A developer is proposing a 17-story residential tower, artist lofts and municipal art center in Edina at the site of the city's former public works facility.
Developer proposes 17-story residential tower in Edina, along with new art center
The project would rise on a vacant site near Hwy. 100 and Vernon Avenue.
January 12, 2018 at 3:51AM
Frauenshuh Commercial Real Estate submitted a sketch plan for the project, called Grandview, to Edina officials Thursday.
It would occupy a 3-acre site on Eden Avenue near the intersection of Hwy. 100 and Vernon Avenue that is now owned by the Edina Housing and Redevelopment Authority.
"The time in the development cycle is ripe where if the community can agree on what to build there, we think that this is the right time to do it," Bill Neuendorf, Edina's economic development manager, said.
The city will host a community open house Jan. 22 to hear comments. The city's planning commission is scheduled to review the sketch plan on Jan. 24 with the City Council expected to review it on Feb. 7 to offer comments for the developer as they evaluate whether to prepare a full submission.
For years, the city has solicited community ideas for the site and at one point considered building a 70,000-square-foot community center on the lot. The Edina housing authority and Frauenshuh entered a preliminary development agreement last month to pursue a redevelopment plan.
The location is in a neighborhood known as Grandview because it includes a hill that rises to a level that provides a striking view of downtown Minneapolis. It is already home to three small shopping developments, the largest anchored by a Jerry's Foods grocery store and a five-story office and retail building. The Edina Library, which shares its facilities with the Edina Senior Center, is also nearby.
"The Grandview District currently contains a diverse array of businesses, goods and services," Frauenshuh said in the proposal. "The proposed development will expand the economic vitality of the district by adding residents, public facilities, public gathering spaces and support directly in the district."
The 150-unit residential tower would be on the northern end of the property with the three-story, 27-unit artist lofts to the eastern edge and the art center to the south. The slope of the property would allow developers to create a three-level parking garage with space for 430 stalls that will be mostly hidden by the artists lofts and a sloped, green stairway.
On the roof of the parking garage, developers are proposing an "amenity platform" of green space that is wrapped by the surrounding structures. The parklike space is foreseen to be an area to be utilized by both the art center and residents.
DJR Architecture's Dean Dovolis and Aron Johnson designed the proposed development.
Frauenshuh and DJR didn't specify in the plans whether the residential tower would contain apartments or condos or both. The tower plan also proposes some space on the first floor for a potential restaurant. A portion of the artist lofts would be affordable units.
The project would effectively double the size of the Edina Art Center, which is currently located in a building on W. 64th Street and has been getting older and requiring more maintenance, Neuendorf said.
The proposal shows that the building may also include an active adult center that could help address "the demographic shift where we have a lot of baby boomers and a lot of seniors in town," Neuendorf said.
Nicole Norfleet • 612-673-4495 Twitter: @nicolenorfleet
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