Green Line spurs $4.2 billion in development

The Metropolitan Council has tracked $4.2 billion in development along the existing Green Line, a jump of $1 billion since last fall.

“The continued development along the Green Line tells a story of how transit investment can transform communities while better connecting people to the entire region,” said Met Council Chair Adam Duininck. “The Green Line success story illustrates exactly why transit is such a good investment for our communities. At a cost of $957 million--half of that covered by the federal government--the Green Line has provided a serious return on investment for Minnesotans.”

Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman says he is pleasantly surprised by the pace of development.

“Though we always expected development to follow the LRT, this pace is ahead of expectations,” said Mayor Coleman. “Original projections called for $7 billion worth of development along the line over 30 years. After just five years (three years of construction and almost two years of operation), we are already halfway to our goal. And we are hearing from developers that the Green Line is driving their investments.”

”Developments, both existing and underway, along Green Line, SWLRT, and the Blue Line Extension now total nearly $5 billion,” said Duininck. “It is critical that the state legislature provides the remaining local funding necessary for SWLRT, so we can not only leverage $895 million in federal funds but continue to spur even more development in the local communities along the line. We want these federal dollars to be invested in our Minnesota communities, not given away to Seattle or San Francisco, who are eager to move forward with transit projects in their regions.”

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers says the construction of Green Line alone provided work for hundreds of its electricians and system technicians. But even more exciting is the prospect of continued employment in the construction of developments along the line and the future LRT extensions.

“You’re looking at a five- to seven-year bump after the project is completed. If you look down University Ave. and count the new buildings, it’s not just the initial construction, but the construction of new homes and businesses afterward. It creates an ongoing jobs project,” said Ray Zeran, political director for IBEW Local 292, which has nearly 5,000 members from Minneapolis to the South Dakota border.