Above: A present-day view of the Franklin-Lyndale intersection, juxtaposed with a recent rendering of the project.

Nearly two years after efforts to transform the corner of Franklin and Lyndale Avenues stalled, the developer is returning to the city with a new plan.

About 113 apartments, a restaurant and retail space would rise in place of Steeple People thrift shop, Theatre Garage and surface parking lots, under a plan submitted by developer Master Properties. The plans will be reviewed by a committee of the city's planning commission next Thursday.

The new proposal eliminates a large parking ramp that abutted nearby buildings, boosts the number of units in the building by 37 percent, and nixes an indoor theater.

Developer Don Gerberding said the project hit a snag over a "land control issue," following approval by the planning commission. That gave them time to revisit plans and address neighborhood concerns. They also learned that an underground parking garage would be possible, despite earlier information to the contrary.

"We redesigned the project and it's a better project now after the recommendations by both the planning commission...and we listened to the neighborhood," Gerberding said.

Gerberding said the largest objections in the past were to the four-story parking ramp, which will now become one-story of underground parking that covers a larger area.

In place of the theater space, Master is also proposing eight two-story walk-up townhouse-style units fronting Lyndale Avenue.

The project attracted significant attention when it was first proposed due to neighborhood objections and its location along a commercial corridor where city leaders hope to attract dense housing.

Critics said the building was too high, would obstruct nearby resident views, cause additional parking and traffic congestion.

The building is five stories tall, though technically six stories since the first floor is unusually tall. Its overall height is about 4.5 feet lower than the initial proposal.

Above: A rendering of how the project would look facing Lyndale Avenue.