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Edina HRA debates $20 million Edina Promenade crossing across France Avenue; engineering contract decision goes to council
Summary
Staff presented options to extend the Edina Promenade across France Avenue (underpass, bridge or at‑grade enhancements) with an estimated all‑in cost around $19.6M–$20M. Commissioners raised safety, use, funding (TIF), maintenance and timing questions; no final HRA decision was made and a city‑council vote on next‑step engineering is scheduled next week.
Edina staff reopened a long‑running conversation on April 16 about creating a safer bicycle and pedestrian crossing across France Avenue as part of an extension of the Edina Promenade, telling the Housing Redevelopment Authority the preliminary all‑in cost estimate is roughly $19.6 million (rounded to $20 million) and that the city will likely rely on tax‑increment financing and other grant programs rather than the general levy.
Bill Neuendorf, Edina’s economic development manager, said staff and consultants reviewed a wide range of options — from simpler at‑grade improvements and traffic‑calming to underpasses and bridges — and that the preferred concept studied in 2024 focused on an underpass. Neuendorf said the 2024 rough estimate includes $4,200,000 for the bridging/underpass structure, $1,500,000 for architectural elements to make the facility inviting, $660,000 for utilities, $500,000 for private utility work, $1,200,000 to rebuild France Avenue roadway and sidewalks, $3,000,000 for landscaping/streetscaping, $1,000,000 for traffic control/phasing, a 20% contingency (about $2,400,000) and an allowance of about 35% (roughly $5,000,000) for design, legal and financing — for a total around $19.6 million.
Neuendorf said staff assumes roughly $12 million could come from TIF (tax increment financing) generated by two nearby redevelopment projects, that about $3 million might be available from state transportation programs and roughly $3 million from county programs or Met Council transportation funds, and that staff is not assuming federal funding at present. He emphasized none of those external funds has been secured and that additional design and engineering are needed to refine costs and feasibility.
Commissioners asked for more usage data and comparatives. A staff member reported a September 2024 count at the Macy’s/3 Rivers Park Regional Trail location that averaged about 300 users per day; commissioners requested comparable counts at the York Avenue underpass and other approaches to better estimate how many pedestrians and cyclists would use this crossing. Commissioners also raised operational concerns — safety in an underpass, maintenance costs, whether an easement over private land would feel public, and staging effects on businesses if prolonged lane closures are required — and asked staff to compare that to a lower‑cost “road‑diet” approach in coordination with Hennepin County policy makers.
Questions on financing focused on TIF duration and gap closing. Neuendorf said the current funding assumption treats both TIF districts as running their full 25‑year term; staff can extend one district an additional five years by special legislation if needed. If grants fall short, staff said the city would bond and repay with TIF revenue; commissioners asked for clearer scenarios showing how TIF financing would affect district life, levy timing and what other projects might be delayed if municipal aid or PACS funds are used to close the gap.
Several commissioners said they support further study; others urged caution. Commissioner Jackson and Commissioner Pierce favored proceeding with engineering/design to firm up cost and staging (the staff estimate for the next step was a roughly $387,000 30% design contract that the city council will consider next week). Commissioner Roesser said she favored pausing the study and pursuing county policy changes or other lower‑cost alternatives. Chair Hovland asked whether the council timeline for developer buildout meant the HRA had to rush; staff said one west‑side development will open this fall and the opportunity to influence plaza grade and easement details may be time‑sensitive.
What’s next: staff said the city council will consider an engineering contract next week that would produce more definitive cost and phasing information; HRA members requested additional usage counts, recent county signal‑timing assessments, maintenance‑cost estimates and TIF‑term scenarios to inform further direction.
