Local News

New Developments Popping Up Along Planned LRT Line

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ― It won't start rolling for several years but already new developments are popping up all along the Central Corridor Light Rail. Anticipating high ridership, business and residential property along the light rail line believe it's a good move and are scrambling to get a spot along the rail.

The Central Corridor will run from downtown St. Paul on University Avenue through the University of Minnesota campus and into downtown Minneapolis.

"The whole attitude right now is the light rail is going to bring a lot more traffic. One of the things that's huge is the station is supposed to be right in front of the store," said John Tolo of the newly built Overflow Espresso Café in southeast Minneapolis.

They are poised in a perfect place on University Avenue to take advantage of LRT traffic.

"I recognize that that's going to bring a huge amount of people that are gonna actually get out of the vehicle right in front of our door. So it opens up an opportunity for us," said Tolo.

Others in the neighborhood were also quick to cash in on the future train.

"I've been working on the East Bank for almost two years now and basically just about everything's changed. There's all kinds of old stuff that's being torn down and all kinds of new stuff that's going up," said Tolo.

A newly opened condominium building was built on the site of the old Octopus Car Wash.

"Now we've got a lot of changes we've got a light rail coming," said Campus Pizza owner Jim Rosvold.

Campus Pizza has been a Stadium Village fixture for nearly 50 years but now they're forced to move.

"We've got a developer that wants to build a very large building here," said Rosvold. That big building will hold be seven stories of student housing all on top of a pharmacy.

But Campus Pizza isn't going far.

"Continue to operate in this area cause I think it's continue to grow," said Rosvold.

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