On Thursday, February 28, LanderGroup will present its proposal for a new development on vacant, industrially-zoned land across two properties, at 2301 California Street NE and 78 23rd Avenue NE. That night there will be both meetings at the Planning Commission Committee of the Whole and the Bottineau Neighborhood Association.
The proposal includes 24 townhomes and 110 apartments, with 17% of townhomes affordable at 80% AMI and 20% of apartments affordable at 60% AMI. The townhomes will be owner occupied, with the affordable units set up through a land trust model, according to the developer. The proposal also includes a publicly-accessible, privately-maintained green space with a children’s play area and a pavilion. For the total of 134 units, there are a total of 133 parking stalls, some in garages for the townhomes. There also appears to be solar panels on the roof of some buildings in a rendering, although the developer does not mention any installation or electrical for future installation elsewhere in their proposal.
Will the development include solar panels, or is this artistic license?
The property is zoned I1 Light Industrial District, and BNSF railway tracks are located directly to the east of the property, which you can see above directly adjacent to the parking lot. There used to be grain
elevators and silos on the property until 2018 when they were torn down after the city determined they were not historic.
Street view of common green space.
My favorite feature of this proposal is the publicly-accessible, privately-maintained green space with a children’s play area and a pavilion. Creating a public space for families from the entire neighborhood to gather will be a real positive. I would only suggest that the play area be expanded across more of the lawn and a short fence surround it. With California Street just steps away, it gives parents a little peace of mind to have a measure of control.
You can read the entire PDF proposal on the city’s website. The Planning Commission Committee of the Whole will hear the developer’s first presentation on February 28 at 4:30 PM at Minneapolis City Hall, Room 319. The site is in the Bottineau Neighborhood, and the neighborhood association will host a development meeting also on February 28 at 7:00 PM at 1900 2nd St NE. LanderGroup will be presenting.
What do you think of the proposed development, its affordable component, its parking, its green space? Share your views in the comments.