HomeMy WebLinkAbout1991-05-26 Star Tribune Article J}
ODenn isCassano Star Triburw/3ultdaWft waters rowan ains run d ee Q
city services, but "that's the price. you
$1 aff Writer Stillwater construction work lay for progress. If we are to thrive`
and grow, we need more tourists:"
en some of the oldest .cities in Work is to begin June 11 on replacing the underground sewer lines
•nnesota still have growing pains. and resurfacing some streets in the center of the tourist attraction He contended that Stillwater resin
area of downtown Stillwater. That may be followed in the mid -1990s dents do go into the downtown area
I Stillwater, an old river town that by reconstruction of Hwy. 36 from Hwy. 5 east to the eiver.and a new to shop and use the restaurants. He
b Is itself as the "birthplace of Min- bridge south of Stillwater. The bridge would divert traffic away from said his restaurant does ``as much'
n ta," a major reconstruction of the congested downtown area. Anew $35 million Stillwater High local busir►tss as any business in
d wntown streets to improve paving School is to open at Hwy. 5 and Hwy. 36 in the fall of .1993. town."
sewer lines is scheduled to begin
a
J ne 11, just as another summer The city and the business people are
rist season gets underway. Plans tt working closely together to keep the
" Planned work work " i °'`
are proceeding to .build a new :'.::; tourists coming this summer, when
P g Courth g
n across the St. Croix River south n ? some of the downtown streets will be
q, town. Coloring the public debate t "" c
at out those projects, and a few other r torn up to lay new sewer lines, others
" ��� :`. will be rebuilt, others repaved. Over -
ei tic improvements, is a growing m N head utility lines will be buried in,
s� ~"" t .. - " " " ""
st►aia between fans of Stillwater as it ��,� < �". �,,� some areas.
w is and boosters who envision
st , eets paved with tourist ld. "" "` " ..,,.,.
go � � ,: .. The Chamber of Commerce is trying
i N» �.. ..:.
�,,, .;`:: to put the best face on what could be'
s city elec- '
di
T re centerpiece of last fall . a saster by having a kick -off pan- .
' .
fi- +n was this summer's reconstruc- " w " _ cake breakfast and calling the whole,
n of downtown area streets, which -a. ., thing a celebration. The cit is pro-
With, tourists on summer week -- °' �g y -.
vi shuttle bus service from outl
.��,.�.. h
ids. ing parking areas. T ere will be 1 berlack logos everywhere , mcludi '
e side wanted to include "ameni- "" ... ;af T- shifts roclaimm the "rebirth " as part of the plan, features that " ° — sr'� " the birthplace.
0 ers denounced as "frills" needed � '
Iy if the town wanted to attract � „" Steve Russell, community devel
tourists. The side seeking i ment director, said one lane of tra:
" lost. will be open on all street's at all tim
r . and boardwalks will give access
so one argues that tourists, stores.
traffic and trucks have ;
stied traffic in downtown lie said a storefront will be opened
'llwater at the approach to the nar- Hwy ' , S � display artifacts that are dug up
c�w old bridge across the St. Croix, `...` the 100- year -old streets are excav*
ny are concerned that a new ed. The cobblestones they find m ?
dge and improvements to the Hwy. 96 be used as sidewalk accents, he said,r;'
36 approach to Stillwater will i
ng new problems. a ":' ~,' ' Some of the steps being taken to k
• . the tourists going downtown t
addition to fears that the new Minn.: summer also may be taken to k�
dge proposed by the Minnesota
shoppers going to the comme
a Wisconsin highway departments strip alongside Hwy. 36 if bridge and ;
uld harm the river environment, Go,Rd.' '' '` a'>? highway construction begin in 1994:
siness people on both sides of or 1995.
36, which would be upgraded
freeway status, worry that travelers N� :5 wis.. ;, ..., .; But if the three existing intersections=
won't be able to see or get to their . • • • y' between Hwy. Sand Hwy. 95 on the,
stores. An environmental impact �? river are not converted into inter,
S■tement is expected to be complet- o • • `�s •.. changes, business owners are. con -
e< later this year. Hw : se • • - cemed that people won't be able to
MWL • find them on a network of frontage,
her projects mark the growth of : "" . roads or won't bother to try.
town:
H .
• - 95 Steven Zinnel, president of the Nor
While the city has provided the Sources: Minnesota west Bank branch and head of $-
i d for a $1 million railroad depot Ctty of Stillwaterransportation, committee of business people work
a d museum for the privately owned ing with the Minnesota Transporta',
Minnesota Zephyr, people on the rail tion Department, said, "Their (h
li: to outside of town are upset by the way planners') motivation is dif '
tourist train traffic. some sort of community center and He would not say that there is an ent from ours. Their motivation is tttt
public recreation facilities. antitourist feeling developing among get people through here on
11RA new $35 million high school is to the people of Stillwater, but he said Wisconsin. Ours is to get people ,to;
o n in th e fall of 1993 on the out- The most immediate concern is the residents want to see stores down- slow down and stop in. This is a loci'
s,of the city rather than near the downtown street work. town that they would use, such as a street for us. This is our uptown
1 nt downtown site. television shop, as well as the restau- area."
, . The downtown business people want - rants and shops that cater to tourists.
The city recently approved a 200- ed the city to go beyond the $7 mil -
h Richard Elasky, department assistant
ome housing development. There is lion in sewer and paving work to On the other side of the argument is district engineer, said the competing
0 tle space for more growth, and the spend another $1, . _toiilion.. ion ;land* the ±downtown business community interests hive Ao bey b# ootbw si'
"'y is starting to thi;lk about annex . scap'ng, decorative siiiewalks and and Bob T r, owner of Esteban's the reconstru of r 3b and in
its land from the ^adjoioftij ><owtt ts' that would enhance the Res3tauralt '.the Grand Garage the decision
}hip. old -town flavor of the area. shopping center and chairman of the new bridge O a /
,., e
Downtown Business Council. those dectsto#�s it `''tlade nett;
The city has purchased 6 acres of But Mayor Wally Abrahamson led a
year
on' 600 feet of riverfront that vigorous and victorious campaign "We can't get too many tourists,"
be used to expand an adjacent against the enhancements. Tanner said. "Stillwater is not big It�i there is a tier `. Stillwater
k or build a parking lot. enough to support the businesses that and the state will have,. .'"de what
"We have ' a parking problem, not a are here." to do with tha -old ict;�a 6t1- dear
The city has purchased the land tourist problem," he said in an inter- 'old piece of Stillwater -istory that
is negotiating with the Minneso- view last week. "I prefer to keep the He said some people don't want any city planner _ Ubvedo said
National Guard, over construction downtown basically the way it is. "' 'tourists and are concerned about the is listed on tit k0A* egister of
o new armory * ,that wap�d include cost of police protection and other Historic Places