Project narrative
Autobahn MotorPlex Project Narrative
Planned use of property:
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The facility consists 0 f appro ximately 38 acres with ~ 13.5 being used for building. The
facility will consist of multiple buildings with the frontage road, Audubon Rd, having
two 2 acre lots that will be developed as office/warehouse units. The road entering into
the property will be a private road and will serve as the only entrance into the property
campus. The elevation drops significantly from the road level (approximately 30 feet)
which will shelter the storage condominiums from public view. The emphasis in the
complex is on aesthetics, quality construction, privacy and security.
The planned use will primarily be high-end storage condominiums and will be built in
phases, starting with the Club-House and buildings surrounding the Club-House. We are
building in phases so to give our individual customers what they need in amount and
configuration of storage space. The site will consist of multiple buildings, each with
sprinkler frre protection and digital security cameras as well as individual unit web-cam
security access through the facilities website. Different and better than any other site built
or being built, these buildings will have significantly upgraded amenities that will not
only set it apart but will aid in the projects success. We are well fmanced and our
customers/members tend to be people with high-end vehicles looking for a safe, secure
and upscale place to keep the vehicles and share their passion with other like minded
individuals. Our use is extremely clean and environmentally friendly that values the
natural beauty that the location brings.
The major differences between Autobahn MotorPlex (AMP) and any other storage
facility in the area is the quality and location.
AMP
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
<15 min
In-floor heat
Sprinkled building
Web cam security in unit
Wash down bay
Club House
Motorsport Events thru-out yr
Museum
Bathroom
Mechanics on-site
Concierge desk and website
Time from downtown Minneapolis
Competition
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
40 minutes
Additionally, their buildings are steel sided plain structures and ours will have a
significantly upscale fmish to them (see club house option which will carry the theme to
all of the buildings). The Club House will also be used as an automotive museum and a
warehouse showroom serving the needs of the condominium owners.
There is a growing trend throughout the United States and in fact internationally for the
kind of facility that I am building. The following link is a Forbes article regarding the
trend and what I am doing (I am mentioned in the latter part of the article). When you
read the article, you will notice that it's focused on "driving track country clubs"; while
we are building a storage location in Chanhassen, it is linked to what I am doing in
another location in the State. This is the link and I've also cut and pasted the article at the
end of this document for your convenience.
http://www.forbesautos.com/news/ features/2006/racing_ clubs. html
Facility description:
The facility consists of approximately 38 acres with ~ 13.5 being used for building. The
facility will consist of multiple buildings with the frontage road, Audubon Rd, having
two 2 acre lots that will be developed as office/warehouse units. The road entering into
the property will be a private road and will serve as the only entrance into the property
campus. The elevation drops significantly from the road level (approximately 30 feet)
which will shelter the storage condominiums from public view. The emphasis in the
complex is on aesthetics, quality construction, privacy and security. The complex will
have multiple buildings with approximately 150,000 sq ft under roof It will be gated and
fenced with the planned look as follows: " ·
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And fence design being of aluminum or steel construction and looking close to this:
Access to the campus will be regulated by gated checkpoint using both remote controls
and a permanent keypad. Both the Fire Department and Police Department will be given
controllers and access codes for entry into the facilities. The facility will be manned
during normal business hours.
As stated earlier the facility will have multiple buildings with the following approximate
architectural themes:
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The facility will have significant restrictive covenants that will restrict/limit the owners
from being able to store hazardous and flammable items as well as limit any outside
parking. The restrictive covenants and contract are currently being drafted by an
experienced storage condominium attorney.
Description of operation
The facility is primarily, secured private garage condominiums which allow the owners
access at any time. However, the Club-House will only be open during normal business
hrs (i.e. 7am till 8pm). The Club-House will primarily be for the convenience of the
owners, but will occasionally be used for meeting (i.e. Porsche Club, BMW Club, and
Corporate Meetings). The Club-House is designed in a Museum display setting for
prominent automobiles. The plan is for the ability to display 16 vehicles in the museum
portion of the Club-House. This museum is not open to the public and is for the
enjoyment of the club members. Additional planned amenities are a dedicated common
"vehicle wash down" bay for use by our members, thus avoiding the need for drains in
each of the units.
Parkin2
I am applying for proof of parking. Given that the entire idea of this facility is to store
your vehicles, we do not anticipate much need for parking. In the site plan drawings
submitted, you will fmd a greater number of parking spaces identified than is required by
the City. My request is that we simply do not stripe the parking spots except for around
the Club-House.
Car News and Reviews
Published on 08/01/2006
How to Drive More than 100 mph and Not Get Busted
by Andrius Mikonis
ForbesAutos.com
" .
