Planning Commission approves 65‑bed family emergency shelter at 2011 Pillsbury Avenue

The Minneapolis Planning Commission voted unanimously on Aug. 10 to approve a conditional use permit for a 65‑bed family emergency shelter at 2011 Pillsbury Avenue.

CPED staff member Andrew Litzka told commissioners the proposal seeks a congregate living emergency shelter in the UN3 Urban Neighborhood district and would accommodate up to 27 families and not exceed 65 people. Litzka described the site as a historic rooming house near Franklin and Nicollet avenues and said the application aligns with zoning and several comprehensive‑plan policies related to innovative housing and homelessness services. “Staff recommends approval of that CUP here with 65 beds,” he said.

Applicant Kelly Martin, founder of Steps of Strategy, described the operator’s model as family‑focused and service‑rich, with on‑site staff, group counseling, mental‑health services, tutoring and county referral intake through Hennepin County. Martin said the operator has experience in the neighborhood and told the commission that current client outcomes show success: “we have helped…over 200 people in getting them into housing, and 70% of them are housed today,” she said. On average, Martin said, typical stays are between 60–90 days, with many clients transitioning in roughly 120 days, and families with greater barriers sometimes staying closer to the six‑month code limit.

Several residents and property owners opposed the site. Jeff Jones, an attorney for LBD Real Estate Holdings, said he had submitted a written objection and argued the CUP did not satisfy the six required findings, and he expressed concern that the neighborhood is being targeted for shelter capacity concentrated in a small area. “This CUP application doesn’t satisfy any of the 6 requirements,” Jones said. Property owners Chris Broberg and Rhonda Broberg said the proposed scale and location are out of character for the block and raised worries about density and neighborhood impacts.

Multiple commissioners cited the building’s permit history, the UN3 zoning, the family orientation of the proposal and the city’s need for family shelter capacity in supporting approval. Commissioner Chowdhury moved for approval and Commissioner Jones seconded; the clerk recorded five ayes and the motion carried.

The conditional use permit was adopted. The commission’s action sends the land‑use approval forward consistent with the CUP conditions and findings recorded in staff materials.

What’s next: the applicant will proceed under the CUP conditions and any applicable licensing and permitting requirements; the commission did not specify additional follow‑up steps at the meeting.