a safer environment for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians within the defined area below. This would include adding additional streets, improving street crossings and improving intersections.
KEY REDEVELOPMENT SITES
Proposed development on a few catalytic sites can begin to spur a transformation along the corridor that brings more of the elements of great urbanism: a human-scale public realm, pedestrian friendly streets and sidewalks, diverse residential options, focused retail streets, new hospitality, green spaces and areas that encourage collaborative partnerships. All scenarios are thought to be long-term (20 years and beyond into the future). Whether the scenarios are pursued is dependent on the property owner’s will to redevelop or sell.
The following are concept plans for key potential redevelopment sites.
IMPLEMENTATION
The best plans are of little value if they are not implemented. The municipalities have an important role to play in building toward the long-term vision, but the success of this effort will not be possible without the full support and participation of landowners and the development community. Public improvements associated with the Rice Larpenteur Vision Plan will act as a catalyst for reinvestment and represent a positive step toward ensuring a vibrant long-term business climate and livability for the corridor.
Through an agreement with Saint Paul, Roseville, Maplewood, and Ramsey County, the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce is supporting the Rice and Larpenteur Alliance with an Executive Director for the initiative. In the first two years of implementation, staff will convene the municipalities, build and support a long-term, community-based advisory committee, seek economic development opportunities, develop of a multi-year funding strategy, advise on public improvements, and support vibrant community events and placemaking initiatives.
Short, medium and long-term recommendations are outlined in the Vision Plan.