County Road E Marketing, Branding and Placemaking Strategies
At their November 25th meeting, City Council heard a report from staff regarding the final draft of the County Road E Branding, Marketing and Placemaking Plan and approved a resolution that accepted the plan and authorized staff to continue partnering with Gem Lake and Vadnais Heights to develop implementation plans for both this project and the broader County Road E Corridor Action Plan. In 2026, the partnering communities plan to discuss implementation strategies and potential funding options ahead of the 2027 budget cycle. White Bear Lake staff also expect to work with the project partners to seek additional funding from Ramsey County to carry out initiatives included in both phases of the Corridor Study.
Thank you to everyone who shared their input via the online survey or at the open house, your participation is greatly appreciated!
The cities of White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and Gem Lake with funding support from Ramsey County have partnered to enact some of the recommendations from the Corridor Action Plan. The partners received a Critical Corridor Grant from Ramsey County to hire a professional service provider to support the creation of a brand identity, marketing and placemaking strategy for the corridor. This work is intended to build on the momentum of the Corridor Action Plan completed in Fall 2022 and enhance people’s impression of the corridor in order to attract more residents and visitors to support the businesses along County Road E.
The cities hosted an open house on January 16, 2025 to share information about the latest phase of the County Road E Corridor Action Plan project and to get feedback on branding concepts for the County Road E corridor, following the open house, an online survey was posted to gather feedback from people who were unable to attend the open house.
If you have questions or would like more information please see the contact information below:
White Bear Lake residents and businesses: Tracy Shimek, White Bear Lake Housing & Economic Development Coordinator| tshimek [at] whitebearlakemn.gov (tshimek[at]whitebearlakemn[dot]gov) | 651-762-4838
Vadnais Heights residents and businesses: Nolan Wall, Vadnais Heights Planning/Community Development Director | Nolan.wall [at] cityvadnaisheights.com (Nolan[dot]wall[at]cityvadnaisheights[dot]com) | 651-204-6027
Gem Lake residents and businesses: Ben Johnson, Gem Lake City Council Member | ben.johnson [at] gemlakemn.org (ben[dot]johnson[at]gemlakemn[dot]org)
Corridor Action Plan History
The County Road E Corridor is an economic hub for the communities along the corridor with enormous potential for revitalization and placemaking. In recognition of the importance of this corridor, the cities of White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights, and Gem Lake with support from Ramsey County partnered for a series of community workshops and discussions led by Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Twin Cities in September and October 2022 to guide future investments along the corridor. Based on the community's input through the workshop series, the process produced an action plan and summary report which includes near, medium, and long-term goals and action steps. The report serves as a tool to attract investment through development and inform policymakers as they plan for infrastructure improvements.
We would like to thank the many community members who participated in the workshop series! We are grateful for the time and energy participants put into shaping the County Road E Corridor Action Plan!
Below is a summary of the series as well as links to supporting documentation.
WORKSHOP I: Gather Information
Wednesday, September 14, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Century College, 3300 Century Ave, White Bear Lake
Workshop I Summary:
The County Road E Corridor Action Plan community process is underway! The first workshop was held on Wednesday, September 14th to gather information about what is unique and interesting about County Road E, what can be added to improve the area and make it feel more connected, and concerns about what’s not working. The goals of the process are to:
1) gain perspectives on community needs and wants along the corridor,
2) improve understanding of what is viable and realistic for available redevelopment sites along the corridor,
3) attract investment to the corridor to maintain and improve vitality, and
4) improve quality of life for County Road E residents and stakeholders.
Key opportunity sites for each of the cities connected to the corridor were identified. Information was also provided on existing uses in the area, trends in housing, commercial and industrial uses, and an overview of County Road E street design. Information from these presentations can be found here.
Workshop participants were invited to participate in small group conversations and provide their feedback by answering a series of questions. A summary of that input can be found here.
The series of community workshops are a collaboration among the three cities of White Bear Lake, Gem Lake, and Vadnais Heights, with funding support provided by Ramsey County. Please join us for future workshops, and bring your friends and neighbors!
WORKSHOP II A - C: Exploring Development Options - The Block Exercise
Attendees participated in an interactive workshop to create development scenarios for key sites along the County Road E Corridor. Land use and design experts were on hand to share ideas and insights. Sites were divided among three workshops by city. Summaries of each city's block exercises are linked below.
A. Vadnais Heights sites
Wednesday, September 28, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St
Click here for a summary of the Vadnais Heights Block Exercise
B. White Bear Lake sites
Thursday, September 29, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3770 Bellaire Ave, White Bear Lake
Click here for a summary of the White Bear Lake Block Exercise
C. Gem Lake sites
Wednesday, October 5, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Heritage Hall, 4200 Otter Lake Road, Gem Lake
Click here for a summary of the Gem Lake Block Exercise
Workshop III: Developer Panel Discussion
Wednesday, October 12, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St
Attendees had the opportunity to hear feedback from a panel of development professionals with a range of expertise about the scenarios developed in the block exercises as well as other information to consider in the creation of the corridor action plan. Click here for a summary of the meeting.
Workshop IV: Framing Recommendations
Wednesday, October 26, 2022; 6:30 – 8:30pm
Vadnais Heights Fire Station, 3595 Arcade St
Participants worked together to refine County Road E Corridor action plan recommendations based on input from the previous three sessions, which was submitted to a Project Team of local government and private partners for consideration.
For more information contact:
- Tracy Shimek, City of White Bear Lake, 651-762- 4838 or tshimek [at] whitebearlakemn.gov (subject: County%20Road%20E%20Corridor%20Project) (tshimek[at]whitebearlakemn[dot]gov)
- Nolan Wall, City of Vadnais Heights, at 651-204-6027 or nolan.wall [at] cityvadnaisheights.com (subject: County%20Road%20E%20Corridor%20Project) (nolan[dot]wall[at]cityvadnaisheights[dot]com)
- Ben Johnson, Gem Lake City Council Member, at ben.johnson [at] gemlakemn.org (subject: County%20Road%20E%20Corridor%20Project) (ben[dot]johnson[at]gemlakemn[dot]org)
For questions about the redevelopment process, contact Jason Lindahl, Community Development Director, City of White Bear Lake at (651) 429-8562 or akane [at] whitebearlakemn.gov (jlindahl[at]whitebearlakemn[dot]gov.)