Northfield Downtown Development Corporation

The Board of Directors of the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) is pleased to announce that it has surpassed the goal amount of its 2007 Partnership Campaign, an annual fundraising drive. The final tally was slightly more than $32,000 (in cash receipts), the best result in the organization’s history. “The financial support of Northfield building owners, business owners and citizen donors for the NDDC continues to grow each year and for that we are grateful,” according to Joe Grundhoefer, 2007 Partnership Campaign co-chair and Vice President of the NDDC.

Grundhoefer, owner of J. Grundy’s Rueb’n'Stein, noted that Partnership funds will be used to further the mission of the NDDC, which is modeled after the Four Points of the Main Street Program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Four Points are Organization, Promotion, Design and Economic Restructuring. Organization involves assembling the appropriate resources to maintain a strong downtown program. Promotion encourages consumers and investors to live, work, shop, play and invest in downtown Northfield. Design means working to get downtown Northfield into top physical shape. Economic Restructuring strengthens downtown’s existing economic assets while expanding and diversifying its economic base.

The 2007 NDDC Partnership Campaign was co-chaired by Anastasia Balfany, NDDC board member and owner of The Market, an antiques retailer formally located on Division Street. Anastasia and Joe were assisted in the fundraising by the entire 12-member NDDC Board of Directors.

To learn more about the NDDC, its mission and recent activities, visit nddc.org or call 663-0319.

City of Northfield Public Services Director Joel Walinski has sent out a notice that there will be an Open House on the 5th Street Reconstruction and Water Street Parking Lot Improvement Projects.

The Open House will be this Thursday, December 20th, from 4 to 6 pm at the Northfield City Hall.

According to the notice: “residents of the city, business owners, community organizations, and any other interested parties are encouraged to attend this public open house. The purpose of this open house will be to inform the community stakeholders of the 5^th and Water Street Parking Lot Improvement Project process and to gather public input on a variety of opportunities for the: geometric design of 5^th Street and Water Street Parking Lot, design of the public promenade adjacent to the Water Street Parking Lot, and design of streetscape enhancements for 5^th Street. This information will be used to identify public priorities and preferred options for the 5^th and Water Street Improvement Project while ensuring compatibility with adjacent Downtown uses.

This open house is your chance to express your views on the future and proposed ideas on how to improve the 5^th and Water Street area. No presentation is scheduled; time will be used for our guests to review, comment, and obtain information on the current project status.

Any questions may be directed to Joel Walinski, Public Services Director at 507-645-3009.”

That’s right, in fact Santa, Santa Claus, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas or Saint Nick will be here right in the heart of Northfield…

…Downtown!

This Saturday, December 15th and next Saturday, December 22nd, Mr. Claus himself will be greeting guests (and, no doubt, gathering input…this is Northfield, after all) at the Santa House in Bridge Square from 11 am to 1 pm.

So, come on down(town) this Saturday or next Saturday and (if you’ve been nice) spend a little quality time with Santa and (if you’ve been a little naughty) you’re always welcome at the four dozen or so unique retail shops or two dozen or so dining options.

Ho, ho, ho and Happy Holidays!

On Friday, December 7^th, the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation convened a Regional Summit on Real Estate Taxes and their impact on historic downtowns in Greater Minnesota. The purpose was to determine the geographic extent of the issue and to unite behind strategies for addressing it.

Downtown Northfield has averaged thirty percent annual real estate tax bill increases since 2007. We can’t take any more and we’re looking for allies.

Representatives from Faribault, Hastings and Owatonna attended the event. Red Wing was unable to attend at this time and connections with property owners in Stillwater were only made at the Summit. Both towns will be represented in future efforts.

The group made a number of determinations. First, that all older downtowns in the region are experiencing this issue to some degree, many suffering double-digit increases for several years. Second, although there are a number of reasons for rising real estate taxes, the bottom line is that the burden is not being equitably shared between residential and commercial property. Finally, something must be done now as the economic viability of older downtowns is seriously threatened.

The gathering also agreed on a multi-faceted strategy to address the issue. The ultimate goal is to build a state-wide coalition to achieve legislative action in the upcoming session. Specifically, we are advocating that defined districts be established in older downtowns for special commercial property tax treatment.

We must implement our plans by the February 18^th, 2008 start of the legislative session. We plan reconvene, with our additional allies, and our work completed, in late January or early February and be ready to take our proposal to St. Paul.

A few weeks ago, I was invited over to hear a presentation on the latest conceptual plans for what most Northfielders call the old middle school and Carleton College has been visualizing as a center for the arts.

Let me immediately make clear that the plans are far from carved in stone. Carleton’s first hope was to put all the arts, including musical, performing and visual, into the complex. However, they soon realized that it wouldn’t all fit so now it is being considered for cinema, dance, theater, literary and visual arts. When Carleton first presented their very preliminary ideas to the Planning Commission, about two years ago, the project was priced at $40 million. It has now been divided into two phases and the total estimated cost has doubled.

I have always been and continue to be very excited by this project. Carleton College is planning to invest tens of millions of dollars a half block from Downtown, just up the hill from the Historic Carnegie Library and the Grand Event Center, not far from the Northfield Arts Guild and the Northfield Historical Society as well as several privately owned art galleries. As Philip Spensley, Chair of the Northfield Arts Commission, has been suggesting for about two years, we have many of the pieces in place for a significant Arts and Culture District.

Carleton intends to create a higher education arts center that earns national recognition. I think that it is good for Carleton, good for Downtown, and good for Northfield.

While at the meeting, I got the opportunity to meet Steve Richardson, Carleton class of ’86. Steve is the new Director of the Arts and has a leadership role in the conceptualization of the art center. Carleton is working hard to reach out to the community through the arts and Steve, in my opinion, is well qualified for pursuing this goal. Steve has been at the Theatre de la Jeune Lune for the past 17 years, including the last 12 as Producing Director, for which he won the 2005 Tony Award for outstanding regional theater.

The entire Northfield community has an opportunity to see, hear, and, maybe, meet all that I did recently. Tomorrow (Wednesday, December 12th) evening, Carleton is hosting a community-wide gathering to provide interested folks updates on their plans for the art center as well as a new residence hall. The meeting will take place from 6 to 7:30 pm in Boliou Hall, room 104. All are welcome.