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Home | Business | The I-35W bridge collapse

Continued: Hot Property: Florence Court redevelopment

FLORENCE COURT REDEVELOPMENT

1000 University Av. SE., Minneapolis

Type: Rental housing

Units: 121

Year Built: 1886

Developer: CAG Development

Details: In what is being hailed as a breakthrough in neighborhood group/developer working relations, apartment builder Clark Gassen has gotten city Planning Commission approval for a combination historic renovation-new construction rental housing project in southeast Minneapolis.

After opposing his proposal to build a four-story apartment block where a gas station now stands at the foot of the 10th Street bridge on University Avenue SE., the Marcy-Holmes Neighborhood Association reached agreement with Gassen for a plan that would incorporate a pricey renovation of the Florence Court Apartments. The striking Queen Anne-style row of townhouses overlooking the bridge are among the oldest apartments in Minneapolis, dating to 1886.

Gassen said he wanted the new building, and the neighborhood group's priority was the historic redevelopment. After negotiations and a few compromises, he said both sides realized one probably wouldn't be possible without the other, and he agreed to sign a deal committing revenue generated by the 84-unit new building to underwrite the renovation of the 37-unit Florence Court.

"We need to generate income to renovate the historic building, because there's not a lot of money out there available for that kind of work anymore," Gassen said. "We worked through a five-page agreement with the assurance that, with a great new building going up, we'll be able to start with the old building. We will work with the neighbors, that's our intent."

Paul White, treasurer of the Marcy-Holmes group, said it was the first time his association had worked so closely with a developer to find a solution that succeeded for everyone, adding that the group's leadership hopes to turn it into a model for all proposed projects -- perhaps even eliminating the often contentious relations between neighbors and developers.

While the new building would occupy a key corner near the new Interstate 35W bridge, Gassen said the L-shaped Florence Court renovation would restore the townhouses to the courtyard layout originally envisioned for them by architect Jeremiah Spear. City historians say the townhouses are an excellent example of early urban planning using a central courtyard, and each unit with its own architectural details.

The Minneapolis Planning Commission voted to approve the proposal this month, and it now goes before the City Council. Assuming he can get the construction loan, Gassen said he hoped to have the project underway by early next year.

DON JACOBSON

Don Jacobson is a freelance writer based in St. Paul. He can be reached at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.

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