While Minnesota United fans envision a future of professional soccer players dribbling across an immaculate grass field, St. Paul’s city planners contemplate a new east-west street from Snelling Avenue to Lexington Parkway.

Those planners also envision new residential and commercial buildings, ranging from three to 15 stories, serviced by Metro Transit’s new A-Line rapid bus and the Green Line light-rail corridor.

The goal is a new commercial and residential neighborhood within the Midway — a showpiece of transit-oriented development in an area now dotted by broken asphalt and weed-strewn lots.

“The more people that can walk, bike and take public transportation to the Midway stadium, the better,” St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said earlier this week in remarks to several dozen neighborhood residents during an open house.

Midway Shopping Center and the 5 acres of vacant land around it are likely to be redeveloped by shopping plaza owner RK Midway, hand in hand with the city.

An advisory committee of 24 civic leaders will host its first meeting Thursday to discuss the future of the site, which spans 34.5 acres north of Interstate 94 near Snelling and University avenues.

The meeting, open to the public, is set for 4 to 6 p.m. at the former American Bank Building, 1578 W. University Ave.

The advisory committee will meet twice monthly through March. Its recommendations on key issues such as jobs, parking, green space, traffic access and the soccer stadium’s public uses will be incorporated into the city’s master plan for the site.

UP TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Whether the city’s public vision becomes a reality rests with the private sector, but Coleman and other city officials appear optimistic.

A major partner in the ownership of Minnesota United FC, the Pohlad family and its United Properties real estate group, has expressed interest in partnering with RK Midway on a redevelopment of the Snelling-Midway site. Nothing is finalized.

The city has a handful of incentives, such as zoning authority or funds for public infrastructure improvements.

If state lawmakers approve two key tax exemptions in the next legislative session, Minnesota United expects to break ground on the stadium in 2016 and begin play in the Midway in 2018.

The stadium will sit on 10 acres owned by the Metropolitan Council.

An open house at the Midpointe Event Center last Monday provided an opportunity for residents to ask questions and share concerns with the mayor, city council members and city staffers. More open houses are planned.

Minnesota United pledged to cover the design, construction and ongoing maintenance costs associated with a $120 million Major League Soccer stadium in full. In 2016, the city will ask state lawmakers to forgive property taxes for the stadium and the 10 acres of land it sits on, as well as taxes on construction.

The city is negotiating three separate agreements: a ground lease for the stadium with the Met Council; a stadium construction and development agreement with the team; and a playing and use agreement with the team.

City staff expect to present the development and use agreements to the city council for review in early January. The master planning process for the entire 34.5-acre site is expected to be complete between April and June.

WALKABLE VILLAGE

A number of zoning and development studies have already taken place in the area, including the city’s Snelling Station Area Plan and the Snelling-Midway SmartSite Transit Oriented Development Strategy, which was completed with the Met Council.

The goal to date has been to create a more walkable, village-style development with a greater mix of commercial, residential, office and entertainment uses, including public plazas and community spaces. The residential buildings would span four to six stories, and commercial buildings would measure three to four stories, according to city staff.

At key locations, a 15-story tower may be appropriate, said staff. An office or residential building might offer retail and community rooms on the first floor.

Commercial buildings would have large glass fronts to allow customers to see the activity inside, and primary entrances onto the public street. Parking structures would be shared and surrounded by active uses, such as walkways.

City staff said a new urban street grid would shorten the block patterns and create a new east-west street, which could be extended east eventually to Lexington Parkway. New north-south streets are also possible, including sidewalks and pedestrian amenities such as benches.

Patty Thorsen, a longtime St. Paul resident and member of the Snelling-Midway advisory committee, suffers from cerebral palsy and osteoarthritis, making lengthy walks difficult. On behalf of seniors and disabled residents alike, Thorsen said she plans to advocate for less car-centric development.

“This area needs to be developed,” Thorsen said. “I think it needs to be revitalized. Before Interstate 94 came through, this is where everybody came. We do need to recognize that not everybody drives. I’ve never driven in my life.

“We need to have things like well-maintained sidewalks, and we need to have things like benches,” Thorsen said. “For me to stand a long period of time is difficult on my feet. I might not go someplace that I feel doesn’t have somewhere where I can take a break.”

Dave Olson, who lives on Minnehaha Avenue, attended the open house but walked away unimpressed.

He said he doubts the mayor’s prediction that as many as half of all stadium-goers will walk or take public transit.

“I think it’s horrible,” Olson said of the stadium. “It’s got a 20,000 seat capacity. What’s that mean? If the team is successful, will that mean 8,000 cars? I’m really disappointed they haven’t addressed some of the fundamental issues, like noise. It sounds to me like they’re moving forward no matter what. When someone comes and parks in front of my house, can I have them towed so I can park in front of my house?”

‘OUR LIVING ROOM’

Dayton Avenue resident Joe Waln said he was heartened by the process and the vision he’s heard so far.

“Overall, I was impressed,” Waln said. “The comments from the people that spoke, they’re addressing the right things. It’s important for people to feel that this is their stadium. We need to own this space — like it’s our living room.

“I’d like it to be a place that brings people together so they can have that shared experience,” he said. “There’s a lot of diversity in this part of St. Paul. Freeways can be dividers of communities. We can find ways to bridge that.”

The Midway Shopping Center is anchored by a Rainbow Foods supermarket and dotted with small eateries and retailers. Labor organizer Bernie Hesse said the future appears unclear for the current workers and their employers, and he worries that changes will leave some out in the cold.

“We hope the task force will take its time and survey the workers at the center and ask them what they want,” said Hesse, in a recent social media post on the E-Democracy neighborhood forums. “Job retention and new living-wage jobs along with a voice at work. There will be public money spent so we must see huge public benefits for all — not just millionaires.”

ONLINE

For more information about the development plan, go to stpaul.gov/snellingredevelopment.