EAGAN, MN -- The developers of the Viking Lakes project in northeast Eagan have submitted plans seeking the city’s approval to build a 14-story, 320-room hotel and conference center.
“We request that the City approve this application so that we may add a full service, 4-Star hotel amenity to Viking Lakes and Northeast Eagan,” the developers wrote.
Noting the recent opening of the Vikings’ headquarters and an attached performance center, the developers wrote, in a proposal submitted to the city, “[The] Landowners desire to maintain their momentum by developing a ‘best in class’ conference center hotel at Viking Lakes.” The developers hope to open the hotel by the summer of 2020 and have commenced a marketing campaign for the project, including a stop at the Dakota County Chamber of Commerce in October.
In its proposal, the development company, MN Development Co. LLC, asks for the city’s help in developing the hotel and conference center, which would substantially increase the sources of revenue at the current sports site, and make the owners money through rental of hotel rooms and parking spots, hosting weddings and other events, liquor and food sales, advertising signs, and other sources.
There is no discussion in the proposal of city services and infrastructure that would be required. Since the development of the Vikings’ headquarters and football practice field currently at the site, the city has increased its budget and taken on new debt, in part because of a need to hire more police officers and full-time firefighters.
"The Eagan Fire Department is well equipped and staffed to respond to calls to our community including the proposed hotel," said Eagan Fire Chief Mike Scott. "Eagan has many high rise buildings including the former Blue Cross Blue Shield building on Yankee Doodle Road that is now an 11-story apartment building. That building has been in our response area for over 40 years along with many hotels, apartments, senior facilities and office buildings."
The city fire department is expecting delivery of two new ladder trucks within the next 60 days. Chief Scott also noted improved fire safety features in modern buildings.
"Facilities built today have many built in safety features including fire safety equipment, communications for evacuations and other safety features which makes a modern facility much less of a concern from a fire response," Chief Scott said, in a written response to an inquiry about the proposed hotel.
The developer is asking the city for an exception to Eagan’s parking requirements, stating it wants to “test” the site with about 30 percent less parking required under the city code.
“Strictly applied to our Project plans, City Code would require us to construct 961 parking spaces to serve the Project” the developer wrote in its proposal. “One of our Project consultants, Wischermann Partners (“Wischermann”), led by Paul Wischermann, a prominent local hotel developer of upscale projects similar to our Project, believes from experience that 961 parking spaces are excessive. Instead,Wischermann believes that 668 parking stalls will satisfy parking demand for the hotel.”
The plans include about 9,400 square feet of restaurant and bar space next to the parking area, and a 5,100-square-foot rooftop bar, according to the proposal.
The developers are also planning for a 250,000-square-foot office building, accompanied by 1,250 parking spots, at the site. The city recently approved a rezoning of a nearby site from office to retail space after owners of office space in the Blue Gentian Road area, near the Vikings site, argued there was insufficient demand for office space in the area.
The plan also includes a request for signs advertising sponsors that would be visible from Interstate 494. “Sponsorship signage will be tasteful, but some of these signs may be visible on the exterior of the hotel from public rights-of-way,” the developers wrote in the proposal. “We request that the City permit tasteful and professional signage for our business partners if City staff approves a supplement to the signage plan we submitted with our application.”
“With the City’s help, we can both build and operate a 4-Star world class hotel,” the developer wrote.
“We have an aggressive timeline to ensure that the hotel is open for training
camp in 2020. We need the City’s help to meet our timeline and to develop the Project
in the manner shown in our submitted plans with the considerations we request of the
City in this Narrative. Please help us continue our momentum at Viking Lakes as we
continue to work on achieving our goal of developing a world class 'live, work, play'
environment at Viking Lakes.”