There’s a handful of housing projects coming up on the April 13, 2017 Minneapolis Planning Commission Committee of the Whole Agenda. I’m primarily writing this because every time people hear about new housing being built, there are often groans of “Ugh, it’s always more bro/luxury apartments.” It’s not really true, so I wanted to highlight these projects. So here’s a real quick roundup (with links to city reports in the headers):
Malcolm Yards Comprehensive Plan Amendment
This is the only thing I’ll cover that isn’t directly proposed housing, but is a request to change a land use designation from Industrial to Transitional Industrial. This would allow some housing to be built on the proposed Transitional Industrial area shown below:
Area of Proposed Zoning Changes at Malcolm Yards Site
As for the proposed development on that site, it could look something like this:
Potential New Development Zoning for Malcolm Yards
Given the proximity to campus, a nearby light-rail stop, and the U of MN Transitway, this proposal should be a slam-dunk. Hope to see something developed in this unused space soon. It’ll likely be in-demand student housing that non-students love to complain about (“when I was in school I paid my tuition and room-and-board by working a part-time job!”).
3004-3024 4th St SE and 3033 University Ave SE
Right down the street from the above is a proposal for 295 units of senior living. I promise not all developments are happening near Prospect Park! It’s great to see projects like this, which help to allow senior residents to age in place: it’s literally right next to a grocery store (which is a great way to reduce car dependence among seniors). There will be a mix of 123 independent units, 118 assisted living units, and 54 memory care units.
Oh, and did I mention over 6,000 square feet for child care? Because that’s included, as well as almost 2,000 square feet of retail on the first floor:
Prospect Park Senior Living
This is actually an update to previously proposed housing at 15th and Nicollet. It’s being brought up again because the developer made changes to the plan at the request of the city and neighborhood. This is another great project, as it creates 184 new apartments, all of which will be occupied by those making less than 60 percent of the area median income. In addition, it will feature over 5,500 square feet of ground level retail.
15th and Nicollet
At 35th and 2nd Ave S, there is a proposed 4-story, 49-unit housing project being proposed. This is also almost right next to 35W (and on/off ramps), which sounds like a miserable location but it’s surprisingly transit-accessible. Metro Transit Route 11 is a high-frequency route that runs nearby, and the project is also close to a couple of buses (133 and 135) that run less often but get downtown via 35W.
3501 2nd Ave S
This is a parking ramp. It’s basically like an apartment, but for cars (350 of them). Cars are kind of like people in that they remain sedentary for about 23 hours of the day. Gotta put ’em somewhere, right? This parking ramp also promises retail on the ground floor, making it somewhat less bad than other parking ramps. Maybe your car can shop there after you park it and head to that cool North Loop destination.
10th Ave Ramp
Great River Landing – 813 5th St N
If you put the word “Great” in your project name, you’re legally required to make a great project. And this housing actually is great! It features 40 efficiency units and 8 four-bedroom units. From the city report:
All of the 72 beds will be for people who have been incarcerated or with histories of homelessness. On the ground floor of the building there will be offices for service staff, shared common space, a community room with kitchen, a health and fitness area, and classrooms for employment training and life-skills coaching.
Great River Landing
This article is cross-posted with permission from MSPyimby.