HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-09-08 HPC Agenda
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16 June 2022Via Email
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MaplewoodCity Hall
1830 East County Road B
Maplewood, Minnesota 55109
Dear Maplewood Heritage Preservation Commission
Grammercy Development is planning to construct a four-story, 61-unit, senior housing cooperativeacross
fromLake Phalen in Maplewood,Ramsey County,Minnesota. The project, called the “American Cooperative
on Lake Phalen” includes funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is
therefore considered an “undertaking” as defined under Section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966
(54 U.S.S. § 306108) and its implementing federal regulations, 36 CFR Part 800.
Pigeon Consulting, a Saint Paul based historical consultant, identified an Area of Potential Effect for the
project and evaluatedpotential historic resources within the APE. No historic resourceswere identified.
Nienow Cultural Consultants completed a Phase 1a Archeological Literature Review. No further
archeological evaluation was recommended.
The Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office concurred with these findings. The Architecture/History
survey report, Phase 1a, and SHPO concurrence are provided here for your review. Please respondto this
submission withany comments within 30 days of receiptof this letter.
Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Sincerely,
Tamara Halvorsen
Principal and Co-Founder
tamara@pigeonconsulting.com
June 14, 2022 VIA E-MAIL
Tamara Halvorsen
Pigeon Consulting
2395 University Avenue West, Suite 206
Saint Paul MN 55114
RE:American Cooperative on Lake Phalen
Maplewood, Ramsey County
SHPO Number: 2022-1358
Dear Ms. Halvorsen,
Thank you for initiatingconsultation with our office regarding the above-referencedproject. Information received
in our office via e-mailon May 6, 2021has been reviewed pursuant to the responsibilities given the State Historic
Preservation Officer by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. § 306108) and its
implementing federal regulations, “Protection of Historic Properties” (36 CFR Part 800).
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letter, we understand that Pigeon Consulting has beenauthorized by
Although not clearly stated in your May 6
the federal applicant, Colliers Mortgage, to initiate Section 106 consultation with our office in accordance with the
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) memorandum “Authorization of MAP- and OHP-
approved Lenders and Their Authorized Representatives to Initiate Section 106 Consultation for HUD Office of
Housing Programs” (March 18, 2021).
We have completed a review your letter dated May 6, 2021, a submission which includedthe report titled
Architecture/History Survey Report and Archaeological Phase IA Report, American Cooperative on Lake Phalen
(4/27/2022)in support of your No Historic Properties AffectedSection 106 findingfor the proposed undertaking.
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Although we agree that the level of documentation submitted on May 6is sufficient to complete our review of
this particular federalundertaking at this time, we recommend for future Section 106 submissions to please
include the following as documentation in support of determinations and findings pursuant to 36 CFR 800.3-5:
Federal applicant or designee cover letter clearly stating in narrative: the federal undertaking,
the Area of Potential Effect (APE), summary results of efforts to identify historic properties within
the APE, summary assessment and finding of effect, if applicable, and results of consultation with
other consulting parties, if any,and public notification;
Site Plan and Elevation Drawings for proposed new construction; and
Any other documentation which you believe relevantto Section 106 determinations and findings.
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submission are providedbelow.
Our comments on the May 6
Define Federal Undertaking and Determine the Area of Potential Effect
The reportdefines the federal undertaking as the proposedconstruction of a new four-story, senior residential
cooperative building and associated site improvements and landscaping on a currently vacant site.
Based upon our understanding of thescope and nature of theproposed federal undertaking, we agree that your
definition of the Area of Potential Effect (APE), as defined in narrativeon pages 4-5 and documented on Figure 3 of
thereport, is appropriate to take into account potential direct and indirect effects of the proposed undertaking.
MINNESOTA STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
50 Sherburne Avenue Administration Building 203 Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155651-201-3287
mn.gov/admin/shpo mnshpo@state.mn.us
N EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND SERVICE PROVIDER
A
Identification of Historic Properties
Archaeology
We agree with your conclusion, as supported by the Phase IA literature review (pp. 13-26 of the report), that there
are no recorded archaeological sites in the APE, that the likelihood of intact archaeological sites is low, and,
therefore, an archaeological field survey is not warranted for the undertaking as it is currently proposed.
