Mark Your Calendar: The Last Pieces of the Mill District Development Puzzle

An additional DMNA April Land Use Committee Meeting is set for April 13th, to explore three proposed projects that would change the landscape and complete the housing picture for the historic Mill District neighborhood.

Date: Wednesday, April 13

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Mill City Museum ADM Room (Floor 6, 710 2nd St. entrance)

RSVP: Help plan for seating, RSVP on Facebook…

MOXY HOTEL + APARTMENTS

Twin Towers: Upscale Apartments and a Boutique Hotel

Currently, there is nothing pedestrian-friendly about the intersection of Washington and Chicago, but three strategic and highly visible projects are set to change that. This key location serves as the gateway to the Mill District from Downtown with direct views of the riverfront, Chicago Avenue Mall and the Pillsbury “A” Mill. The proposed Moxy Hotel + Apartments, along with the Thresher Square and 800 Washington (Guthrie liner parcel) projects, will be part of the transformation of this corner.

The Marriott describes their Moxy brand as “a fun and spirited lifestyle hotel” concept. The Graves and Kharbandas have proposed a two tower, 150 room hotel + 150 luxury apartment structure with retail on the corner of Washington Ave. & Chicago Ave. This will be the first look at the developer's proposed design.

205 PARK AVE DEVELOPMENT

Restaurants, Retail and Owner-Occupied Residential for the Mill District’s “Main Street”?

When neighbors were surveyed about their ideas for this surface lot on the Mill District’s “Main Street”, more dining and retail scored high. There was a preference for condos as well from the roughly 300 survey respondents polled in December of last year. Located directly across the street from the Mill City Museum, survey respondents voiced concerned about design issues. Respecting the architectural integrity and historical distinctiveness of the Mill District was high on the list of priorities for concepts considered for the last surface parking on 2nd Street South. Survey comments included emphatic interest in maintaining a building height compatible with that of neighboring buildings, often with specific reference to the Park Avenue Lofts, a nod to sightlines of the historically significant Washburn Loft/Mill City Museum building.

205 Park Avenue South is currently a city-owned lot in the Mill District of Downtown Minneapolis and serves as a surface parking lot as well as provides some green space. In 2016, the City of Minneapolis will solicit development proposals for the site. Through a competitive review process, the City will sell the land and development rights to a developer based on the uses and merits of their proposed development. The City will present its development priorities for this site to the neighborhood at the meeting.

LEGACY CONDO DESIGN UPDATE

Stanton’s 11th Condo Project in Minneapolis Takes Shape

The most expansive condo project yet from Jim Stanton would create the East anchor for the Mill District neighborhood. When the Shamrock team first presented the project to the City Planning Commission there were concerns about the overall mass of the project. The revised design includes a mix of exterior materials, varying height levels and open space designs to address those concerns. The proposed project breaks up the building by stepping down the height of the building from 17 stories near South 2nd Street to eight-stories and then back up to 14 stories closest to the Mississippi River. This owner-occupied project has an outdoor children’s play area and a pet exercise area on the list of amenities.

Shamrock Development has proposed a 17-story, 374-unit condo building on the edge of the Mill District on 2nd St. & 12th Ave. Preliminary plans were presented to the DMNA Land Use Committee in February. Shamrock will now present revised designs based on the feedback from the DMNA and Planning Commission’s Committee of the Whole.

Julie Craven can be reached at julie@millcitymedia.org