
Updated at 10:40 a.m.
A proposal to build the first mixed-use transit village along the Hiawatha light rail line -- featuring apartments, offices, retail and a public market -- received a largely warm reception from a packed community meeting Thursday night.
The 6.4-acre project would transform the intersection of Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenues, an area that has failed to live up to development goals that were set during light rail planning. It would be built in phases at the intersection's southwest corner, where Hennepin County plans to purchase land currently owned by the Minneapolis school district and sell it to a private developer.
"There are a lot of wins here," Hennepin County commissioner Peter McLaughlin told the room of about 150 people, most wearing "Build it green!" stickers. He observed the potential for transit-oriented development, having retail front Lake Street and finding a permanent home for the Midtown Farmers Market.
The county plans to use the office space as the South Minneapolis hub of its social services operations, which are being decentralized from the downtown Century Plaza office. The county's finance and budget director, David Lawless, said the purchase price from the school board would likely be between $7 and $9 million.

Previous discussions to redevelop the site were hampered by the school district, which has to move its adult basic education and English courses out of the building. Current plans envision keeping the building for a number of years as the phased development takes shape, followed by a demolition.
Anywhere from 600 to 800 people of varying ages and income may eventually live on the site, depending on the final number of units, said Jack Boarman, CEO of BKV Group, part of the development team putting the project together. Portions of the space would be geared toward senior housing and affordable housing.
The goal is that many residents would use transit, including an adjacent light rail line, bus routes along Lake Street and possible future options along the Midtown Greenway.