Kiger's Notebook

Kutzky development w/ 2 Roch. New Horizons @ zoning commission

Here's some from a piece about a development in the downtown Kutzky neighborhood that is going before the Olmsted-Rochester Planning and Zoning Commission. Interesting point, the daycare center will be New Horizon's second center in Rochester:

An estimated $10 million downtown Rochester development that includes a daycare, an apartment complex and townhomes is may take a step forward this week.

The Cascade Creek project, spearheaded by the non-profit housing group First Groups, is slated to built on a two-acre plot bordered by Civic Center Drive, Sixth Avenue Northwest, Fourth Street and Cascade Creek

On Wednesday, the Rochester-Olmsted Planning and Zoning Commission will consider a conditional use permit for the plan in the downtown Kutzky neighborhood. The goal is to combat blight and replace it with new housing and related commercial projects.

Once the development is OKed by the city, First Homes can apply for  needed funding from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency. That agency will announce its decision on the application on Oct. 1 and construction could start soon after that.

“Neighborhoods are really defined by the edges around them… This is kind of creating an edge to the neighborhood,” says Sean Allen, executive director of First Homes and Rochester Area Foundation Assistant Director. First Homes is an offshoot of the Foundation.

 “I foresee Sixth Avenue from Civic Center down to Second Street as redeveloping pretty seriously over the next 10 years. We’re just the first block,” he said.

The Cascade Creek plan calls for demolishing or moving 11 houses considered blighted as well as vacating an alley. 

First Homes has been handling the development planning and acquisition of the land for the past four years. Once that is all lined up, along with financing, First Homes will sell it to Twin Cities developer Metro Plains.

Allen says the concept for this project was conceived through the Imagine Kutzky revitalization program with input from the neighborhood.

“We’re basically facilitating what we see as a neighborhood-driven project,” he said.

 Once the site is ready, a Twin Cities developer working with First Homes will oversee the construction of a 10,000-square-foot New Horizons daycare facility along with a 40 unit, four story apartment complex and a six townhomes.

The mix of new for sale and rental housing is designed to bring more people  to the downtown neighborhood, which has losing population since 1970s, Allen said. 

What about the New Horizons child care center?

“It came out during the Imagine Kutzky project that there wasn’t a childcare center in the area. We kind of see that part as an amenity,” Allen says.

Twin Cities-based New Horizons built its first Rochester center last year. Chief Operating Officer Chad Dunkley says it just makes sense to add a second one, particularly near downtown.

 The day-care center would include a 10,000-square-foot building fronting Civic Center Drive and an 8,400-square-foot outdoor playground.

Growing up Rochester

Rochester once again tops a “Best Places” list, though this one is different since its looks at U.S. cities through the eyes of a child.

U.S. News and World Reports magazine, a long-time fan of Rochester, named the city as one of America’s 10 Best Places To Grow Up in a list published Thursday.

Described on the list as having “… Enough activities to tire out even the most energetic youngsters,” Rochester is ranked among other cities such as Boston, Denver, San Jose, Calif., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The magazine delved into its database of 2,000 communities to look for place  with a low crime rate, a strong school system, lots of green spaces and plenty of opportunities for recreation and artistic outlets.

When mapping out Rochester’s child-friendly features, the magazine spoke with Brad Jones, the executive director of the Rochester Convention and Visitors Bureau.

He described the variety of activity options, like “85 miles of trails for in-line skating, 3,200 acres of public parks for touch football, and 56 different playgrounds.”

The list also included the Graham Arena hockey facilities and National Volleyball Center.

U.S. News and World Reports has often named Rochester to its many lists, starting with the Best Places to Live. It also has made the Best Places to Work and Best Places to Do Business lists.

Church to open low-cost child care

A small Rochester church that wants to improve the community is reaching out to the youngest members of the city.

Living Stone Church is creating a low-cost, nonprofit operation called Step-By-Step Community Child Care Center.

The center could be licensed and open by October.

 “When thinking what we could do, we thought rather than do a lot of little things, maybe we should help one specific population,” says Pastor Kyle Haack. “Child care is a huge expense, especially for single parents. We’ve always had a passion for helping single parents.”

Step-By-Step is more than just a new project; it is also a new home for the church. Living Stone moved into the former Creative Arts day-care center at 3949 10th Ave. N.W. 

Living Stone’s congregation of about 35 previously met at 1700 N. Broadway.

The plan is to offer child care from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for about 50 preschool-age kids with a full-time staff of seven. 

To keep costs down, Haack says the church will lease out space in the building’s commercial kitchen to local food businesses. 

And look for Haack and others to offer music lessons, with a percent of each payment to go to Step-By-Step to further defray costs.

House of Bounce pumped up for opening

Looks like the House of Bounce crew has really been hopping to it lately. 

I hear from the owners that the jumping gym will re-open Friday in its new Rochester space that is almost twice as large as its current one at 2535 U.S. 14 West.

