10-Story Apartment Project Tests the Limits of Minneapolis' New Comprehensive Plan

"A Twin Cities developer wants to build a 10-story apartment building in the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis that’s expected to test the scope of the city’s recently adopted [Minneapolis 2040] comprehensive plan," reports Jim Buchta.

The key aspect of the comprehensive plan is an interim zoning ordinance "that requires developers to include a certain number of income-restricted units in projects that require additional city approvals," according to Buchta.

The developer, Twin Cities-based Oak Management and Development, is requesting a variance to build four stories higher than the current six-story limit set for the neighborhood. In total, the development would add "127 rental units, including more than two dozen that would be affordable to people who earn 60 to 80 percent of the area median income. There would also be 3,500 square feet of ground-level retail space along Lake Street."

Despite the developer's opinion about the project meeting the policies set forth in the Minneapolis 2040 plan, neighborhood activists are concerned about the height and density of the project.