Historic/Architectural
Based upon information provided to our office at this time, we agree with the results of identification efforts, as
summarized on page 10 of the survey report, with additional clarification based upon our records review:
There are no historic properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) within the APE;
Although the previously determined NRHP-eligible historic property Phalen Park \[RA-SPC-10805\],
specifically its contributing Phalen Park East Short Drive \[RA-XXX-001\], is in the vicinity of the proposed
federal undertaking, it is not within the APE as it is currently defined;
One (1) property, located at 1870 East Shore Drive, was constructed in 2012 and not subject to survey and
inventory; and
That no further intensive level survey and evaluation (Phase II) is warranted for the Parkview Court
Apartments \[RA-MWC-328\] due to lack of historic significance under current contexts.
Finding of Effect
Accordingly, we concur with your finding that no historic properties will be affected by the undertaking, as it is
currently proposed.
Consulting Parties
We assume that the federal applicant has invited the Maplewood Heritage Preservation Commission to participate
in the Section 106 review of the proposed undertaking, and notified consulting parties, if any, as well as the public,
pursuant to 36 CFR 800.4(d)(1). Please notify our office if these assumptions are incorrect.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding our review. I can be reached at (651) 201-3290 or by e-
mail at sarah.beimers@state.mn.us.
Sincerely,
Sarah J. Beimers
Environmental Review Program Manager
Cc via email:
Ray Stiles and Cindy Mohs, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Michael Bisanz, Colliers Mortgage
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Prepared on behalf of Colliers Mortgagefor the Department of Housing
and Urban Development.
April 27, 2022
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Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. 1
1.0 Research Design and Methodology ............................................................................................... 3
1.1 Objectives ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
1.2 Area of Potential Effect ............................................................................................................................. 4
1.3 Previously Surveyed Properties ........................................................................................................... 6
1.4 Relevant Historic Contexts ..................................................................................................................... 6
1.5 Methods ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
2.0 Survey Results ............................................................................................................................................ 10
3.0 Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 10
4.0 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................................. 11
4.0 Appendix A: Phase 1a Archeological Literature Review ................................................. 12
Appendix B: Inventory Forms .......................................................................................................... 26
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Grammercy Developmentisplanning to construct a four-story, 61-unit, senior housing cooperative
on Lake Phalen in Maplewood, Minnesota. The project, called the “American Cooperative on Lake
Phalen” includes funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and is
therefore considered an “undertaking” as defined under Section 106 of the Historic Preservation Act
of 1966 (54 U.S.S. § 306108) and its implementing federal regulations, 36 CFR Part 800.
Colliers Mortgage, which is underwriting the project, hired Pigeon Consulting, a historical consultant
based in Saint Paul, to define the Area of Potential Effect and complete a history/architecture survey
of properties within the APE that were constructed prior to 1977. Tamara Halvorsen of Pigeon
Consulting meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards in History and
Architectural History. Nienow Cultural Consultants (NCC) completed the Phase 1a Archeological
Literature Review; Jeremy Nienow, Ph.D., RPA meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional
Qualification Standards in Archeology.
The Area of Potential Effect (APE) was determined based on the topography, vegetation, and
transportation arteries surrounding project site, as these physical conditions impact the likelihood of
the proposed project having physical, visual, and auditory effects on adjacent properties. The APE
was confirmed with Sarah Biemers of the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office via email and
during a phone call with Tamara Halvorsen of Pigeon Consulting on April 18, 2022.
There are three properties located within the APE:
None of the properties are currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
One (1) of the properties surveyed was evaluated at the reconnaissance level and was not
recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places;
One (1) of the properties was constructed after 1977 and was not evaluated;
One (1) of the properties is a vacant lot.
NCC reviewed known archeological sites within a two-mile radius of the project site and believes
that there is low potential for prehistoric or historic archeological sites. No further research is
recommended. The full Phase 1a Archeological Literature Review can be found in Appendix A of this
report.
Pigeon Consulting’s recommendation is that there are No Historic Properties within the APE.
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I certify that this investigation was conducted and documented according to the Secretary of the
Interior’s Standards and Guidelines and that the report is complete and accurate to the best of my
knowledge.
Signature of Principal Investigator
April 27,2022
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Grammercy Developmentis planning the development of a 61-unit senior housing development,
called the American Cooperative on Lake Phalen, in Maplewood, Minnesota.The project, which is
being underwritten by Colliers Mortgage,includes funding from the Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) and is therefore considered an “undertaking” as defined under Section
106 of the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (54 U.S.S. § 306108) and its implementing federal
regulations, 36 CFR Part 800.
The four-story building will have a flat roof and below-grade parking and significant landscaping,
including an outdoor terrace located along East Shore Drive. The project site is irregularly shaped
with topography that slopes toward lake Phalen.
Figure 1. North view of the proposed four-story, 61-unit, senior housing development, The American Cooperative
on Lake Phalen.Renderingby Kaas Wilson Architects,courtesy of Colliers Mortgage.
