On Tuesday, April 23, from 5:00–7:00pm, a public open house will be held at the Hopkins Center for the Arts to discuss the planning work happening around the proposed light rail transit (LRT) stations in Hopkins and Minnetonka, including the stop on Blake Road. Join the meeting to share your ideas about the station areas. Click here for more information.

Abdullahi Abdulle received a Caring Youth Award for his work as a volunteer tutor with the Blake Road Corridor Collaborative! Abdullahi has been volunteering to assist 5th and 6th grade students with their homework and with extra practice in reading and math. Congratulations to Abdullahi!

Applications are now being accepted for Hopkins' Citizens Academy.

Citizens Academy is a free program that offers participants the opportunity to visit City departments to take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at operations and to learn more about the services each department provides. Citizens Academy meets on Thursdays from 6:30-9:30pm for 5 weeks beginning April 4, 2013. Each session is designed to be interactive, fun, and informative.

For more information and to download the application form, visit: http://www.hopkinsmn.com/events/citizens-academy.php. Register today!

A reminder: Comments on the Southwest LRT Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be accepted through 5:00 PM, December 31, 2012.  For more information on the DEIS, visit the website www.southwesttransitway.org.

Check out the latest BRCC newsletter by clicking on the icon below.

On Tuesday, December 18 from 6:00-7:00pm at Hopkins City Hall, the City of Hopkins will host an open house for community members to view the final design for Cottageville Park.

This past year, the City of Hopkins has collected ideas and heard from neighborhood residents about what to include in the expanded park. The City hired Cuningham Group, a landscape architecture firm, to create a design that incorporates the ideas expressed by community members.

Check out this Hopkins Patch article for a sneak peek at the design that will be on display at the open house.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Southwest Light-Rail is out now and community members have a window of time to respond to the information presented in the document. The DEIS describes the purpose and need for the project, the alternatives considered, the anticipated impacts, and appropriate mitigation measures. The deadline to respond had been December 11, 2012, but this deadline has been extended to December 31, 2012.  Visit www.southwesttransitway.org for information. 

Met Council will be hosting a meeting about the proposed Oakes Park lift station on Thursday, November 15, from 4:30-7:30pm at Eisenhower Community Center room 223.

If you happen to stop by the Depot Coffee House, be sure to check out photos of the Cottageville Park Neighborhood Garden. These photos were taken by an 11th grade student from the Blake Road Neighborhood.

Construction at the old BP site on Blake Road has begun to make way for a new retail center.