is part of our goal of bringing more affordable housing to the community,” said Simonson. Construction is expected to be underway in Summer 2025.
In addition, the reconstruction of Hodgson Road from Highway 96 down to Gramsie Road is now finished. It just reopened in late November 2024.
VADNAIS HEIGHTS
In 2024, Vadnais Heights celebrated the completion of several development projects, including the Ansel Residences, Big Wood Brewery and Birch Tree Care.
Single-family residential development advanced on multiple infill sites, creating new neighborhoods in the community, such as Bluebird Grove( 20 homes), Mondello Shores( 42 homes) and Vincent Estates( 22 homes).
Overall, 2024 proved to be a busy year for construction, with the city issuing approximately 2,000 permits and conducting 3,000 inspections.
“ To better understand the existing housing inventory and current market conditions, the city completed a Comprehensive Housing Study. This study aims to identify strategies for expanding housing options and meeting community needs. The City Council is actively seeking publicprivate partnerships to develop a range of housing types, focusing particularly on workforce housing,” said Nolan Wall, Planning / Community Development Director for the City of Vandais Heights.
Additionally, the city finalized a Small Area Plan for the northeast quadrant of City Center, encompassing approximately 44 acres of undeveloped / under-utilized land at the Interstate 35E / County Road E interchange. The plan outlines a vision to facilitate and coordinate redevelopment, ensuring that policy and regulatory mechanisms support this vision.
It also includes identifying necessary public and private actions. As part of this effort, the city is reviewing a phased plan to develop approximately 360 market-rate apartments in two buildings along Labore Road, just north of City Center Drive.
RAMSEY COUNTY
Meantime, in Ramsey County, there are plenty of road projects underway, including a significant one that started in 2024 and carried over to 2025. The rehabilitation of Dale Street from Como Avenue in St. Paul up to County Road B in Roseville should be finished by June 1st.
“ We are replacing the signals and replacing the pavement, and when it is done it will be a three-lane road instead of the existing four lane road,” said John R. Mazzitello, Deputy Director of Public Works for Ramsey County. The changes to Dale Street are being made to better accommodate both car and pedestrian traffic.
“ We are fully built out in most areas of the county, and where there is excess capacity in the roadway, meaning there aren’ t enough cars to meet its full capacity, we are trying to turn our corridors into more pedestrian and bike friendly routes,” said Mazzitello.“ A three-lane road also, traditionally, results in reduced speeds versus a four-lane facility.”
Once the Dale Street improvements are finished, the next road to get a total reconstruction in Ramsey County will be Rice Street. The first phase of a threeyear project will be the stretch of Rice Street between Maryland Avenue and Wheelock Parkway. The project moves south towards the Capitol in 2026 and 2027.
In 2025, the city also completed Phase II of the County Road E Corridor Action Plan, collaborating with the cities of White Bear Lake and Gem Lake, as well as Ramsey County. This project involved creating a placemaking and branding strategy for the corridor to establish a visual identity through consistent communication and messaging, celebrating the corridor as a unified place.
Looking ahead, Vadnais Heights expects additional medical-office, industrial and multi-family development projects to progress through the review process in 2025.
“ This will be a total reconstruction. We’ re going to excavate the whole street, replace city utilities, fix storm water drainage problems, replace signals, make bicycle and pedestrian access improvements-- it’ s everything,” said Mazzitello.
Another project taking place in 2025 will be the reconstruction of County Road D in Vandais Heights, Little Canada and
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