Hot Property: Eagan apartment complex to expand with solar garden

Address: 3435 Promenade Av., Eagan

Type: Market-rate apartments

Units: 122

Developers: At Home Apartments & Interstate Partners

Architect: Collage Architects

Details: With last year's successful launch of CityVue Commons, developers At Home Apartments and Interstate Partners are proceeding with a 122-unit second phase of the project near the Eagan Promenade shopping center.

The two firms partnered in 2014 on an innovative repurposing of the 11-story former Blue Cross Blue Shield office building at 1200 Yankee Doodle Road, converting the 30-year-old structure into 113 one- and two-bedroom apartments. CityVue Commons opened in August, and by late April all but 10 of its units had been leased, At Home President Mike Cashill told the Eagan City Council.

That led developers to proceed with a second phase on a 2-acre outlot to the south of the existing building's parking ramp. CityVue Commons Phase II will be a five-story, 122-unit structure. Exterior materials include face brick, decorative cement masonry, cement board siding and prefinished metal panels.

The parking ramp will be expanded and part of its top level converted into a solar panel garden. At Home said the planned 140 KW solar array will be "by far" the largest solar installation at any Minnesota apartment property. A swimming pool, volleyball/sport court, lounge area and grilling area will also be built on the parking ramp's roof.

The team envisions a Spring 2017 opening.

Don Jacobson