Developer plans 71 'micro' apartments at new building in Uptown

Address: 3009-3013 Holmes Av. S., Minneapolis

Units: 71

Size: 66,085 square feet

Developer: Solhem Cos.

Architect: Momentum Design Group

Details: Developer Curt Gunsbury's Solhem Cos. is expected to break ground in April on a new collection of market-rate "micro-unit" apartments.

The 71-unit building is planned for two lots just south of West Lake Street between the existing 3021 Holmes Avenue South Apartments — originally developed by Solhem in 2009 — and a two-story commercial building housing the Jon English Hairspa.

Its six stories and 90-foot height necessitated a variance from city zoning codes, which had set height limits on the Holmes Avenue block at four stories and 56 feet. A similarly sized apartment building next door served as a precedent.

The residential project likely won't be the last for the area around the Holmes Avenue-Lake Street intersection. The Sons of Norway property across the street was put up for sale last week, offering a parcel of more than two acres in the heart of one of the most desirable multifamily residential districts in the Twin Cities.