Our concerns
The site sits in Arden Hills right on the Shoreview border, there are no Arden Hills residents living nearby. Our Shoreview neighborhood will face the primary daily impacts of this development—yet we have no elected representation on Arden Hills City Council.
Safety & traffic: If approved in its current proposed plan, the development will increase traffic, including trucks, onto County Rd. I, the only road in and out of our neighborhood. The existing layout and infrastructure of County Rd. I cannot handle the volume of traffic for this proposed development. The road lacks basic curb and gutter infrastructure, dedicated turn lanes, adequate pedestrian safety features and there are no traffic controls such as stop signs at intersections. Serious concerns also remain regarding the capacity of Highway 10 and I-35W—highways already experiencing congestion—as well as the nearby I-35W exit ramp roundabout, especially when compounded by future traffic from Rice Creek Commons. This severe traffic increase compromises the safety of drivers, Rice Creek Park trail users and children walking to Pinewood Elementary and Edgewood Middle schools.
Park, natural resources and wildlife: A project of this scale threatens Rice Creek, local wildlife corridors and neighboring parkland. The area serves as a critical habitat for notable wildlife, including one of the largest recolonizations of Ospreys in the midwest (with at least 9 active nests), Bald Eagles, Kestrels (a declining species), the rare Tiger Beetle, Henslow’s Sparrow and Blanding’s turtles.
Environmental cleanup: Due to the site’s history as part of the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant (TCAAP), extensive environmental cleanup is required prior to any development. Known hazardous materials and toxins on-site include asbestos-containing building materials and cresol contamination in soil and groundwater, alongside unverified underground structures and bunkers. Conducting a comprehensive cleanup and completing a thorough environmental review are essential to ensure these toxic substances are safely mitigated before any building and soil disturbance occurs. Without proper containment, disturbing this contaminated ground threatens the nearby Rice Creek watershed, local lakes, and groundwater networks—while also creating severe exposure risks for surrounding homes without strict airborne dust controls and residential protections.
Noise, light, air quality & aesthetics: Industrial operations, facility lighting, and increased truck and car traffic threaten neighboring homes, air quality, local wildlife and visitors’ experiences to the nearby Rice Creek park with noise and light pollution. Replacing open space with large-scale industrial buildings permanently alters our local landscape, impacts air quality, ruins the experience for park users and impacts community character.
Our priorities
STOMP is currently informing and organizing our neighborhood of 565+ homes, surrounding communities, users of Rice Creek Park and the open space, and wildlife advocates to demand better interagency coordination, get transparent answers from officials, and make sure our voices and concerns are being taken seriously and are addressed.
We are working to pause this proposed development and significantly reduce its size. Our focus is advocating for a responsible alternative that respects and fits the character of the neighborhood, and protects the parkland, open space and wildlife. This development is not a done deal.