urbanMSP

I know this isn't a solution to everything but I feel like much of the surrounding area could just be leveled and regridded/replotted....at least based on what I can see from those aerials.

I really like how it follows the curve in the road and allows for a green space buffer with the LRT tracks. Much better than pushing the whole building against the tracks.

I've been following Seward Redesign's work to build market-rate housing at Seward Commons; they are finding it hard to fully finance a market-rate development in a low-income census tract, though proximate to the Blue Line Franklin Station. As I understand it, the rents a development here would support won't be high enough to make construction pencil out, leaving a financing gap. This is furthered by investors wanting a higher rate of return here due to what is regarded as a higher risk project. Bill Lindeke wrote about the Seward Commons conundrum in MinnPost: https://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2016 ... ighborhood

Affordable housing in the metro is highly concentrated, and in May both Minneapolis and St. Paul agreed to a settlement of a federal HUD complaint that current housing options and practices concentrate poverty in the cities. Existing policies directed at de-concentrating poverty seem to mostly promote the building of affordable housing in middle- to high-income locations, using TIF financing and other tools, though with limited success due to community politics and objections. It seems there could be benefit to the city having a way to promote the building of non-affordable units in predominantly low-income areas, to create a more mixed-income neighborhood.

SEWARD COMMONS PHASE III
https://goo.gl/maps/NBgHhori8ux

Any thoughts? Is this still happening?

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I've been wondering what's going on with this as well. It was supposed to break ground 2 years ago... hopefully this resurfaces. There's so much potential for density around Franklin and the Blue Line!

There really is so much opportunity there. A bit off-topic, but what is in the lot just to the north of the proposed site on the map?

This is what I found on Google maps. Anyone think this area will be redeveloped anytime soon? I don’t know anything about the business that is there now.

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There really is so much opportunity there. A bit off-topic, but what is in the lot just to the north of the proposed site on the map?

This is what I found on Google maps. Anyone think this area will be redeveloped anytime soon? I don’t know anything about the business that is there now.

It's Takoda Institute, a Native American higher education building: http://takoda.aioic.edu/why-takoda/
I was built in 1952 and is owned by The American Indian OIC. Who knows if they'd be willing to sell - given they'd have to find another location for their school - but if a developer wanted to do something - or they wanted to partner with a developer, it would be a really ideal location for a mix of housing and commercial. Just like what's been proposed for across the tracks from them.

Interview with the new executive director of Seward Redesign.

https://finance-commerce.com/2020/02/qa ... ds-future/

They've started clearing the site for construction of the 128-unit market rate building. Project is called "The Bessemer" (2200 Snelling Ave).