Colliers Mortgagehired Pigeon Consulting, a historical consultant based in Saint Paul, todefine the
Area of Potential Effect and complete a history/architecture survey of properties within the APE that
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were constructed prior to 1977. Nienow Cultural Consultants (NCC) completed the Phase 1a
Archeological Literature Review.
The objective of the surveyand Phase 1a aretoidentify and document historical,architectural, and
archeological resources within the project’s APE todetermine if the undertaking has an adverse
effect on historic properties.
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The Area of Potential Effect was developed based on existing site conditions, including adjacent uses,
site topography, vegetation and landscaping, and transportation corridors. The subject property is
a triangular shaped site fronting East Shore Drive North. The site is located between two large
apartment complexes, the Parkview Court Apartments (RA-MWC-328) to the southwest and the
Shores of Lake Phalen, an assisted living facility, to the northeast.
Figure 2. Project site shown in yellow.
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The APE, which is shown in Figure 3, includes the properties immediately to the north, northeast, west,
and southwest of the project site,as these properties are most likely to be visually impacted by the
new construction.The National Register of Historic Places-eligible Phalen Park (RA-SPC-10805) is
located immediately outside of the western boundary of the APE.
Architectural historianTamara Halvorsen, from Pigeon Consulting, walked the area around the
subject property to identify the APE.
‘
Figure 3. Area of Potential Effect. The project site ismarked by the yellow triangle.
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There are no previously surveyed properties within the APE. . The National Register of Historic Places-
eligible Phalen Park (RA-SPC-10805) is located immediately outside of the western boundary of the
APE.
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The following historic contexts and historic resource surveys provided a basis to evaluate properties
within the APE:
Rush Line Bus Rapid Transit Project, Ramsey County, (2019-0985), Phase II Evaluation Lake
Superior & MississippiRailroad Corridor Historic District: Saint Paul to White Bear Lake
Segment (XX-RRD-NPR001), Mead & Hunt and Mississippi Valley Archeology Center, 2020.
In addition to reviewing the Rush Line Phase II Evaluation, Pigeon Consulting conducted research into
the history of the Parkview Court Apartments (RA-MWC-328) and the suburban “club-type
apartment” that was popular throughout the United States in the 1960s.
The Parkview Court Apartments were constructed in 1965 on the north shore of Lake Phalen. The twin
apartment buildings front a central courtyard that includes a patio, fountain, and landscaping.
When the apartments opened, they were touted as “a dramatically different experience in
apartment living,” specifically, they were “adults only” rentals that aimed to offer “quiet elegance”
and “true resort style living” with amenities such as air conditioning, wall-to-wall carpeting,
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fireplaces, and large private balconies.
The Parkview Court Apartments are an example of the low-rise, medium-density, “club-type
apartments” that developers constructed in suburbs throughout the United States in the 1960s. The
club-type apartments were a variation of the garden apartment that was popular from the 1930s
through the 1960s. The garden apartment was
a low-slung complex…in which architects and developers arranged apartments in multiple,
small, wood-frame buildings of one to three stories on a spacious landscaped campus.
Typically built on greenfield sites in the outer sections of cities or in suburbs -and often, as a
result of zoning regulations, clustered along major roads – they included ample automobile
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Parkview Court Apartments, advertisement, Star Tribune, Sunday, August 21, 1965, 5.
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parking along interior drives, on surface lots, and in banks of attached individual
garages…Expressions ranged from stucco-clad Moderne to Tudor Revival, but the majority
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assumed a cloak of streamlined Colonial Revival, especially after World War II.
The club-type complex was designed for and marketed to “two robust new market segments for
housing beginning in the fifties and early sixties; well-pensioned ‘oldsters’ enjoying comfortable,
independent retirements; and especially, a burgeoning cohort of well-educated and-employed
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singles, young men and women living out on their own before marriage.”To appeal to these new
renters, developers
Added a greater variety of unit types, including apartments with previously unheard of
features in mass housing, such as ensuite bathrooms for every bedroom…elevators,
balconies, patios, and elaborate, often lush, landscaping. They budgeted for marketing and
bought display advertisements in newspapers. And they offered amenities previously found
only in a small handful of higher-end, planned single-family subdivisions: swimming pools,
tennis courts, and clubhouses, along with staff to program social activities. Complexes
geared to singles offered hot tubs, hootenannies, and co-ed socials. Those for
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retirees…included meeting rooms, hobby rooms, classrooms \[and more\] …”
When John E. Blomquist, Inc., a Saint Paul-based real estate firm, advertised the Parkview Court
Apartments in the August 21,1966, issue of the Star Tribune, the complex was one of three apartments
advertised on page 5 of the newspaper. All of the advertisements were for suburban club-style
complexes that catered to adults.
