Windsor Plaza on target to finish construction by end of year

It’s hard to miss at this point. The frame of Windsor Plaza now towers above the intersection of Flying Cloud Drive and Singletree Lane.

According to Solomon Real Estate Principal Jay Scott, construction on the building is on target to finish by the end of the year, but he does not anticipate a grand opening until spring of 2009.

When finished, the Windsor Plaza development will include five stories of retail, office and restaurant offerings. Virtual Radiologic Corp. is set to occupy 81,000 square feet of the 100,000 square feet of office space available in the mixed used project.

Below it will include 20,000 square feet of retail and two large anchor restaurants, including Kona Grill.

According to Scott, other businesses that have signed on include: Aurora Jewelers, women’s retail shop “Hot Mama,” and Jason’s Deli.

A possible second anchor restaurant would be Stanford’s, which currently only operates locations on the West Coast. Scott likened it to a relatively upscale restaurant that’s similar to Wildfire. According to its online menu, it offers steak, fish and pasta dishes.

When finished, Windsor Plaza will be the first phase of a more walkable Town Center for Eden Prairie.

Walgreens to fill long-vacant car care space

What: The space formerly used as Eden Car Care Center will become a new, 14,580-square-foot Walgreens.

Where: 8240 Flying Cloud Drive, or, a redevelopment of 1.21 acres at the corner of Flying Cloud Drive and Regional Center Drive.

CVS Pharmacy construction kicks off Presbyterian Homes redevelopment

What: The construction of the CVS Pharmacy at the corner of Prairie Center Drive and Columbine Road kicks off the first phase of Presbyterian Homes’ redevelopment. The project will eventually include two high-rise buildings 9 to 13 stories tall with 632 housing units and a mixed use retail building three stories tall with 75 units of housing.

Where: The Presbyterian Homes project will eventually encompass land at the corner of Prairie Center Drive and Flying Cloud Drive and the redeveloped sites of Castle Ridge Care Center and Broadmoor Apartments. Construction will continue in phases until 2012.

SPIRE moving to new location

What: SPIRE Federal Credit Union is setting up a new location in Eden Prairie. According to a news release, “the branch will have four teller windows, three drive-thru lanes, and a 24-hour ATM outside the branch. Construction is set to finish by the end of December.

Where: 8577 Columbine Road. A sign zone no more

What: The vacant lot that had served as the nesting spot for political signs will eventually be developed into a 10,528-square-foot retail building called “Marketplace.” The project will include rain gardens to filter stormwater.

Where: Intersection of Prairie Center Drive and Valley View Road.

Housing development a go in north Eden Prairie

What: The Enclave at Old Shady Oak is a housing development on about 28 acres of Pavelko farmstead property. According to Ross Larson, vice president of SVK Development, the project should starting grading construction in three weeks. He estimated that the first home will be going in mid-September. The development includes 44 lots with a density of 2.5 units per acre, an off-street sidewalk and trail system: According to Planning Commission minutes, the project developers envision it being “luxury empty-nester” residential units.

Where: Located west of Shady Oak Road and south of Highway 62. According to the city staff report, 40 percent of the property is wetland that will be protected by a conservation easement. The total wetlands impacted will be .02 acres. Total tree loss from the project is 16 percent. Additionally, the project addresses a number of impacts through use of storm water ponds, rain water gardens and trail system.

Housing development on hold in south Eden Prairie

Where: Oak Creek at Hennepin Village is on hold for the time being. That means that Prospect Road, the road connecting finished phases of Hennepin Village to future phases of development, is also on hold.

Where: The Hennepin Village Development is in southeast Eden Prairie, just off of Spring Road.

Development unlikely to start until next year

What: Staring Lake Corporate Center includes a 64,000-square-foot building that currently is leased to Kraft. Construction of the second building, an approximately 90,000-square-foot space will be on hold until 2009.Where: Corner of Pioneer Trail and Flying Cloud Drive.