KINGFIELD NEIGHBORHOOD'S FIRST FIVE-STORY BUILDING APPROVED

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A five-story residential building was recently approved for a site within the Kingfield neighborhood.

“Nic 42” will be located at 4230 Nicollet Avenue S and will include 47 apartments and 32 enclosed parking spaces once complete. The project is being developed by Minneapolis-based Left Lane Corp. and will require the demolition of a single-family home, a duplex, a mixed-use building and a commercial building.

Units within the building will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts and will range in size from 475-1,050 square feet. In total, there will be 11 studios, 22 one-bedroom and 14 two-bedroom units. Two of the 47 units will be walk-up units that will be located on the ground floor of the building along Nicollet Avenue. Around 15 units within the building will be made available for those making between 65 and 75 percent of the area median income while the rest will be market-rate.

Amenities within the Nic 42 will include a large ground floor lobby and a 1,100 square foot office area that will be set up as a co-working space for residents of the building. A mezzanine level will also be home to more lobby space, the upper floor of the two walk-up units and parking.

Parking within the building will be located on two levels with access to the parking area being provided by an existing alleyway. The lower level will feature 17 parking spaces while the upper will include 15 for a grand total of 32.

Collage Architects is responsible for the design of Nic 42. The building has been designed with the surrounding buildings in mind, many of which are historic three-story brick structures. The design of Nic 42 features a modern interpretation of the surrounding building designs and will include features such a central entry point and a brick facade. The fifth floor will be recessed back from the rest of the façade in order for the front façade height to be more in line with the surrounding building heights. The exterior of Nic 42 will be clad in brick, burnished block, metal panel and two types of fiber cement.

Nic 42 is a first for the Kingfield neighborhood as it will be the first building in the neighborhood that is over five-stories tall. However, the building won’t be the last to be over five stories, in fact another five-story project has already been proposed just down the block (look for our post on that project soon).

The reason that we are beginning to see taller buildings in the neighborhood is due to the 2040 Plan that went into effect earlier this year. The plan now recommends that new and remodeled buildings within the neighborhood along Nicollet Avenue should be between two and six stories in height and include a mix of uses. What the new building will not include that the 2040 Plan recommends is ground floor commercial space. The reason for that is that the developer sees Nic 42 acting as a transition point between the commercial district to the south and the residential district to the north.

Plans for 4230 Nicollet Avenue S were approved by the Minneapolis Planning Commission earlier this month. Work on the project is anticipated to begin as soon as this fall.