Eagan residents see plans for 500,000-square-foot retail center in Lockheed Martin space

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, Eagan residents crowded into a room in the city's community center Wednesday night, March 14, to get a first peek at the sprawling retail center that will take the place of defense contractor Lockheed Martin.

Reactions were mixed to developer CSM Corp.'s proposal for a 500,000-square-foot pedestrian-friendly retail center at the intersection of busy Pilot Knob and Yankee Doodle roads.

The plan includes room for large retail tenants in addition to smaller shops, restaurants and possibly a bank. CSM initially proposed a mixed-use development that would include 75,000 square feet of office space, but those plans were nixed after a market study was done, company representatives said.

At least one resident, a former Lockheed employee, was pleased with what she saw.

"I'm so glad you guys aren't putting a nasty old strip mall in there," said Laura Traeger, who said she worked for Lockheed Martin for 33 years.

But she and others worried there wouldn't be enough parking, especially during the busy holiday season.

CSM Vice President Thomas Palmquist said his company was working on a plan for a shuttle service from the transit station that sits across the intersection from the 51-acre property, which could help with overflow parking during the busy season.

Still, representatives assured residents the plan meets the number of parking spaces required by the city for a retail development.

Architects at the community

Three ponds occupy corners of the proposal, and a decorative water feature would accompany one of the ponds. The pedestrian entrance would include a terraced park with seating and a space for events, Palmquist said. Landscape architects would use native plants in the development, and the park would include interpretive signs that would explain the vegetation used and talk about the site's history.

Originally posted here:
Eagan residents see plans for 500,000-square-foot retail center in Lockheed Martin space