Building height, tree conservation and mixed-use development were topics of discussion Monday night as the Eagan City Council considered the proposed redevelopment of the former Thomson Reuters site.

Local real estate developer Ryan Cos. intends to redevelop 179 acres of the former Thomson Reuters campus, which is located south of Yankee Doodle Road and east of Elrene Road, to include light industrial uses and a mix of residential units.

Council members were given a clearer picture of the project, which would require a comprehensive guide plan amendment, on Monday night ahead of the Nov. 19 meeting where approvals could take place.

As outlined in the developer’s original proposal, 120 acres of the site, which is located at 610 Opperman Drive, would be allocated to industrial use in the central and eastern portion of the site.

(Courtesy of the City of Eagan)

The remaining 59 acres would have a mix of housing types including single-family homes and an estimated 114 townhomes.

Council member Cyndee Fields pointed out that she believes Eagan will need more townhomes, specifically single-level townhomes “as we age,” she said.

In terms of green space, the revised proposal calls for the removal of 1,485 trees, down from 2,109 in the original proposal. The revised proposal also calls for the preservation of 710 trees, up from the original 626 trees, according to city documents.

Project Nova

A portion of the meeting was spent discussing a multi-story north industrial office building with an approximate footprint of 350,000 square feet.

In its place, the developer plans to build Project Nova, an industrial warehouse and logistics building with a footprint of 650,000 square feet, according to city planning documents. The proposed warehouse and logistics use includes outdoor storage for trucks, trailers, vans and employee vehicle parking.

As planned, the Project Nova building could be up to 120 feet tall and could have 3.6 million square feet of floor space.

The only resident to speak during the meeting voiced concerns about the height of the Project Nova building, fearing it would eclipse views of the skyline and surrounding nature.

According to the project narrative, the Project Nova user is an “advanced logistics company that uses multi-floor/mezzanine buildings for implementation of their robotic technology” and building vertically allows for a smaller building footprint.

Mayor Mike Maguire said he didn’t share the same height concerns, “in part because of the amount of tree screening that remains there.”

Council member Mike Supina said, “I don’t have a concern about the height of Project Nova,” adding that the nearby water tower is taller than the proposed building and closer to the road.

Next steps

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The redevelopment  project hinges on a comprehensive guide plan amendment, which, if approved, would change the land use designation from major office to industrial and low- and medium-density residential.

The Metropolitan Council is reviewing the amendment and it is expected to be finalized Nov. 19 at the next city council meeting.

Historically, this site has been a transition point between industrial uses and residential uses, Maguire said.

“This is really a foundational site in the city of Eagan and this plan, I think, continues what I think is a good coexistence between industrial and commercial site that contributes to our community in terms of jobs and tax base and desirability of the residential neighborhood to the west,” Maguire said.