PLANS FOR THE CONDOMINIUM PROJECT
PROPOSED FOR DOWNTOWN VICTORIA
On April 24th Victoria got a little closer to construction of the condominium complex proposed for downtown Victoria.  It's been a three-year process during which time the city acquired three old homes on Stieger Lake, got them demolished, and worked a purchase agreement with a developer.
City Planner Mark Kaltsas said the parcel is only two acres, "not very large," which is why some density is necessary.  The site is expected to include a 46-unit condo building in an Alpine theme and a total of about 95 parking spaces above and below ground.  The city has a purchase agreement with Wensmann Homes and $100,000 in nonrefundable earnest money.
Kelly Murray, a representative of Wensmann Homes, gave an update on the project at the April 24th council meeting.
"We're still trying to overcome some hurdles.  Part of 79th Street will have to be vacated.  There are underground gas lines and overhead phone lines.  We need one combined plat and there are some title issues.  Nothing is a hurdle we don't think we can overcome ...
"The top seven feet of soil is not suit-able to build on.  Trees on the site will pretty much have to be removed, except on the lake side where vegetation and slope can be maintained."
She also gave details on the pro-posed condominium structure ...
"There will be a large main floor and open lobby.  It will feel like you're going into a large hotel rather than an apartment complex.  There is common space on the first floor.  There will be a glass exercise room and hot tub water-type feature.  There is no room for a swimming pool ...
"The units will be one bedroom, two bedrooms, possibly some three-bedrooms.  There'll be 71 underground parking spaces and 22 above ground parking spaces.  We need to work out an emergen-cy turnaround ...
"Prices will range from $200,000 to $425,000.  It'll be primarily a stucco wood-frame structure.  It'll be two sepa-rate structures, actually -- the parking structure and the condominiums above it.  We don't want the cars below to rumble the apartments above."
Asked Councilmember Dave Lind-gren, "When can people get on the list?"
Kelly Murray reported that Planner Mark Kaltsas has all the contact informa-tion.  "We're looking at starting it yet this year," she said.  "We need to be in the summer construction.  We'll be done 12 months from the date we start ...
"There is a lot of in-ground work before we build upward.  We haven't tried to market it yet.  We've been trying just to fit the building on the lot and also have enough parking space, which is why we added a fourth floor."
Remarked Mayor Jerry Bohn, "We don't want it to look like Ludwig's Castle, so it's all you see in downtown Victoria."
Kelly Murray stated that Wensmann has similar buildings which the council can visit in Farmington, Prior Lake, and Rosemount.
She stated that Wensmann is not cer-tain how the condominium units will be marketed.  "We're not changing our con-cept because we know it works," she said, "but we just don't know how we're going to market it yet.  Even if we market it for senior housing, we have a 20% flexibility ... or we can let it be a market-driven building.  Whether it's senior housing or not, the makeup of it doesn't lend itself to children."
"How about pets?" asked Council-member Dave Lindgren.  "We'll be allowing some animals with restrictions," she emphasized.  "We have designated walking and wetting areas, and specific areas where the animal must be carried."
Stated Mayor Bohn, "A lot of people are looking forward to this.

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