CHICAGO - Do you have a fast car but nowhere to take it out and see what it will do? A driving country
club may be coming to a metropolitan area near you.
Think golf-country-club amenities but with a racetrack instead of links. It's a place close to home where
members can go to exercise their cars and driving abilities in a safe environment without worrying about
speed traps. Most importantly, this is not professional racing, but somewhere to drive as fast as you'd like,
as often as you'd like.
A vintage Porsche races on the Autobahn Country Club's South Circuit.
The idea has evolved over the last few years, with four clubs already open and more on the way.
Established clubs are attracting everyone from professional drivers and race-car builders to car enthusiasts.
The only qualifications mem bers need are a fast car, driving certification to be determined by the facility and,
of course, you have to pay to play.
The key here is the club component, setting these businesses apart from the traditional racetrack venue by
offering regular on-track driving opportunities without having to join a sanctioning body or wait for special
events. This most often takes the form of a country-club model, where members pay an initiation fee and
annual dues for track access as well as use of a clubhouse and related facilities.
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A prime example is the Autobahn Country Club (ACC), which opened in spring 2005 in Joliet, 111., and is a
one-hour drive from downtown Chicago. "It's the first purpose-built club of its kind," said founder and
president Mark Basso. 'We're getting a lot of interest from around the country."
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The carefully landscaped 3.57-mile road course winds around 320
acres. Construction on a larger clubhouse with a car museum starts in
April to supplement the Autobahn's current building. Members can also
lease trackside lots to build their own garages and spectator buildings.
This feature is in its third phase, with some 36 already leased in the first
two. Each one is fancier than the last, with "pool tables, custom
kitchens, even art collections," according to Basso.
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Autobahn Country Club I
I view Driving C6utitry Club :.'
slideshow ~
And men aren't the only ones having all the fun at these clubs. Three
primary members are women. Steve Wagner, one of the four founders
of the ACC, says there are several members' wives, almost a dozen by
his estimate, who come out and drive on a regular basis.
Developer Matt Page, who is breaking ground in July on a 1 ,600-acre site near Dallas, says his Racers
Ranch country club will feature a combination of Old English architecture and "the look of a Kentucky horse
farm." Even garage facilities will resemble stables. There will be an actual equestrian center and 40 five-acre
home sites for a true country-ranch-Iiving experience. Page wants the club to feel more like an exclusive and
relaxing retreat than a racetrack. Truck access to the paddock will be through a separate entrance to keep
the operations behind the scenes. A high level of service, including a concierge, will be this club's hallmark.
A quite different club idea is the Miller Motorsports Park, which opened this spring near Salt Lake City. Alan
Wilson, who designed Autobahn and many other tracks worldwide, said this setup is based on drivers' clubs
at the Goodwood and Silverstone tracks in England and the Sports Car Club of South Africa - which he
says are "great social places where at any time you could bump into
Formula One drivers."
Clubs in
Operation:
Autobahn Country Club
Joliet, Ill.
Annual Fee: $3,000
I Contact: 815/722-2223
autobahnmb@comcast. net
Miller ~otorsports Park
Tooele, Utah
Annual Fee: $1,600 to
$3,500, depending Of/level
I of membership '.:
Contact: 801/563-4175
bmiller
@millermotorportspark. com
Motorsport Ranch
I Cresson, Texas
Annual Fee: $1,158
LCont~~~:. 8~~/512-3162
The Miller Motorsports Park track holds sanctioned races - several
organizations have already signed on - and also has a private club
with a core membership. It will also be open to credentialed
members of the visiting race. Home club members not only have
ample track use but also free spectator access during races, where
they are able to meet and socialize with the incoming group. "The
idea is to mix and match elements of motorsports," explained
Wilson.
Autobahn management feels that opening the private club to car
shows is important for business, and hence plans to allow public
access to its car museum. "It adds to the excitement of the racetrack
atmosphere, but the members will always have a private area to
retreat to," Basso said.
!- irifo@mot~;sport~anch.com
! VIRginia International
~ Raceway Motorsport
Country Club
Alton, Va.
Annual Fee: $2,1:00for
Virginia/North Caroiina
· residents; $1,200 all other
state residents
Contact: 434/822-7700
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The annual fees differ between each club. Racers can expect to spend $3,000 annually at the Autobahn
Country Club; $100 to $175 per month at the VIRginia International Raceway (VIR); and $50 to $75 per
month at Motorsport Ranch. Also, the VIR and Motorsport Ranch have additional charges for usage by day
or half hour, respectively, while the ACC does not. Most of the clubs in development have pricing posted to
pre-sell memberships.
