Community News

The revised plan for the Pillsbury Commons apartment project at 77th and Pillsbury now includes the entire block between 76th and 77th.

The company proposing a 70-unit apartment development on the old Richfield city garage site presented a new plan for the project Tuesday evening that met a chilly reception from some Richfield City Council members.

Kendra Lindahl, whose company is working on the site plan for Ron Clark Construction and Design of Edina, told a special worksession of the City Council, the city Planning Commission and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority that the developer would now like to purchase all the city-owned land on the block, add one single-family home to the project and include green space in what's called a planned unit development.

The expanded acreage -- Clark had originally proposed purchasing only the southern three-fifths of the block -- would bring the housing density of the project in line with a proposed rezoning of the block. The city's master plan shows the site, now zoned for industry, should be rezoned to accommodate medium- to high-density housing.

The plan also presumes the Housing and Revelopment Authority would be willing to sell the land it owns on the block to Clark. And, Lindahl said, the company would be asking for tax increment financing to enable it to purchase the extra land.

Councilmembers Fred Wroge and Pat Elliott responded to the presentation by telling Lindahl they were both offended by her recitation of a timeline of the project's history, which Elliot said sounded to him like the opening argument in a lawsuit.

"Setting the stage for whatever may happen down the road is not appropriate," he said.

Wroge said the presentation sounded like that to him, too, and challenged Lindahl's characterization of the city's role in the Pillsbury Commons project as a series of approvals. He pointed out that Clark's plan has changed several times since it was first proposed as a market-rate condominium project.

"It's been pretty hard to keep up with you," Wroge said.

Sarpino's Pizzeria, an international chain of restaurants owned by franchisees, is opening a new location soon in Kensington Park at 77th and Lyndale Avenue.

Sarpino's offers an authentic Italian menu for delivery and takeout. Its menu consists of gourmet pizza, authentic Italian pastas, calzones, paninis and more.

Sarpino's Minnesota-area developer, Simeon Dimitrov, said he expects the restaurant to be open the week of April 15. He said Richfield is a great area for business, and he likes the upscale Kensington Park. 

Company founder Gerry Koutougos opened the first restaurant in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1999. The first U. S. franchise was opened in Phoenix in 2002. There are 11 locations in Minnesota.

Dimitrov is currently in process of hiring the store staff. He said the store manager will be promoted from within the staff.

Visit Sarpino's at gosarpinos.com.

by Yamini Narayanan