The vacant properties on Penn and Lowry Avenues North could soon be slated for development on land that has been empty for well over a decade. Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis are partnering to redevelop this long-neglected intersection.
The Minneapolis Planning Commission held an open house on October 9 at Lucy Laney School to show development proposals and get community feedback.
The development project is designed to include plenty of housing options, along with spaces for community organizations and entrepreneurial opportunities. The project will be a mixed taxpayer and grant financed project, and the cost will be determined by which project and scope of work is approved by the City and County.
Some proposals being considered for the properties include Rebound, LSE Architects, VY Enterprises and New Rules. The LSE Edo design is pictured here – visit the pther prject’s websites for their rederings.
The Rebound proposal, Sankofa Center, would be located on two parcels of land on the northwest corner of the Penn-Lowry intersection. The design includes a four-story building including housing and community services. Student housing would be located on the second, third and fourth floors of the west building. The west ground-level section of the building includes spaces for a fitness center, computer lab, lounge and clubhouse. The east building ground level provides an event space for community and business-related gatherings: festivals, summits, conferences, workshops, trainings and networking events. This area also includes a mobility hub and wellness center. The second floor of the east building houses an innovation and impact center for nonprofits, entrepreneurs and small business owners. The third and fourth floors house adolescent stabilization programs.
The LSE proposal, Edo Flats, would be located on the northeast corner of the Penn-Lowry intersection. The design includes a four-story building with housing and commercial and community spaces. The ground level floor shows a commercial space on the south end of the building and a community room on the north end. The ground floor also includes two-bedroom units with patios. Floors two through four include a combination of 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments. Underground parking space is also included in the proposal.
The VY proposal, the PennLow Collective & TH’s, would be located at the northwest corner at Lowry and Penn, and is divided between apartment units and town homes. The architectural renderings show a seven-story apartment complex and three-story town homes. The apartment building will be mixed use senior housing and/or large family housing consisting of 89 affordable apartments including 32 priced at 30% Area Medium Income (AMI). The project will also include 12,000 sq. ft. of affordable commercial business space for local small businesses. The mixed-use housing building includes proposed amenities including community rooms, an indoor gymnasium and fitness center, theatre, library, co-working space, playground and roof garden. The town home portion of the project includes 26 family-size homes with (3-4) bedrooms available for households less than 80% AMI. The homes will be energy-efficient, MHFA Green Communities-certified design. They will be priced at $245,000 to $265,000. The proposal also includes community sustainable items including roof top solar panels, geothermal heating and cooling, electrical vehicle charging stations, and easy transit access.
New Rules was contacted and asked to provide information for this article on short notice and could not provide information in time for our deadline.
The City of Minneapolis is slated to approve the project design by the end of the year.
Adjacent to the project, KMOJ radio announced plans on October 15 for a project to create their “forever home” at 2125 Lowry Ave, the corner of Lowry and Oliver This project is not part of the Penn-Lowry redevelopment project but will help revitalize the area. The facility will be a state-of-the-art broadcast and media hub serving as a community gathering space.