New momentum may finally lead to site redevelopment of Arden Hills' Army Ammunition Plant

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. – A decade ago the land was considered for a new Vikings stadium, and a decade later the land sits there collecting snow.

"I see potential," said Arden Hills City Councilwoman Emily Rousseau. "Residents would love to be able to walk over to a restaurant or ride their back over there. They don't want to drive to Roseville anymore or down to Minneapolis of St Paul. They want something in their community."

Rousseau is part a new majority of freshman council members on the council, having been elected last year while campaigning for a more swift process in developing the 427-acre former site of the Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant.

"The previous council would make comments about maintaining the path, following the course. And this is six years of following that path, following that course," Rousseau said. "I feel like this is a project failure. I feel like we can do better than this."

Led by the three freshman members, the city council this month appointed a new chair of the Joint Development Authority, the entity through which Arden Hills, where the site is located, and Ramsey County, which owns the site, can together come up with a development plan that both the city council and county commission can approve.

Mayor David Grant, one of the two incumbents on the council, said Ramsey County officials were lukewarm to the latest proposal presented last May.  

"The challenge for the project is to get all parties to get a plan they can each support," Grant said. "I still believe in a mixed-use development. I think ultimately that's what will happen."

Both Grant and Rousseau supported the idea of splitting the property about 50-50 residential versus commercial development; the May 2022 proposal reflected that but Ramsey County officials told the mayor in a letter they wanted to see more housing units and specifically more affordable housing units.

The mayor said more density could lead to more traffic issues, while the current proposals meet or even exceed the county's goals for affordable housing anyway.

"The current population of Arden Hills is about 10,000 people, and we expect there will be close to 4,000 people on the site. That amounts to significant growth in Arden Hills," he said.

Grant and Rousseau also shared a common willingness to engage with residents and community members as the process moves forward.

"We've had a lot of turnover. New residents and new families," Rousseau said. "We need to take responsibility for this. This is an opportunity for our kids to move back into the community."