As the advertisement in Figure 4 shows, the “Beautiful Old Shakopee Village Wooded Apartment
Homes” and “The Colony Communities” in Edina and Richfield both offered extensive amenities that
surpassed those offered by the Parkview Court Apartments, including heated garages, patios and
balconies, landscaped lawns, swimming pools, color TV antennas, security systems, saunas, exercise
rooms, and community centers.
With their luxury amenities, these properties more fully exemplify the club-style apartment building
type than does the Parkview Court Apartments.
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Matthew Gordon Lasner, “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-
archipedia.org/essays/TH-01-ART-005
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Matthew Gordon Lasner, “The Complex: Social Difference and the Suburban Apartment in Postwar America,” in Making
Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America, eds. John Archer, Paul J.P. Sandul, and Katherine Solomonson (Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 2015), 343.
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Matthew Gordon Lasner, “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-
archipedia.org/essays/TH-01-ART-005
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Figure 4. Advertisement for suburban club-style apartments in the August 21, 1966, issue
of the Star Tribune. Courtesy of newspapers.com
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Field Survey
Architectural historian, Tamara Halvorsen, from Pigeon Consulting walked the APE to identify,
document, and photograph properties constructed prior to 1977 according to the Secretary of
the Interior's Standards for Identification and Evaluation, and the Minnesota State Historic
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Preservation Office’s Historic and Architectural Survey Manual. Tamara meets the Secretary
of the Interior’s Professional Qualification Standards in History and Architectural History.
Research
Preliminary research was conducted to determine if any of the properties within the APE met
eligibility requirements for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). To be eligible for
listing in the NRHP, a property must be at least 50 years of age and considered significant
under at least one of the following National Register Criteria:
A. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad
patterns of our history; or
B. Associated with the lives of significant persons in our past; or
C. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction,
or that represent the work of a master, or that possess high artistic values, or that
represent a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack
individual distinction; or
D. Has yielded or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory.
Research was conducted at the following repositories: the collections of the Minnesota
Historical Society, Ramsey County Property Records, and the University of Minnesota. Primary
sources included historic and current city parcel maps, and newspaper articles.
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The reconnaissance survey documented properties largely based on distinctive architecture identified during
fieldwork, associations identified through the existing relevant historic contexts, and from limited site-specific
research.
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There are three properties located within the APE. One of them was constructed prior to 1977
and was evaluated as part of the Architecture/History survey.
None of the properties are currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
One (1) of the properties surveyed was evaluated at the reconnaissance level and was
not recommended as eligible for the National Register of Historic Places;
One (1) of the properties was constructed after 1977 and was not evaluated;
One (1) of the properties is a vacant lot.
A new history/architecture survey form was prepared for one (1) of the properties. The form
can be found in Appendix B of this report.
TABLE 1.PROPERTIES WITHIN THE AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT
INVENTORY ADDRESSHISTORIC YEAR NRHP ELIGIBILITY
NUMBER NAME CONSTRUCTED RECOMMENDATION
Parkview Court Recommended Not
1880-1900 East Shore Drive N 1965
RA-MWC-328
Apartments Eligible
The Shores of
N/A 1870 E. Shore Drive 2012 Not Inventoried
Lake Phalen
NCC reviewed known archeological sites within a two-mile radius of the project site and
determined that the project site has low potential for prehistoric or historic archeological
sites; NCC does not recommend any further archaeological investigation. The full Phase 1A
Archeological Literature Review can be found in Appendix A of this report.
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Pigeon Consulting’s recommendation is that there are No Historic Properties within the APE.
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Lasner, Matthew Gordon. “The Complex: Social Difference and the Suburban Apartment in
Postwar America,” in Making Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America, eds. John Archer,
Paul J.P. Sandul, and Katherine Solomonson (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2015.
-----. “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-
archipedia.org/essays/TH-01-ART-005, accessed April 21, 2022.
Mead & Hunt Phase II Evaluation Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad Corridor Historic District:
Saint Paul to White Bear Lake Segment (XX-RRD-NPR001), prepared for the Rush Line Bus
Rapid Transit Project, Ramsey County (2019-0985), 2020.
McAelster, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,
1984.
Ramsey County Beacon Interactive Property Map,
https://beacon.schneidercorp.com/application.aspx?AppID=959&LayerID=18852&PageTypeI
D=4&PageID=8471&KeyValue=162922310028, accessed April 21, 2022.
