What Was Accomplished Before?

In 2019, city leadership and key stakeholders identified six short-term focus areas:

1. Quality housing that inspires pride in living for all.
2. Attract and retain innovative business.
3. Being a welcoming organization with strong, empowered leadership.
4. Becoming a regional leader in multi-modal access with metro connectivity and river crossing.
5. Establishing Savage as an exciting destination.
6. Creating an inviting and vibrant community with a consistent identity.

This year these focus areas will be updated. Before we do that, are you wondering what was accomplished with the previous focus areas? Take a look at the accomplishments report, or read the highlights below.

1. Quality housing that inspires pride in living for all.

• The city plans to complete an update of the City’s Zoning Ordinance in 2023.
• Over 400 units of housing were added in Savage, including:

• 54 units of workforce housing
• 190 units of market rate multifamily
• 92 units of senior living
• 83 units of single family homes

2. Attract and retain innovative business.

• Offered $197,946 in Small Business Recovery Grant programs through COVID-19 federal funds.
• Partnered with the State of Minnesota and HydraFlex business who moved to Savage using the State’s Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF) in 2018.
• Staff conducted 15 business outreach meetings in 2019. Staff stopped conducting these meetings in 2020 due to the pandemic.
• Received a grant from the Scott County Community Development Agency (CDA) to study the downtown floodplain to project future development options.
• Introduced the C-4 zoning district in 2021 which provides more flexibility for businesses along Highway 13.
• Mitigated environmental concerns and redeveloped 7369 Highway 13, which is now assessed at $2,000,000.

3. Being a welcoming organization with strong, empowered leadership.

• The Savage Police Department hosted three community conversations on race and one listening session on race during 2019-2020.
• Staff attended citywide inclusivity training in 2020 and 2021.
• Convened a Race, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Task Force to create an action plan for 2022.
• Hosted 5 staff trainings for leadership and managers including strategic planning sessions, strength training, difficult conversations, emergency situation training, and job descriptions training.

4. Becoming a regional leader in multi-modal access with metro connectivity and river crossing.

• Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) included a bus stop in downtown Savage for the 495 route in 2019.
• Staff engaged with the State legislature to introduce a bill to lift the State ban on studying the Dan Patch Line.
• The Dan Patch Line was included with a larger section of rail as a priority 1 in the Statewide Rail Plan.

5. Establishing Savage as an exciting destination.

• The city will build a unique all-inclusive playground at Community Park in 2022.
• Planning a “destination” playground and facilities for 2023.
• Conducted a placemaking study with the Musicant Group in 2021.
• Developed a plan to make the Savage Library more useable by expanding meeting space in 2022. Financing options are currently being developed.

6. Creating an inviting and vibrant community with a consistent identity.

• Enhanced city identity with new gateway signage program, including new signs on CR 42/Dakota and McColl Dr/Dakota intersections.
• Conducted a placemaking study with the Musicant Group in 2021.
• Installed 3 artistic bike racks in 2020. The city received a grant from the Lions Club in 2019 to help pay for the bike racks.