Northern Suburbs - Advanced Auto Era

Anoka v. The Sprawling Giants -
Anoka's plan for future growth and development

Surrounded on all four sides by rapidly-developing suburbs, Anoka is landlocked. The town cannot do what other suburbs can; attract residents with new picturesque subdivisions, McMansions, and designer strip malls. Unlike its neighbors, all former farming communities, Anoka has no open land to annex for development. Bound by a preexisting landscape, redevelopment with an historic flare will define the future of Anoka . Anoka hopes to attract new residents and businesses by providing what other suburbs cannot--a historic, pedestrian friendly landscape. Anoka has all the aesthetic advantages of a small town with the commuter-oriented connections of a suburb.

Anoka is in the initial phases of implementing a strategic redevelopment plan titled The Heart of Anoka. It aims to incorporate the historic landscape with mixed- use, higher density, community-oriented development. A Commuter Rail Transit Village is the most innovative of the projects in the works (see next page).

Core values of The Heart of Anoka

Remove blighted buildings
Incorporate historic theme into redevelopment and preserve historic buildings and spaces whenever possible
Incorporate a town square or equivalent civic space
Restore and adapt the mill area
Encourage diverse industrial and commercial development
Pursue opportunities for public and private partnerships
Provide affordable housing and opportunities for entry level homebuyers as well as senior citizens
Provide opportunities for resident involvement and ownership in the redevelopment

The new City Hall in Anoka was built to resemble the original brick structures in downtown.

New apartment/condo complex in downtown Anoka. (View from the Mainstreet Bridge over the Rum River)

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