Star Tribune, August 21, 1965. Newspapers.com
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Nienow Cultural Consultants, LLC
200 Plato Blvd. East
St. Paul, MN 55107
Friday, April 22, 2022
Tamara Halvorsen
Pigeon Consulting
831 Nebraska Avenue West
St. Paul, MN 55117
RE: Phase IaArchaeological Literature Review forAmerican Cooperative on Lake Phalen
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC (NCC) was asked to complete an Archaeological Literature Review
for a privately owned parcel located approximately 180feet northofLake Phalen, 20 feet west of East
Shore Drive, and 366 feet southeast of Frost Avenue(Figure 1). To complete this review, NCC consulted
with the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) as well as the Minnesota Office of the State
Archaeologist (OSA)to reviewarchaeological sites reported within a two-mile radius of the project area.
Archaeological literature review methods were further guided by the 2005 SHPO Manual for
Archaeological Projects in Minnesotaand the 2011 OSA
Archaeological Projects in Minnesota.
knowledge of the Upper Midwest was used to inform and make any recommendations relative to the
project. As this review was completed on private property andconsists solely of a literature review, no
archaeological license was required to complete it.
An archaeological literature review examines standard, best practice, archaeological,and historical
references to summarize what is archaeologically known about a given project areaprior to any fieldwork.
These are generally completed to assess survey needs, appropriate survey methods, where sites could be
located, and previous terrain disturbance and land-use. Information and results related to this revieware
presented below, along with a recommendation on whetherarchaeological survey (Phase Ib) should be
completed.
Project Location
The propertyisin the NE¼ of the SW¼of Section 16inTownship 29N, Range 22W,Maplewood,
RamseyCounty Minnesota(Figure2).The parcel is located inArchaeological Region 4e:Central
Deciduous Lakes(Anfinson1990:145-151). This region isdefined bya
forests, and lakes(Anfinson 1990:147-148).About 1000 years before present,the regionwas believed to
be abundant in fish, waterfowl, game animals, wild rice, and acorns(Anfinson 1990:148).However, the
terrain and climate were believed to not be ideal for prehistoric agriculture (Anfinson 1990: 148).
Methods
Research for this report started on April 19, 2022. Covid protocols prohibiting research visits were in
place at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA)(the
state agenciesresponsible for maintainingMinnearchaeological and architectural data) during this
project.All research was instead completed with the digital resources provided by both agencies. NCC
submitted a database searchrequest to SHPO for all archaeological and architectural sites in their files
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 1
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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within a 2-mile radius.Additionally,NCC reviewed the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologists
web portal for archaeological site data.Areview of historical aerial imagerysurrounding the project area
sota Historical Aerial Photographs Online, Borchert Map
Historical Imagery function was also conducted.
Results
There are no known archaeological sitespreviously recordedwithin the project area.Threeformally
identified archaeological sites have been recorded within two miles of the project area, along with one
alpha site(Table 1).Alpha sites are potential site leads identified via literature or mapping resources (i.e.
the Andreas Atlas cited in the table below). These have not been field-verified through archaeological
survey.SHPO records contained no previously recorded architectural sites within the project area.
Table 1: Archaeological Sites near Project Area (Maplewood, Ramsey County)
Distance
Time Period/
Site Type/from
Site NumberSite NameCultural T/R/SReference
DetailsProject
Tradition
Area
(Ollila 2012)
Archaeological
Monitoring and
T29N, R22W,
Visual Assessment
Gladstone Train Repair Post-Contact:
for the Gladstone
21RA0070S16 NE ¼ 0.39 Miles
ShopsFacilityEuro-American
Savanna
of SE ¼
Neighborhood
Preserver and
Gloster Park Project
Pre-Contact:T29N, R22W,
Burial
Lewis No. 3 Pg. 18
21RA0006Spoon LakeWoodland S16 NW ¼ 0.5 Miles
Winchell Pg. 266
Mounds
Periodof SW ¼
Privies for
Gladstone/T29N, R22W,
Former Post-Contact:
OSA Site File
21RA0082Gloster S15 SW ¼ of 0.69 Miles
Railroad Euro-American
PriviesSW ¼ of NW ¼
Depot
T29N, R22W,
(Nienow 2016)
Pre-Contact:
Kohlman S9 NE ¼ of
Archaeological
21RAwLithic ScatterWoodland 1.48 Miles
Investigations at
Lake SiteNW ¼ of
Period
Lake Vadnas
NW ¼
One of the formally-recordedarchaeological sites and one of the alpha sites are Pre-Contact in origin,
specifically originating in the Woodland Period(800 B.C. to European Contact).The alpha site is an
assemblage of projectile points reportedly collected by a private landownerboth on and near their property
near Lake Kohlman. The assemblage, named the Stanke Collection after landowner Terry Stanke, was
donated to the Maplewood Area Historical Society in 1998 or 1999. Nienow Cultural Consultants viewed
the collection in 2015and determined they were crafted at various timesthroughoutthe Early to Late
Woodland Period(Nienow 2016).Site 21RA0006 (Spoon Lake) is located along Highway 61 in Keller
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Regional Park. Two mounds were first mapped in this area in the late 19century by T.H. Lewis, and
later published by N.H. Winchellin 1911. The site was field-visited by previous state archaeologist Scott
Anfinson in 2008.Two features were located during this survey which may correlate to the mounds
mapped by Lewis and Winchell, but one had been heavily disturbed by borrowing, and the dimensions of
the other did not match
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 2
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Two of the archaeological sites within two miles are historic in origin, related to a rail line that used to
runabout a tenth of a mile north of the project area, but is now the Bruce Vento Trail. Site 21RA0070
(Gladstone Shops) is the closestto the project area, just 0.39 miles to the east.Thissite was the location
of a train repair facility constructed in 1887 to service cars running along the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad.
