In a blogpost last month, Ross Currier asked Have you taken a close look at the four corners of that intersection lately? Hes referring to Hwy 3 and 2nd Street on the westside of the Cannon River in downtown Northfield. All four corners need plans for redevelopment and no one has a clear plan for any of them yet. The City Council has recently identified the Northeast Corner as their highest priority for redevelopment in the City and is in the process of writing a plan for the site. The other three corners are planless.

In the interest of clarity, we thought it might be useful to document and describe the four intersections. It helps in discussions to have mental image of the subject. Here goes.

NE Corner: Often referred to as the Kump Site and known officially as “Riverfront Redevelopment Site,” there is a empty lot on the corner surrounded by buildings vacated for the HWY 3 reconstruction project that is currently scheduled to begin this fall. It has been discussed as a potential development site for over a decade. It a large and challenging property on the Cannon River.

NW Corner: The Community National Banks landscaping is currently the brightest thing on this intersection; it disappears when the work on HWY 3 begins. The auto bank will be rendered unusable. This corner has long been the primary pedestrian crossing point from west to east.

SW Corner: Quiznos is surrounded by parking lots and vacant land. The Quarterback Club also shares this sizeable piece of underutilized land. It could be a key development in connecting the west side and east side and create a visual gateway to Northfield.

SE Corner: The now vacant building has been home to many entrepreneurial efforts over the years. The structure will be torn down as part of the HWY 3 project. The eastern edge of the property touches the Riverwalk.