MIXED-USE PROJECT PROPOSED FOR TROUBLED UPTOWN SITE

A Chicago-based developer has big plans for a troubled site in Uptown.

Located at 2841 Hennepin Avenue, the site is currently home to a one-story, vacant commercial building that has previously been home to not one, but six different restaurants. Despite its prime location near the heart of Uptown, the last restaurant’s closing caused the owners of the building to decide to sell it for redevelopment.

Trilogy Real Estate Group is now planning to demolish the existing building and construct a seven-story mixed-use building on the site that would include residential and commercial space along with parking. In total, the building would feature 150 apartments, 2,700 square feet of commercial space and 107 parking spaces.

View from Hennepin towards Downtown

View from Hennepin

View from Hennepin

View from Hennepin looking South

View from the Midtown Greenway

View from the Midtown Greenway

View from Girard Avenue looking South

View from Girard Avenue looking North

An existing curb cut located along Hennepin Avenue would be removed with access to the site being provided by an existing alley. Two underground levels and one above grade level would provide space for 100 vehicles to park while there would also be seven, at-grade parking spaces.

The first floor of the building would feature a large lobby and two retail spaces along Hennepin Avenue. In addition, there would be 10, one-bedroom walk-up units that wrap the sides of the building along the Midtown Greenway and Girard Avenue. Floor two would be entirely parking and floors three through seven would include residential units and amenity space.

Amenities on the third floor would include a large indoor space and fitness center in addition to an outdoor terrace featuring multiple gathering areas, a pool, focal water feature and private terraces. The top floor of the building would also include an indoor lounge and an outdoor terrace facing the lakes and Downtown skyline.

Apartment units within the building would range in size and include studio, alcove, one-bedroom and two-bedroom layouts.

One major improvement to the site that would be made as a part of the project is a pedestrian promenade on the north side of the building that would connect Hennepin Avenue to Aldrich Avenue and the Midtown Greenway.

Designed by ESG Architecture & Design, the new building would sport a contemporary design and would be clad in brick, three colors of metal panel, woodgrain-colored aluminum siding, and concrete masonry units. The first two levels of the building would be constructed with pre-cast concrete with the remaining five levels constructed with wood.

At the moment the site is only zoned for 4 stories (56 feet) and the new proposal is 7 stories (87 feet), therefore the developer is applying for a conditional use permit to increase the maximum height of the building. Another variance that is applied for is to increase the maximum floor ratio from 3.375 to 4.34. A third variance will be needed to allow the building to be placed more than 8 feet from the property line adjacent to Girard Avenue S.

Plans for 2841 Hennepin Avenue will be presented for feedback to the Minneapolis Planning Commission Committee of the Whole this Thursday, July 9th, at 4:30pm.