Planning Commission approves 228-unit 7 Points redevelopment at Hennepin and Lake with conditions

The Minneapolis Planning Commission voted 7–0 on July 21 to approve a five‑story, 228‑unit residential development on the southeast corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street, a project commonly called the 7 Points Redevelopment. The commission granted an amendment to the site's planned unit development and approved the site's plan review with added conditions requiring an electronic control gate on Vacated Gerard (subject to public safety approval) and four 20‑by‑20 foot murals on the south elevation of the existing shopping center.

Staff presented the applications as a Conditional Use Permit amendment to allow a new 228‑unit building and a Site Plan Review. Hilary Devorek, Principal City Planner in the Land Use Design and Preservation section of the Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED), told commissioners the project meets site plan and landscaping requirements and recommends approval. “This project does meet those landscaping and screening requirements. I apologize, there was a typo in the staff report. This project does meet those landscaping and screening,” Devorek said.

The approved building would replace the southern portion of the existing mall and create a U‑shaped, five‑story residential structure with an interior courtyard and resident amenities on the ground floor. The project proposes to use up to 113 of the existing 731 spaces in the attached parking ramp under a contract with the ramp owner (North Pond). Devorek said the applicant achieved the Travel Demand Management points it sought by limiting vehicle parking and unbundling parking charges.

Doran Companies, the development lead, described the project as intended to bring residential support to the underused retail site and to keep the existing mall's commercial square footage in the broader planned unit development. Jacquell Heider, development lead for Doran Companies, said the building’s ground floor was designed with a 12‑foot floor plate so the space can be converted to commercial in the future if market conditions change. Heider told commissioners the team is open to additional public‑realm measures and said North Pond, the mall owner, supports restoring tenant activity in the commercial portions of the PUD.

Architect Peter Costanzo of Koss Wilson Architects explained why the south elevation facing the new building has minimal openings. “If you're within 0 to 3 feet of a property line, there's 0 percent openings allowed,” Costanzo said, citing his reading of Table 705.8 of the Minnesota State Building Code and the project’s 0‑lot‑line condition.

Neighbors, business owners and advocacy groups offered a range of comments at the public hearing. Scott Engel, executive coordinator for the South Uptown Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood supports the housing and the affordable component but urged more activation at the Hennepin frontage and creative treatment of the long south wall: “Previously, those residential amenities that are now on Hennepin were along 30 First Street and Girard, and now they've been moved to Hennepin… the ground level units are not great with those small windows.”

Opponents and some neighborhood representatives asked for a 30‑day continuance to explore alternative designs that would add ground‑floor commercial, wider sidewalks on Vacated Gerard, more visible street activation, and public‑realm enhancements. Michael Lander’s Build Public team offered to assist pro bono in developing alternative site concepts and asked commissioners to delay the decision. Sam Rockwell, a longtime Uptown user, criticized the plan’s lack of retail: “This proposal to me says that Uptown is dead,” he told commissioners, urging stronger adherence to the 2040 Comprehensive Plan’s destination mixed‑use aims.

Several business owners, property managers and neighborhood representatives spoke in favor of approving the project without delay, saying development momentum is urgently needed in Uptown. Laura McGraw, property manager for 7 Points, told the commission that multiple prospective tenants are awaiting investment signals and that tenants have told her they will decide whether to lease based on whether this redevelopment proceeds.

After roughly two hours of testimony and questioning, commissioners debated conditions related to pedestrian access, parking management and the south wall's visual treatment. Commissioner Wagner proposed changing staff’s advisory language about an electronic control gate to a requirement that the applicant and mall owner work with staff to install an electronic control gate on Vacated Gerard unless public safety determines it is not feasible; staff suggested modified standard language tying final approval to public safety and public works review. Commissioner Chaudhary proposed, and the body adopted, a requirement that the applicant install four murals measuring about 20 by 20 feet on the shopping center’s south elevation to break up blank wall length.

The commission recorded its roll call: Chowdhury — aye; Connolly — aye; Gordon — aye; Shepherd — aye; Thompson — aye; Wagner — aye; Meyer — aye (7–0). The motion to approve staff findings with the modified condition on an electronic gate and the mural requirement passed.

Votes at a glance: Item 4 (3246 Nicollet Avenue) — staff recommendation adopted on consent (no public testimony); Item 5 (7 Points Redevelopment: conditional use permit amendment and site plan review for 228 units at 3003 Hennepin Avenue and related parcels) — approved with conditions including installation of an electronic control gate (subject to public safety approval) and four 20x20 murals; vote 7–0.

The commission closed the meeting noting its next scheduled meeting on August 4. Commissioners and staff said they expect continued coordination between the developer, the mall owner and neighborhood groups on murals, gates, and potential future commercial activation of ground‑floor space.