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The shops remained in operation until the early 20century, but were majorly removed during the 1940s.
The site is currently a park(Gladstone Savanna)maintained by the City of Maplewood. Site 21RA0082
(Gladstone/Gloster Privies),located a block east of 21RA0070, isthe location of a privy once used for
visitors of the nearby (non-extant) railroad depot. This privy was excavated in 2018.
An examination of previous mapping, aerial imagery, and satellite photography covering the project area
identified no non-extant historic structures or features of archaeological interest, and no structures
currently standing in the project area. A data request to SHPO also confirmed no SHPO-inventoried
historic structures once stood or currently do stand within the project area. Instead, historical aerial and
modern satellite imagery illustrated the presence of a mobile home park starting along Frost Ave and
stretchingto include a cul-de-sac through a large portion of the project area(Figures 2-3).LiDAR imagery
well-illustrates the effects of grading within the project area to flatten the landscape for the foundations
and asphalt drive(Figure 4).This neighborhood continuedup through the early 2000s, and by 2008 all
homes in the neighborhood hadbeen removed and Maplewood-based company DeBar had been planning
to build a 180-unit senior living complex on the property(Black 2010).
Foundation blocks forthe homes, as well as the asphalt drives, are still visible in satellite imagery through
2011(Figure 5), and by 2012 construction on thesenior living building just north of the project area (called
The Shores of Lake Phalen) had begun(Figure 6).Construction-related equipment and a subsequent
temporary parking lot were located in the northeastern corner of the project area through 2016(Figure 7).
By this time, a permanent secondary parking lot has been paved just north of the project area, and the
temporary lot remained but was no longer used. Asphalt paving is still visible in the project area in 2019
satellite imagery, suggesting no further removal of the mobile home neighborhood remnants has been
completed(Figure 8).
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 3
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Recommendations
Based on the review of known archaeological siteswithin two miles,as well as information gleaned from
historic topographic mapping, aerial imagery, and satellite photography, there is lowpotential for intact
archaeological sites within the project area.While at one time this location would have been considered
high potential for Pre-Contact sites for its proximity to Lake Phalen, it has since experienced extensive
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grading for themid-to-late 20century mobile home park, with half of the remnants from that
neighborhood already having been removed for the construction of another senior living buildingnorth of
the project area. Based on this understanding, NCC recommendsno further archaeological work be
completed for the project area.
With any project there is the chance of unanticipated discovery.Should archaeological materials surface
during any future construction, it is advised a professional archaeologist be consulted. Minnesota Statute
307.08 protects unplatted cemeteries (including burial mounds) and issues guidelines for dealing with
unexpected finds.Should human remains be encountered during earth moving activity, all work must stop,
and local law enforcement must be called.If you have any additional questions or future project work,
please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Jeremy L. Nienow, Ph.D., RPA
Owner and Principal
Nienow Cultural Consultants, LLC
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 4
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Works Cited
Anfinson, Scott
1990The Woodland Tradition in
the Western Great Lakes: Papers Presented to Elden Johnson. Guy Gibbon ed. University of
Minnesota. Publications in Anthropology No. 4. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Black, Sam
2010Maplewood taking pass on project.Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.December 30,
2009, updated January 3, 2010. Website athttps://www.bizjournals.com/twincities
/stories/2010/01/04/story4.html. Accessed 19 April, 2022.
