Apartment and retail project planned at former Forest Lake City Hall

Address: 220 Lake St. N., Forest Lake

Type: Mixed-use

Apartment units: 104

Retail: 6,300 square feet

Developer: Gaughan Cos.

Architect: BKV Group

Details: Work is underway on Lighthouse Lofts, a five-story mixed-use project on the site of the former city hall in Forest Lake.

Local developer Gaughan Cos. took possession of the vacant building from the city's Economic Development Authority last month and has already completed demolition.

The new 156,000-square-foot complex, along Lake Street just north of the city's picturesque downtown, will include 104 market-rate apartment units with large windows and luxury finishes. Most of the units will have a private patio or balcony, with some along Lake Street and 2nd Avenue NW. accessible as walk-ups. The ground floor will include resident amenities such as a lobby, concierge, meeting rooms and a cafe, as well as a full-service restaurant and 3,000 square feet of additional retail space.

The top floor will have an outdoor amenity area including a club room and deck boasting "spectacular views of Forest Lake." The complex will have an underground parking ramp as well as dedicated surface parking.

The Forest Lake City Council in January approved a $1.34 million tax increment financing package to assist the developer in getting the longtime civic property onto the property tax rolls.

Gaughan said it is aiming for a May 2018 opening date.