With the cloud canopy covering the entire sky this a.m., it might be good to have an indoor play option Friday.

Primrose School starting to bloom

Construction of the new Primrose School of Rochester @ 2600 Second St. S.W. is really pushing the grading curve.

Work on this new childcare center by AB Systems looks like it is moving along quickly and it not being held back.

  This is the project of Rachel Mock and Jane Kadlec.  The 11,200-square-foot Primrose is being built @ 2600 Second St. S.W. on the site of the former Golf Dome.

Word is that the recently announced closing of the Civic League Day Care Nursery has flooded the half-built Primrose with requests.

We'll see what happens when Primrose opens the doors.

House of Bounce is hopping

Remember the House of Bounce? That's the kids play place filled with inflatable bouncy features like slides, "moon walks" and games.

Well, Sue and Ed Hiatt opened on schedule Monday in the commercial park by Northern Power & Tool Supply along the U.S. 14 West frontage road.

Now you have a place to haul all of those visiting kids after Thanksgiving.

I wish them better luck than the space's former tenant had.

Primrose School ready to grow

The dirt is smoothing out on the former Golf Dome site laying the groundwork for the new 11,200-square-foot Primrose School Of Rochester @ 2600 Second St. S.W. This is a new childcare center.

This is being built by AB Systems for Rachel Mock and Jane Kadlec.

I chatted w/ Rachel the other day and her are a few highlights of the project:

• There will be four playgrounds

• Capacity is 180 kids ranging from six weeks to 12 years

• Hoping for an early May opening "depending on how winter treats us."

• There will be an after-school program as well as a before-school program

• 25 to 35 employees

• Uses its own Balanced Learning curriculum.

• Why build there? "We liked the central proximity - not too far north, not too far south."

• Groundbreaking slated for Monday, Nov. 10  @ 11:30 a.m.

From golf swings to playground swings

OK, Alan was right (as usual). Here's the follow-up to the dramatic tip as well as an earlier sports business tip.

Rochester's Golf Dome - an ear of corn water like landmark - will be deflated Sunday morning to make for a childcare center to be built.

Here's some from a piece that will be in the weekend edition:

The Rochester Indoor Golf Center - the Golf Dome - on Second Street Southwest is going flat Sunday at 8 a.m. as owner Paul Pehler clears the land to make way for a new locally-owned childcare center called Primrose School.

While he is deflating the dome, Pehler is immediately teeing up a new golf store. He plans to re-open as soon as Tuesday in the former Hunt’s Drug storefront in the Hillcrest Shopping Center.

While the 7,000-square-foot store won’t have an indoor driving range, he does plan on having nets for people trying out clubs.
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“We are working on the idea of a larger indoor and outdoor golf center,” he says.
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As soon as the ground is clear and permits are lined up, the new owners hope to start moving dirt as soon as possible.

The plan is to build a more than 11,000-square-foot facility with multiple playgrounds and classrooms, says co-owner Jane Kadlec. She hopes to open with Rachael Mock in the spring.

“With the proximity to the Mayo campus, we think it is a wonderful location,” she says.

Kid store closing = A Puzzled World

Sigh… I kinda fumbled this one.

Early last week I heard that A Puzzled World would be closing its store, though it would stay in operation online. The source was good.

I posted a tease on the blog and e-mailed co-owner Jeff Raschka to confirm. (EXCUSE COMING) Since I was on vacation, checking e-mail proved tricky with twitchy connections.

So... I did not report the change, even though blog readers like DQ commented about it.

Then I just found Jeff Raschka e-mail response on August 12 (!) confirming the closing. Sigh.

Here's some from his e-mail (that I just found):

The buzz is correct! Word travels fast!

The sad truth is we haven't gotten the support we needed from Rochester to keep the business alive as far as the store front goes. We are still going to be going strong on the internet. We hope people will still find us online. The toy rental will be moving online soon. We are unsure of the "last day" but see it coming by next month some time.
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We are doing fine. Change is always hard. But we are hoping this will open up new doors for our family.

Jeff and Jessica Raschka opened A Puzzled World last August at 3110 Wellner Drive N.E. (the former home of Rochester Floral) in West Century Plaza.

Its focus is on disabled children and adults. That means having products geared for autism, celebral palsy, Down Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder and ADD/ Hyperactive Disorder.

Roch. child care center ready to open

New Horizon Academy, a family-owned chain of more than 50 child care centers, is cutting the ribbon its latest center Friday and it is on Rochester's northwest side by the Home Design Studio.

On Saturday, the center has scheduled a parents information day Saturday and the doors fly open Monday to let in the kids.

This is a Plymouth, Minn.-based company.

The 10,580-square-foot center in Northstar Business Park on the east side of Olmsted County Road 22, near the Home Design Studio.

It has capacity for up to 168 children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 12 years old.

"We are also looking around at other areas in Rochester" is what COO Chad Dunkley told me last year. "I don't think we'll have just one."

Hmmm...