In order to properly frame a strategy for moving the community toward a desirable future, it is important to understand its strengths and weakness, opportunities and threats. When the 1989 Comprehensive Plan was prepared, several methods were conducted to assemble a listing of these trends and factors. Efforts included a community opinion survey; input from the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee, elected and appointed officials, and other members of the public; discussions with members of the City Planning and Economic Development staff; and a review of Census data. For the current plan update, the Planning Commission reviewed this information, incorporated components of the Hopkins Strategic Plan and made appropriate modifications. The community's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were subsequently reviewed by the public during the preparation and review of the plan. The findings are summarized below.
- Sense of Community
Hopkins exudes a sense of community that is found in few Metropolitan Area communities by virtue of its population size, geographic size, stable, cohesive residential area, identifiable downtown retail and civic area, community celebration (notably the Raspberry Festival), and families that have lived in the city for decades. The school district is geographically focused on Hopkins. A sense of pride and identity exists. - Identifiable Downtown
Downtown Hopkins is one of a small number of established central shopping districts in Metropolitan Area communities. Although its strength in the retail market has declined, it remains well known and identifiable on a small scale, and a focus of the community. Several private and public improvements have occurred in recent years. - Employment Base
Hopkins has a relatively high number and diversity of jobs for a community of its size. - Location
Hopkins is strategically located relative to the City of Minneapolis and other western suburbs. - Access
The City has excellent access via federal, state, and county roadways, freight railroads, and the planned light-rail transit system. - Variety of Housing Types
Hopkins has a wide variety of housing for people in every stage of the life cycle and income category. - Variety of Development Types
The Community is composed of several types of housing, retail and service businesses, and industry, public parks, and private golf courses. - Attractive Residential Neighborhoods
There are a number of distinct and identifiable residential neighborhoods defined by roadways, golf courses, parks and creeks. - Strong School District
The school district has a strong reputation and is a compelling reason to live in the city. - Good Municipal Service Delivery
Community opinion surveys have typically indicated a high level of satisfaction with the delivery of municipal services such as snowplowing, parks, police, and fire protection, and trash collection. Survey updates should occur on a regular basis. - Excellent Community Facilities
Hopkins offers an excellent array of public facilities from parks to special uses. The City's collaboration with the school district and the City of Minnetonka in the Lindbergh Center is an example of wise use of public resources. Another example is Shady Oak Beach, which is also collaboration with the City of Minnetonka. The Art Center and the Hopkins Pavilion are other examples of facilities that meet the needs of residents as well as Metropolitan Area residents and visitors. - Active Citizen Participation
Hopkins' government actively involves the people of the community. The City includes citizen participation in the establishment of policy and the assembly of specific plans. Examples include the assembly of the Excelsior Boulevard Corridor Study and the assembly of the Hopkins Strategic Plan. - A Tradition of Community Celebrations
Hopkins gathers every year to celebrate the Raspberry Festival. This highly successful event fosters a sense of community pride and enhances the image of the community.
- Aging Housing Stock
Most of the Hopkins housing stock was built prior to 1960 and some of it prior to 1930. The city has a significant number of small, post-war houses that lack many features and amenities that families and individuals desire in the contemporary market. As these structures continue to age, their desirability may decrease more rapidly and owners may not be eager to reinvest in them because their potential is limited by their size, floor plan, and garage and closet space. - Negative Effect upon Housing of Industry, Business, and Traffic
In some areas, the land use pattern subjects several residential neighborhoods to the negative effects of adjacent industry and other businesses, and, especially, traffic associated with business and high-density housing. - Downtown in Need of Continued Improvement
In recent years, downtown Hopkins has made great strides in re-establishing its sub-regional prominence as a commercial and entertainment center. In order to see continued improvement, Downtown Hopkins will need to continue to promote a stable mixture of retail and service businesses, offices, government offices, entertainment, and attached housing. Some buildings still need physical improvement and a number of auto-oriented uses need to be cleaned up or removed. - Major Roadway and Industrial Areas Divide the Residential Community
The community is divided by TH 169, Excelsior Boulevard (County Road 3), and TH 7. In addition, the industrial area along Excelsior Boulevard separates two major residential neighborhoods from the rest of the community. - Image of the Community in the Minds of Non-Residents
Some non-residents may have a negative image of Hopkins as a result of their limited but unfavorable impression of the community as they drive along Excelsior Boulevard or Blake Road north of Excelsior Boulevard. Several high quality Hopkins residential neighborhoods are located in this area and are sometimes assumed to be part of Minnetonka. - Physical Appearance along Certain Major Traffic Corridors
As mentioned above, the image of the Excelsior Boulevard is negative because of its deteriorated buildings, outdoor storage, lack of landscaping, overhead wires, intensive business operations, and visual noise. Because it is the dominant image that many people have of the community, this impression takes away from the many positive aspects of the community. At the present time, Excelsior Boulevard from Shady Oak Road to 11th Avenue is being reconstructed. Over the next few years, the remainder of the roadway will also be improved. - Tax Base Constraints
Because the city is nearly fully developed, there is little opportunity to expand the tax base without redeveloping property. Recent project such as the Supervalu distribution center demonstrate that redevelopment efforts can lead to increases in the community's tax base.
- Access to and from Minneapolis via Light-rail Transit
Historically, two light rail stations were planned to serve Hopkins. At the present time, there is a great deal of regional debate on the future of light rail transit. Current options under consideration include light rail and commuter rail, which would utilize existing tracks on a shared basis. The rail line that passes through Hopkins roughly parallel to Excelsior Boulevard is still a candidate rail line. In order to preserve future options, the Comprehensive Plan update will continue to accommodate a light rail station along Excelsior Boulevard. If a light rail system is built in the future, this station would bring many people into Hopkins daily and improve access not only from Hopkins to Minneapolis but also from Minneapolis (and other locations) to Hopkins. - A Resurgent Downtown
Downtown Hopkins is clearly on its way back to economic health. It has accomplished several changes in its economic structure, physical design, and administrative organization and appears ready to take the next steps toward revitalization. - The Future of the Retired Landfill in Southwest Hopkins
This site could be used for public or private recreation and/or open space. However, it may be many years before the contamination on the site is remediated to the degree that the property could be accessed by the general public. - Improvement of the Excelsior Boulevard Corridor and Associated Industrial Areas
These locations have very good access and visibility along with numerous buildings and sites, which are in need of improvement or redevelopment. - Capitalizing on Hopkins' Self-contained Small-town Image
This image is, perhaps, Hopkins' strongest long-term asset and opportunity as it is a characteristic of which few other communities can boast.
- Housing Deterioration and Disinvestment
A high percentage of Hopkins housing units are over 50 years old and many were built in the same era. Thus, there is the possibility of many houses deteriorating at the same time. Preserving Hopkins' housing stock and its neighborhoods should be a prime consideration of the City. - Industrial Obsolescence
A few of Hopkins' industrial plants are aging and/or have physical site constraints that limit expansion and modernization. - Downtown Economic and Physical Decline
Although it appears that Downtown Hopkins is on a steady improvement trend, the threat remains that businesses might not prosper and buildings could deteriorate. - Loss of Families
The threat of widespread physical decline in the housing stock coupled with the small size and lack of certain amenities in many local houses could lead to fewer families in Hopkins and more singles or childless couples. - Rising Local Tax Rate
Hopkins has few opportunities to easily increase its tax base, and rising costs in local, county, and school district governments could increase local tax rates and property taxes. - Deterioration of Public Infrastructure
Hopkins is over 100 years of age, and most of its streets and sewer and water lines were constructed many decades ago. Deterioration of these facilities is, thus, a threat.
