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Brooklyn Boulevard plan targets safety, small‑business supports and station‑area development
Summary
City planners presented a corridor plan tied to the Blue Line Extension that prioritizes pedestrian safety on a high‑injury county road, proposes development alternatives for EDA‑owned parcels near the future station, and recommends small‑business supports to limit displacement during construction.
Kara Donovan, senior planner, told the work session the Brooklyn Boulevard corridor plan focuses on the station area at West Broadway and Brooklyn Boulevard, three district alternatives (the Village, station area and corridor), and policies to support existing small and immigrant‑owned businesses while guiding redevelopment of more than 18 acres of EDA‑owned land.
Donovan said the plan shows three development alternatives for individual EDA parcels: vertical mixed‑use (retail on the ground floor with market‑rate housing above), horizontal mixed‑use (separate retail and residential buildings) and grocery‑anchor scenarios that can sustain larger retail footprints. For the Northwinds Plaza site adjacent to the future light‑rail platform, staff depicted phased options that start with corner infill and later add public streets and green space.
Staff emphasized transportation safety as a primary objective. Donovan noted that "one in three households does not own a car" in parts of the Village and that Hennepin County has placed the corridor on its high‑injury network. Proposed near‑term changes include narrowing vehicle lanes to create space for bike lanes and wider sidewalks, targeted pedestrian crossing improvements, and improved tree canopy and streetscape elements.
Donovan also described anti‑displacement concepts and business supports — facade improvement programs, targeted cost‑assistance and branding/wayfinding to attract regional customers to corridor businesses including immigrant‑owned restaurants. Staff said some EDA parcels could yield higher tax revenue under vertical mixed‑use, while horizontal approaches might be more feasible in the near term.
Council members asked staff to coordinate with Hennepin County and regional partners and to preserve small business incubator space at Northwinds Plaza. Staff said an open house is planned for June and that plan adoption and subsequent zoning updates are anticipated in early summer.
