U of Minn., Metro Council reach tentative agreement on Central Corridor light rail line

Agreement reached on light rail line in Minn.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The last hold up to preparations for Minnesota’s second light rail line fell away Friday when the University of Minnesota and the Metropolitan Council reached a tentative agreement about sensitive research equipment.

The agreement would allow preparatory work, including building sidewalks, retaining walls and installing traffic signals, to start this summer. When completed, the rail line will run through the Minneapolis campus and connect the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

University Services Vice President Kathleen O’Brien said the university persuaded the Met Council to build the line in a way that will minimize disruptions to the sensitive scientific equipment along the route.

The university’s Board of Regents met in emergency session on Friday afternoon and voted unanimously to approve easements that would allow the project to advance.

The two parties are also teaming up to try and grab $12.5 million in loans backed by the state to help relocate some of the university’s most sensitive buildings.

“It’s been a long and torturous process, but we hope this is the big hurdle,” Met Council spokesman Steve Dornfeld said, adding that delays could have raised the project’s cost by $1 million when an unexpectedly low construction bid expired.

But additional issues remain unresolved. The two parties will continue negotiations on April 26.

The agreement doesn’t stop the lawsuit the university previously filed against Met Council over disputes on the project. University officials said the lawsuit will be dropped once all pending negotiations are finalized.

“This is an important step, but it remains to be seen how important,” Dornfeld said.

A Senate and House joint hearing was scheduled Friday to give the Met Council condemnation rights on the university’s property, but the meeting was canceled after word spread of the agreement.

Construction of the 11-mile line is planned to be complete by 2014 at a total cost of $957 million.