On Tuesday night during their regular meeting, the Northfield City Council unanimously approved the plans for a transit hub adjacent to the Historic Depot building and send the plans out for bid.
Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell said the project had been a long time coming, referencing “historical documents” that showed the idea for a transit hub in that area. However, it took the momentum of the Save the Depot Group to create modern possibilities.
Once set to be demolished, the Save the Depot organization, led by Alice Thomas, purchased the building and in 2016 moved it one block to its current location. The expansion of the location to a full-on transit hub has been something Mayor Pownell and other city leaders have discussed since the move, due to its perfectly situated ability to serve buses and larger vehicles.
“This was envisioned a long, long time ago. The way it’s situated there, where you can enter on 2nd Street and then exit on 3rd Street really works well for larger buses or other people moving type vehicles to serve as our transit hub.”
The plans call for the construction of an outdoor pavilion area just to the north of the depot, and a building to the north of the pavilion that will serve as a waiting room and feature public restroom facilities. The building will be fully accessible, served by stairs, a ramp and an elevator.
The immediate plan for the complex is to serve as an interchange for the Hiawathaland and Northfield Lines bus routes. City Administrator Ben Martig said, looking into the future, however, the transit hub will serve as the main connection point with the Twin Cities.
“And then longer term, is the vision for the community is to continue to look at opportunities. There might someday be a commuter bus to the Twin Cities. We’re also continuing to explore possibilities for reintroducing passenger rail in the future. That’s really a long-term vision. We used to have it here in Northfield. If you go to the Historic Depot, you can probably learn more about that.”
Both Martig and the mayor spoke of the public events that are already taking place at the Historic Depot and said this has been envisioned as a community gathering area that should enhance those events.
Construction costs for the new transit hub are estimated at $2.9 million. In 2020 the City of Northfield asked for and received $1.75 million in state bonding money to put toward the project. Bids are expected to come in within the next few weeks. City Engineer Dave Bennett said the hope is for construction to begin this summer and be completed in 2025.
Rice County making information about Highway 19 project readily available
With about two months until construction is set to begin on the six-legged roundabout at the Highway 19 and I-35 interchange, Rice County has announced an informational open house for March 19th.
A statement released by the county said there will not be any formal presentations made at the meeting. Instead, attendees will be encouraged to look over the project and ask questions. As this is an open house format, attendees will be free to arrive or to leave at any time.
In October, the Board of Commissioners unanimously approved construction of the roundabout on the east side of Highway 19 at I-35. The project will connect the northbound I-35 on and off ramps with the highway. County Roads 46 and 59 will connect on either side of the highway as well. Work is set to start in late April and is expected to be complete by fall 2024.
A temporary road is planned underneath I-35 during the construction. The county has no intention of closing Highway 19 during the project, however County Roads 46 and 59 will be closed, and the northbound I-35 ramp will be closed at times. A project page has been set up on the Rice County website. Throughout construction, motorists will be encouraged to visit the page frequently for updates.
While roundabouts can be unpopular with many people, as more have been built on state roadways, an understanding and acceptance of their usefulness has become more common. According to County Engineer Dennis Luebbe, roundabouts help maintain good traffic flow, and diminish the likelihood of side-impact collisions. In fact, MnDot estimates that roundabouts bring an 86% decrease in fatal crashes, an 83% decrease in life-altering injury crashes and a 42% overall decrease in the injury crash rate at an intersection.
The open house will run from 4-6pm on March 19th at the Rice County Highway Building in Faribault. There will also be a virtual option for those unable to attend in person. ( Use Meeting ID 342 117 0614 and 1234 as the passcode.)
DFL ‘Caucus 101’ Q&A’s in for Northfield and Faribault
As the precinct caucuses approach this coming Tuesday night, local representatives of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party will hold a pair of free Q&A sessions on Saturday to prepare those interested in taking part.
Party Caucuses are the grass roots beginnings of all political elections. Members of one party gather together to hear from candidates for office, elect delegates to the party’s county convention, and discuss the issues they feel are most important and should be a part of that party’s platform.
The Q&A’s, billed as “DFL Caucus 101,” will offer information for those who are interested in how a caucus works. Topics include how to find your caucus, what to expect, resolution training and how to write a resolution. The organizers call the caucuses grassroot politics in action and invite those who have never been to a caucus, as well as DFL caucus veterans.
The first meeting, which will be run by Northfield Ward 1, Precinct 2 Chair Lorraine Rovig, will be at the Northfield Public Library in the Public Meeting Room from 10am-11am.
That will be followed by a second Q&A at the Great Hall of the Buckham Memorial Library in Faribault from 3:30-4:30pm on Saturday afternoon. DFL Rice/Scott 58 Vice-Chair Sue Willcutt will oversee the meeting.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
