A Message from the Mayor

Hello Chanhassen Residents,

It is hard to believe that we are nearing the end of summer! And, yet, we are busier than ever at City Hall. Please read below for a variety of updates:

Civic Campus

If you haven’t driven through downtown recently, you should! The new City Hall looks amazing — the clock tower is complete, the exterior finishes are nearly done, and the interior is coming along quickly, which will allow city staff to move in the second week of September. The first phase has stayed close to an on-time completion and the project is still on budget. Phase II — which will reshape the City Hall grounds and nearby spaces into a lively civic hub featuring a pavilion, playground, splash pad, pickleball courts and a performance stage — is scheduled to be complete in time for the 4^th of July celebrations next year.

• The new City Hall will be open to the public starting September 15
• City Council will hold our first meeting in the new Council Chambers on September 22
• The main parking lot and other amenities such as the skate park and pickleball courts are under construction now
• Demolition on the existing City Hall will begin the week of September 22
• Once the existing City Hall is removed, work can begin to make way for Phase II.
• We will have a grand opening with public tours in November – date TBD

Avienda Development

This development always garners significant interest, with the most frequent question being,  “What is going on?”

Housing:

• 39 villas have been approved, with 18 building permits issued
• 53 row homes were approved, but no permits have been issued. It is anticipated that the builder will begin construction this fall with their goal being to have models ready for the spring Parade of Homes
• 412 apartments were approved with the request for final plat approval to come before City Council later this fall
• To date, 504 units have been approved. The approved PUD allows for a total of 768 units to be constructed
• The developer has approval for a senior building as part of the PUD; however, no plans have been submitted to the city

Retail/Grocery:

• We continue to hear from the developer that they are in final negotiations with a grocery store. Our understanding is the contract could be finalized early this fall
• We are told by the developers that the grocery store is the linchpin for the interested retail and restaurant tenants to commit

The City’s Role:

• We share your eagerness to see development. We are not delaying the process; we, too, want to see progress made on this long-awaited development
• This is a private development – the city does not decide who, what, or when more development occurs
• We will provide updates as they occur

Proposed Developments

Chanhassen continues to be a sought-after destination for development. Please make sure you subscribe to the “Proposed Development” email list to receive updates. It is a great way to be informed, provide feedback, and share with other residents. Please follow this link to subscribe.

Chanhassen Bluffs Community Center

Thank you for the feedback in response to my last update. The design team continues to work to bring down the cost of the facility while adhering to our established budget without sacrificing the promised amenities. The design team will present an update to City Council at our August 25 Work Session.

Budget/Proposed Levy

We held our second Work Session on the 2026 levy and budget. (You can download a PDF of the presentation here). We were presented with a 7.2% levy increase for a total levy of $16,472,000. This would result in an annual increase of $62 for the median home value of $501,600.

Based on what is currently known, staff is projecting overall expenditures to increase 4-5% over 2025. Staff does not expect any significant changes in revenues in 2026 compared to 2025 and levy projections from last year showed a 4% increase in the General Fund levy. Like always, there will be continued discussions. We anticipate setting the preliminary levy at our September 8 meeting (we are required by state statute to approve the preliminary levy no later than September 30). 

Communication Awards

We are so proud of our amazing Communications Team, who received four awards at the annual MAGC Conference. The Northern Lights Contest, conducted annually by the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators (MAGC), recognizes outstanding work in Minnesota's government, educational, and nonprofit communications. Congratulations to our awesome team – you do incredible work making our residents feel connected while staying informed.

I am always happy to hear from you with questions, concerns, and ideas at eryan@chanhassenmn.gov.

Warmest regards,
Elise Ryan
eryan@chanhassenmn.gov