Nienow, Jeremy
2016Archaeological Investigations at Lake Vadnais, Ramsey County, Minnesota. Completed for the
North Lake Owasso Neighborhood Group by Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 5
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
17
Figure 1: 2022 Topographic map of project area(red triangle at top of image).
St. Paul EastQuadrangle, 1:24,000 Scale
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen6
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 2:1953aerial image of project area (red triangle)showing mobile home park.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 7
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 3:2006satellite photograph of project area (red triangle).
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 8
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 4:2008 LiDAR hillshade of project area (red triangle).Note distinct grading through
center of project area (LiDAR data collected by MNDNR).
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 9
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 5:2011satellite imagery of project area (red triangle).
Note visible mobile home foundations and remnants of asphalt cul-de-sac.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 10
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 6:2012 Satellite Image of project areashowing construction of The Shores of Lake Phalen
senior living building north of project area.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 11
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 7:2015satellite photograph of project area showing remnants
of temporary parking lot in northeastern corner.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 12
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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Figure 8:2019 satellite photograph of project area. Note overgrown asphalt remnants at center.
Phase Ia Archaeological Literature Review for American Cooperative on Lake Phalen 13
Nienow Cultural Consultants LLC
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26
Historic and Architectural Survey Manual
Adobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Acrobat Reader
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Page 1 of 3 (Form Version)
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SB.NXD.439
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5
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Provide full Narrative Description on Continuation Sheet.
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Provide full Statement of Significance on Continuation Sheet.
5
5
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5
If yes, describe in Statement of Significance on Continuation Sheet.
5
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Discuss in Statement of Significance on Continuation Sheet.
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Page 2 of 3 ( Form Version)
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SB.NXD.439
Complete Bibliography on Continuation Sheet.
Historic and
Architectural Survey Manual
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QjhfpoDpotvmujoh-MMD
1503203133
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Page 3 of 3 ( Form Version)
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Narrative Description
The Parkview Court Apartments complex was constructed in 1965 on the north shore of Lake Phalen. The
property includes two “s” shaped apartment buildings, two rectangular parking garages, a surface parking lot,
and a landscaped central courtyard. The two apartment buildings front East Shore Drive to the south; Lake
Phalen is located on the opposite side of the road. To the north, east, and west, the site is covered with mature
trees. Parkland and a golf course (Phalen Regional Park, RA-SPC-10850) are located to the west and south. A
large residential complex is located on the parcel immediately to the northeast, and a densely platted residential
neighborhood is located three blocks to the east.
The apartment buildings are each four-stories, clad in brown brick, have low-pitched hipped roofs with deeply
overhanging eaves, and prominent balconies at all façades.
The primary façade of each building is divided into three visual sections. The central section includes two sets of
paired casement windows at each level. To either side, the façade is slightly recessed to accommodate the
balconies. A combination of swing doors, casement windows, and large fixed windows are located at each level
of the façade behind the balconies. At each building, tall brick chimneys rise from the east and west hips of the
roof. The secondary façades of each building follow a similar organization and rhythm.
A central drive is located between the apartment buildings. The drive splits in two around a long oval landscaped
bed and an in-ground fountain, then continues toward the parking structures and surface lot at the rear of the
property.
The two parking structures are both long, low rectangular buildings. They are each a single story, clad in brown
brick, and have low-pitched roofs with deeply overhanging eaves. On each building, overhead garage doors line
the façade facing the surface lot.
Statement of Significance
The Parkview Court Apartments were constructed in 1965 on the north shore of Lake Phalen. The twin
apartment buildings front a central courtyard that includes a patio, fountain, and landscaping. When the
apartments opened, they were touted as “a dramatically different experience in apartment living,” specifically,
they were “adults only” rentals that aimed to offer “quiet elegance” and “true resort style living” with amenities
1
such as air conditioning, wall-to-wall carpeting, fireplaces, and large private balconies.
The Parkview Court Apartments are an example of the low-rise, medium-density, “club-type apartments” that
developers constructed in suburbs throughout the United States in the 1960s. The club-type apartments were a
variation of the garden apartment that was popular from the 1930s through the 1960s. The garden apartment
was
1
Parkview Court Apartments, advertisement, Star Tribune, Sunday, August 21, 1965, 5.
1
30
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
a low-slung complex…in which architects and developers arranged apartments in multiple, small, wood-
frame buildings of one to three stories on a spacious landscaped campus. Typically built on greenfield
sites in the outer sections of cities or in suburbs -and often, as a result of zoning regulations, clustered
along major roads – they included ample automobile parking along interior drives, on surface lots, and
in banks of attached individual garages…Expressions ranged from stucco-clad Moderne to Tudor Revival,
2
but the majority assumed a cloak of streamlined Colonial Revival, especially after World War II.
