November 18th, 2005

Right now, Northfield’s Q-Block is known for The Quarterback Club and Quizno’s.

A redevelopment plan revealed Thursday to Northfield’s Economic Development Authority (EDA) proposes redevelopment on the site which may eventually include row-style townhouses, more than 200 parking spots and seven commercial buildings.

John Slack from the firm Dahlgren, Shardlow and Uban presented the concepts at Thursday’s EDA meeting. Looking at potential redevelopment of the Q-block was one of the goals set this year by the EDA.

The Q-Block is bordered by Minnesota Highway 3, Second and Third streets and is named as such for the presence of The Quarterback Club and Quiznos. However, Quiznos was vacated this summer and remains an empty building.

Like other redevelopment projects in the city — the Riverfront Redevelopment site and the 600 block of Division Street — the Q-Block is a small parcel of land that’s owned by several different owners.

According to Slack’s presentation, the Q-Block consists of about eight acres and is owned by eight different owners, including the city; the Canadian Pacific Railroad; Dale Finger, who owns The Quarterback Club; and John Mathern, owner of Mendota Homes who is also the developer of the Riverfront Redevelopment site.

Slack presented four concepts to the EDA which showed short-term, mid-term and long-term approaches to redevelopment.

According to a city staff report presented to EDA members, “the redevelopment plan reinforces the street edge and provides shared parking for uses behind the buildings. The west portion of the site has the potential to support market rate or affordable row house units with significant buffering to the railroad tracks.”

Although the early concepts show both Quiznos and The Quarterback Club having a presence on the site, later sketches showing development five to 10 years down the road are without the buildings.

The absence of the Quarterback from the long-term plans for the site caused EDA member Bill Cowles to question, “Why wouldn’t we try to keep that in that spot and try to modify it or expand it?”

“We do honestly believe that if there’s value in a homegrown restaurant … that every effort should be made to save it or accommodate it,” Slack said, pointing out that the restaurant also could move to another building in the redevelopment if appropriate.

Finger declined to comment Friday when asked about his impressions on the redevelopment plan.

As for EDA members, the group seemed enthusiastic about redevelopment plans, but had several questions ranging from parking concerns to the reactions of various property owners.

Mathern, who owns an L-shaped parcel in the middle of the Q-block, is enthusiastic about the presentation Slack made on Thursday.

“(Slack) and I were not of a common mind a month ago, but I think that he has done an excellent job,” Mathern said. “I think he sensed what can and should happen and I think he’s on the money. I think his long-term version (of the redevelopment plan) is excellent.”

One of the amenities Mendota Homes was specifically seeking in a redevelopment is a space with the capacity for a drive-through. That will eventually be a coffee shop, Mathern said.

Although the information Slack presented to the EDA shows development in a range of timelines, Mathern said that construction on his portion of the Q-block could begin next summer.

“I’ve always said that there are downtown merchants and there are Highway 3 merchants. This is the place where it comes together,” Mathern said. “It’s the confluence of the downtown and Highway 3 and we’re pretty excited.”

The public will get its chance to weigh in on the Q-block redevelopment in a public forum on Dec. 8. The time and location have yet to be announced.

By Michelle Kubitz

Reprinted with permission from the Northfield News.