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Eden Prairie council redirects Danfoss campus toward mixed-use guiding
Summary
The City Council adopted a guide‑plan amendment reclassifying roughly 57 acres of the Danfoss campus from industrial/office to mixed use, signaling the city’s long‑term redevelopment preference while leaving zoning and detailed project review for later steps.
The Eden Prairie City Council on June 17 adopted a comprehensive guide‑plan amendment reclassifying about 40.31 acres guided industrial flex/tech and 17.31 acres guided office to mixed use for the Danfoss campus near Highway 5, Mitchell Road and Technology Drive.
City planning staff told the council the change was meant to communicate a long‑term city expectation for mixed‑use redevelopment if the large campus becomes available for reuse. Julie (planning staff) said the site had been a “legacy employer and business in Eden Prairie since 1965” and that the amendment would align the city’s long‑term plan with changing market and housing needs.
The guide plan change does not itself rezone property or approve a development; zoning, site plan review and any rezoning would come later if and when a developer files applications. Julie explained that the comprehensive plan is a higher‑level policy document, while zoning establishes specific standards such as parking, height and density. The planning commission recommended the amendment on a 7–1 vote; the council adopted the resolution after a public hearing and discussion.
Connor McCarthy, a United Properties developer who said his firm is under contract for the site, urged caution about broadly reclassifying the entire campus. “The site contains viable, high quality industrial assets… The comprehensive plan guidance sends a signal whether intentional or not, that these existing uses are no longer desired,” McCarthy told the council, arguing that the western portion of the campus still has market value for industrial use and that wholesale reguiding could introduce long‑term uncertainty for tenants and investors.
City staff said they supported retention and re‑tenanting of the existing manufacturing building if market conditions support that, but they described the roughly 60‑acre site as a rare redevelopment opportunity for housing, destination retail and employment that the city should plan for now. Staff noted the property had been on the market for about 20 weeks and that potential concepts from developers were still evolving.
The council voted to adopt the guide‑plan amendment for the Danfoss parcels. Further land‑use approvals, specific zoning changes and any site plans would be considered in subsequent review steps if a formal application is submitted.