The club-type complex was designed for and marketed to “two robust new market segments for housing
beginning in the fifties and early sixties; well-pensioned ‘oldsters’ enjoying comfortable, independent
retirements; and especially, a burgeoning cohort of well-educated and-employed singles, young men and
3
women living out on their own before marriage.”To appeal to these new renters, developers
Added a greater variety of unit types, including apartments with previously unheard of features in mass
housing, such as ensuite bathrooms for every bedroom…elevators, balconies, patios, and elaborate,
often lush, landscaping. They budgeted for marketing and bought display advertisements in newspapers.
And they offered amenities previously found only in a small handful of higher-end, planned single-family
subdivisions: swimming pools, tennis courts, and clubhouses, along with staff to program social
activities. Complexes geared to singles offered hot tubs, hootenannies, and co-ed socials. Those for
4
retirees…included meeting rooms, hobby rooms, classrooms \[and more\] …”
When John E. Blomquist, Inc., a Saint Paul-based real estate firm, advertised the Parkview Court Apartments in
the August 21,1966, issue of the Star Tribune, the complex was one of three apartments advertised on page 5 of
the newspaper. All of the advertisements were for suburban club-style complexes that catered to adults.
2
Matthew Gordon Lasner, “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-
archipedia.org/essays/TH-01-ART-005
3
Matthew Gordon Lasner, “The Complex: Social Difference and the Suburban Apartment in Postwar America,” in Making
Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America, eds. John Archer, Paul J.P. Sandul, and Katherine Solomonson (Minneapolis:
University of Minnesota Press, 2015), 343.
4
Matthew Gordon Lasner, “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-
archipedia.org/essays/TH-01-ART-005
2
31
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Advertisement, Star Tribune, August 21, 1966.
3
32
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
As the advertisement shows, the “Beautiful Old Shakopee Village Wooded Apartment Homes” and “The Colony
Communities” both offered extensive amenities that surpassed those offered by the Parkview Court
Apartments, including:
Heated garages
Security systems
Patios and balconies
Saunas
Landscaped lawns
Exercise Rooms
Swimming pools
5
Community Centers
Color TV antennas
With their luxury amenities, these properties more fully exemplify the club-style apartment building type than
does the Parkview Court Apartments. The Parkview Court Apartments are not recommended as eligible for the
National Register of Historic Places under Criterion C as a representation of the 1960s club-style apartment.
Additionally, the Parkview Court Apartments are not known to be associated with events that have made a
significant contribution to the broad patterns of American history, and do not appear to have significance under
Criterion A. The Parkview Court Apartments are not known to be associated with persons important in the past,
and therefore, do not appear to have significance under Criterion B. This property has not yielded, nor is it likely
to yield, information important in prehistory or history, and therefore, does not appear to have significance
under Criterion D.
The property is not recommended for further research.
Bibliography
Lasner, Matthew Gordon. “The Complex: Social Difference and the Suburban Apartment in Postwar America,” in
Making Suburbia: New Histories of Everyday America, eds. John Archer, Paul J.P. Sandul, and Katherine
Solomonson (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2015.
-----. “Multifamily Private Housing Since World War II,” SAH Archipedia, https://sah-archipedia.org/essays/TH-
01-ART-005, accessed April 21, 2022.
Ramsey County Beacon Interactive Property Map,
https://beacon.schneidercorp.com/application.aspx?AppID=959&LayerID=18852&PageTypeID=4&PageID=8471
&KeyValue=162922310028, accessed April 21, 2022.
Star Tribune, August 21, 1965. Newspapers.com
5
Advertisements, Star Tribune, Sunday, August 21, 1965, 5.
4
33
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Maps
Source: Ramsey County Beacon Interactive Property Map.
5
34
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Photographs
Looking west, 04/11/22. Pigeon Consulting, LLC.
6
35
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Looking north, 04/11/22. Pigeon Consulting, LLC.
7
36
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Looking northeast, 04/11/22. Pigeon Consulting, LLC.
8
37
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
Site photograph courtesy of Ramsey County and Bing.
9
38
Minnesota IndividualProperty Historic Name: Parkview Court Apartments
Inventory Form – Continuation Sheet Inventory No.: RA-MWC-328
Associated MN Multiple Property Form (Name and Inventory No): _____________________________________
One of two parking garage structures, photograph courtesy of rent.com
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