urbanMSP

This 4-story project at 6401 Lyndale was topped out a few weeks ago. The website (http://www.lyndaleplaza.com) features a link to a gallery of construction photos on Flickr.

I am really excited about all of the changes happening on Lyndale in Richfield!

It is noteworthy that this development is advertising its location on an express bus line and its website features a picture of a person riding a bus. The first local bus-oriented development, as opposed to train-oriented development?

kind of a weird location. not a lot of green space or trees, plenty of parking lots and malls. The rents being advertised seem unrealistically high for what's being offered. I don't know how this one's going to pan out

I agree. That area is sort of between senior housing and low-income rentals (closer to Hwy. 62). I'm not sure I'd pay a high price to live right there, even though the accessibility of the area is almost unbeatable (seriously can't think of a better location that is central to everything). Anything more than $1.25 per square foot for rent would be too high and I'd expect them to have (some) trouble filling that building up at rates that high.

I think this area has the potential to be a great neighborhood if it is redeveloped property

I think this area has the potential to be a great neighborhood if it is redeveloped property

I very much agree. Good shopping with in 5 miles and many in walking distance.

First thing they need to do is tear down all of the run down apartment buildings and start over!

Just drove past 66th/Lyndale today. I'm disappointed in the new development at the old K-Mart site. There's a giant parking lot on the corner, and behind it, a LA Fitness on one side and a strip mall on the other. Really doesn't fit with the other corners.

Just drove past 66th/Lyndale today. I'm disappointed in the new development at the old K-Mart site. There's a giant parking lot on the corner, and behind it, a LA Fitness on one side and a strip mall on the other. Really doesn't fit with the other corners.

IT does fit the other corner across the street on the northwest side of 66th. The difference is that there was housing included with that strip mall above. I agree that this was a dropped ball big time, so much more could have been done with this strip of land.

I was in the area tonight. I make a roughly monthly visit (by car) to the Petco in this shopping center. I am always astonished at the density/urbanity of this stretch of Lyndale, and wonder how exactly it came to be. The off-kilter intersection seems to have a negative affect on the pedestrian friendliness of the Lyn-66th area. I'm not sure how much lane reduction could be done on Lyndale or 66th, given the amount of traffic they carry and the volume of turning movements going on. Wider sidewalks and some bump-outs would be welcome to slow the turning traffic. It's too bad the building containing Petco/Champps/etc wasn't built to face the corner with the parking in back, like City Bella across the street. Something like that could probably be done in the future without affecting the residential tower portion. The back of that building (65th St) is just...awful.

Agreed. On the northwest corner, they could do a retrofit sort of like what was done with the commercial mid-rise on the southeast corner.... squeeze in a new parking ramp, then develop on the site of the surface lot... New 3 to 5-story mixed-use pushed up to the corner would work great, but it would render much of the existing retail obsolete as it would be hidden (except for the Champps). Maybe some of the bigger-box stores like Petco could still be behind the new stuff if there was tight integration to the street with signage and wayfinding.

The eastern side of the building fronting Lyndale is even more ripe for redevelopment since the only thing close to the street is the Wendy's at 65th and Lyndale. So this whole block of Lyndale could see something fronting the street.

Agreed. On the northwest corner, they could do a retrofit sort of like what was done with the commercial mid-rise on the southeast corner.... squeeze in a new parking ramp, then develop on the site of the surface lot... New 3 to 5-story mixed-use pushed up to the corner would work great, but it would render much of the existing retail obsolete as it would be hidden (except for the Champps). Maybe some of the bigger-box stores like Petco could still be behind the new stuff if there was tight integration to the street with signage and wayfinding.

The eastern side of the building fronting Lyndale is even more ripe for redevelopment since the only thing close to the street is the Wendy's at 65th and Lyndale. So this whole block of Lyndale could see something fronting the street.

I agree that it's a terrible design, but if you take away the signage visibility on this corner you would never find a tennant for the retail. Nobody wants to go into that parking lot the way it is, surely nobody will go in if they don't know who's in there.

Status on October 20th.