"Members are on their own as far as insurance coverage if they wreck their cars, but they are covered as
participants under the club's liability insurance," Basso said.
The main attraction at all these clubs is a road-racing course, though some of the clubs will offer other
driving venues such as kart tracks, skid pads and, less commonly, drag strips and off-road trails. Autobahn
is putting the finishing touches on its Wilson-designed half-mile kart track this spring; it's 30 feet wide, so it's
also suitable for autocross events.
Though driver certification is required by all, typically these tracks are designed with safety in mind, because
a wide variety of skill levels will be accommodated. This means ample room to run off the track without
hitting anything as well as limiting speeds by keeping the length of the straightaways relatively short. Matt
Page, who has also brought Alan Wilson on board, says he wants to have a longer straightaway on one of
the courses for only the most competent drivers, as this will be useful for manufacturers that might rent the
track for testing. "Everything will be built to Sports Car Club of America standards," Page said. "Safety is
first. "
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I Clubs tp
Watch:
Alpine Motorsports Club
Saylorsburg, Pa.
Contact: 800/795-2638
dsmith@l usa. com
~ Look for it: Construction
~ begins in 2007.
!
I Autobahn Motorplex
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Another feature nearly all of these clubs possess is a track with
multiple configurations, allowing club members to drive simultaneously
and independently while another group can rent another part of the
track. You'll see anything from street cars to vintage race cars to
motorcycles. Page said he wants to "celebrate all kinds of motorized
vehicles," and he wants to make room for "gearheads with muscle cars,
even Model Ts."
All of these racing clubs run in much the same way, by grouping similar
vehicles and drivers together to go out on the track for a predetermined
length of time, then the next group goes out. Occasionally, there might
be timed racing. Rental customers include car clubs looking for track
time; sanctioned organizations holding races; manufacturers for
testing, consumer events or training employees; and corporate clients
looking for an activity. "We sold out every weekend and 60 percent of
the weekdays," Basso said of the first season. "It takes the burden off
the members to have to cover all the operating costs."
Location is an important consideration. Back in 2000, the scenic 3.27-
mile road course of the Virginia International Raceway was resurrected
after a long hiatus and reopened as America's first driving country
club. However, it is billed as a resort destination catering to both in-
state and out-of-state members. The advantage of a club like the
Autobahn is its proximity to a major city - the club is 49 miles from
Chicago. "You can leave the office at noon, get an afternoon of driving
in and still be home for dinner," Basso said.
Metro Minneapolis
Contact: Bruno Silikowski
; bsilikowski
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~'I' @autobahnmoto.rplex.com
Look for it: Construction
~ date TBA :::
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I Club Motorsports
~ Tam worth, NH
Contact: 603/437-3278
Look for it: Construction
date TBA
New Jersey Motorsports
Park
, Millville, NJ.
~ Look for it: Spring 2007
Racers Ranch
Dallas area
Contact: 214/718-1247
straight811c@hotmail.com'l
Look for it: Construction
began July 11, 2006. ~
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The future Alpine Motorsports Club may have one of the best locations, situated 75 miles from ,both New
York City and Philadelphia. The 360-acre site in the Pocono Mountains will feature a four-mile course with
220 feet of elevation changes. Alan Wilson designed the circuit with nine different configurations. All the
ingredients for a perfect driving country club are there; one novel idea is encouraging members to form
"driving groups" who can rent a section of the track to race amongst themselves. Already years into the
planning, Alpine will break ground early next year.
Bruno Silikowski found a different approach to the proximity problem. His Autobahn Motorplex, located 15
minutes from downtown Minneapolis, is a 37-acre site that will not have a track, but will have a clubhouse as
well as secure, heated storage condos that members can purchase - and depreciate - to garage their
racing and other special cars. Silikowski is scouting some potential track locations further out of town, but in
the meantime members will have use of on-site facilities for car maintenance, with techs both ~n-~taff and
visiting, as well as a concierge to help make arrangements. They will host events like car shows and SCCA
meetings, and they will offer a place for like-minded enthusiasts to mingle and watch televised races. "It will
be the mecca of motorsports in Minneapolis," said Silikowski.
Alan Wilson thinks noise is the biggest problem with getting a new club built in a populated area these days.
"The noise issue doesn't have to be a necessity," he said, pointing out that most recreational drivers won't
see any difference driving a car on the track with a muffed exhaust. "These clubs will evolve, and without the
noise will no longer be a negative to the surrounding area. Then they will be more socially acceptable."
The demand is there. Autobahn has sold out individual memberships and has started a waiting list. Only six
corporate memberships remain available. 'We're growing like crazy," said Basso.
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