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Blue Line Extension update: city weighs $5M in EDA streetscape choices and whether to bury Xcel lines
Summary
City staff updated council on Blue Line Extension streetscape costs and tradeoffs, describing steps taken to reduce an initially higher estimate and highlighting two major uncertainties — the cost to bury Xcel lines and street‑lighting lease charges — while presenting a plan to use EDA funds and phased elements.
City staff and the Blue Line project team presented a streetscape and budget update for the Blue Line Extension through Brooklyn Park, showing which streetscape elements the project would pay for, which the city would pay for, and which costs would be shared. Staff said they had reduced a prior streetscape estimate from about $7.5 million toward a goal under $6 million by trimming high‑cost design features (light spires, banner poles, irrigation and some color concrete) and by deferring some plantings until after construction or leveraging future development.
Mark Gladhill, presenting city funding options, said the city has identified $5 million in Economic Development Authority (EDA) funds in the capital improvement plan for…
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