(BLAINE) – City leaders in Blaine and Spring Lake Park confirm Metro Transit is reversing course on its decision from last year about re-locating its bus transit center on the property of Northtown Mall.
Last year, Spring Lake Park city council passed a resolution in opposition of the authority’s decision to move the transit center to the area of the mall property nearest Sanburnol Drive NE, which is just inside the city limits. Northtown Mall is in the city of Blaine, and city leaders there said at the time that it would not oppose the move. The move was necessary after the owners of the mall, Washington Prime Group, made it clear the land the bus transit center is currently on would be developed into a retail or restaurant parcel.
Those who live on Sanburnol, including Rep. Erin Koegel (DFL, District 37A), expressed concern about noise and light pollution that the relocated station would bring to their homes, which currently are across the street from a vast, little-used parking lot.
Now, Blaine and Spring Lake Park city leaders both confrim Metro Transit will not relocate the bus facility to that portion of the property, but would not say more. Washington Prime Group representatives have not commented.
