What does Minneapolis 2040 mean for Stevens Square?

by Emily Wade, Board of Directors Neighborhood Development Committee Co-Chair

At the end of 2019 the City of Minneapolis adopted a new comprehensive plan called Minneapolis 2040. This plan is a guide for what our city will be like two decades from now. 

What is Minneapolis 2040?

The plan includes a set of policies on topics like housing, transportation, healthy foods, and energy efficiency. These policies include action steps for how the City will work to achieve their goals for the future of Minneapolis. Carrying out Minneapolis 2040 will help our city make progress on combating the climate crisis, reducing racial disparities, improving health outcomes and more. 

How did the City create the plan? 

State law requires Minneapolis to update our comprehensive plan every 10 years. Minneapolis 2040 was created by the City’s Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED). This department is made up of professional city planners who have expertise in building these types of policies and researching and planning for what it takes to achieve the types of outcomes we want in our city.

But, CPED didn’t make the plan alone. To get to the policies and actions in the plan, they carried out an in-depth community engagement process that spanned several years. Through this process they heard directly from residents, business owners, visitors, and others about their hopes and dreams for our city. This feedback was then incorporated into the final 2040 plan. 

What does the plan say about Stevens Square-Loring Heights?  

One of the ways Minneapolis 2040 impacts our neighborhood is through new built form regulations. Built form regulations — also referred to as zoning — govern things like how tall buildings can be, how far buildings must be from the sidewalk, and what the building can be used for like businesses or homes. 

The City created a map of all of the zoning regulations that you can access here. 

There are four different types of built form allowed in different parts of our neighborhood. They are:

Transit 20 (highlighted in light blue): This type of district is applied along high frequency transit routes in neighborhoods near downtown and in downtown. It allows for buildings between six stories and 20 stories tall. In Stevens Square and Loring Heights Transit 20 shows up on the northern part of Nicollet Ave and along Lyndale Ave S. 

Corridor 4 (highlighted in orange): This district is also applied along high frequency transit routes, as well as places between high frequency transit routes. Here, buildings can be one to four stories tall. In our neighborhood, Corridor 4 shows up on 3rd Ave S as it gets farther away from Franklin Ave. 

Corridor 6 (highlighted in red): This district was designed for places along high frequency transit routes. Here buildings can be two to six stories tall. In Stevens Square and Loring Heights Corridor 6 shows up on blocks along Nicollet Ave, Franklin Ave, and parts of Lasalle Ave. 

Interior 3 (highlighted in brown): Interior 3 is for parts of the city near downtown and in between transit routes. In this district, buildings can be one to three stories tall. Interior 3 shows up around Stevens Square Park, Groveland Ave, and the northeast corner of our neighborhood.

Why would the City want taller buildings in part of our neighborhood?

One reason the City might allow for more taller buildings in our neighborhood is that it’s a really great place to live. Stevens Square and Loring Heights are dense, walkable communities with easy access to several high frequency transit lines, local businesses, and parks. As more and more people figure out how great it is to live here, more and more people will want to live here. If we build more homes for those people, that’s one way to help people who already live here stay in place as new folks come in. 

Building more homes and businesses in neighborhoods like ours also helps our city be more sustainable. When more people have access to the transportation options we do, more people will choose to get around by walking, taking transit, and biking instead of driving cars. When fewer people drive, fewer harmful emissions are released into the air and we all do better. 

Does this mean Stevens Square will look like this map in 2040?

Not necessarily! In fact, it’s unlikely our neighborhood will be built out to the full maximum density and building heights outlined in the plan by that time. There are a lot of reasons for this. One is that before any changes can be made to a property, either the owner must decide to make those changes or they must sell it to someone who wants to make those changes. 

Another reason is that just because a building can be a certain height, doesn’t mean it will be built to that maximum height. For example, the new Family Tree Clinic currently under construction on Nicollet, will only be two stories tall, while the built form regulations lined out for this spot in the 2040 plan say a building there can be up to six stories tall. 

Another example is the new construction on the northern part of Nicollet Ave in our neighborhood. Since those buildings are new or currently under construction and are not 20 stories tall, it is not particularly likely those buildings will be replaced with a 20 story tall building sometime soon. 

At the same time, our neighborhood already has lots of buildings that are at the maximum height allowed in many areas, particularly the historic brick buildings that are the hallmark of our neighborhood. 

How can I get involved in decision-making about the future of our neighborhood?

There are many local organizations working to shape built form in Minneapolis. One way to get involved in our neighborhood is to attend meetings of the Stevens Square Community Organization Neighborhood Development Committee. We meet on the third Thursday of the month at 6 PM. Right now we’re meeting on Zoom. You can find our next meeting date and more information on the SSCO website calendar. 

You can also email Emily Wade, one of our committee co-chairs at emilyrachelwade@gmail.com if you have any questions or ideas for our work.  

We look forward to talking to you at a meeting!