Focus Falls on Cedar Avenue, Business Development During State of the City Address

The Cedar Avenue redevelopment is nearly over, and big things are afoot in Apple Valley's business community, Mayor Mary Hamann-Roland told a full house on Wednesday afternoon during her annual State of the City address.

The Mayor kicked off her speech, held at Valleywood Golf Course, by thanking businesses and residents for their patience during the construction of a soon-to-be-operational bus rapid transit corridor along Cedar Avenue.

The bus line, which opens on June 22, will continue to expand over the next several years—with additional stations planned along the route. City officials hope it will also spur significant business growth, and have helped fund .

While those projects may be months or years into the future, the city is already seeing an influx of economic activity, Hamann-Roland said. Chick-fil-A is on its way to Apple Valley, courtesy of the Cub Foods redevelopment. That same project will soon bring a Smashburger, Yogurt Lab, Which Wich Sandwich Shop and a Sports Clips to multi-tenant building planned on that site, Hamann-Roland said.

Over the last year, Hamann-Roland added, the city has emphasized the creation of "head of household" jobs, using forgivable loans from the Economic Development Authority to leverage the construction of the Olympic-sized Bluewater Aquatic swimming pool facility and Minnesota's first AAA franchise office.

The city also opened 147th Street—a corridor that connects Cedar Avenue to industrial parks and business campuses and opens up new sites on the city's eastern border for development.

Hamann-Roland also congratulated longtime local business Uponor, which was recently honored as the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year by the Minnesota Manufacturer's Alliance. The company recently approved an expansion that will add 17,000 square feet to its facility this spring, and bring dozens of new jobs to the, Hamann-Roland said.

"The state of the city is vibrant and innvoative, " Hamann-Roland said, closing out her speech. "We continue to leverage our resources, making the critical investments for our future growth."

The state of the city address was hosted by the Apple Valley Chamber of Commerce.