ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT
To Committee(s)
| # | Committee Name | Meeting Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business, Housing & Zoning Committee | Oct 8, 2024 |
Action Item(s)
| # | File Type | Subcategory | Item Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Action | Contract/Agreement | Approving a "no cost" land swap between the City of Minneapolis and Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) of land along the southern edge of the Midtown Greenway on 10 and 30 W Lake St. |
Ward / Neighborhood / Address
| # | Ward | Neighborhood | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Ward 10 | Whittier | 10 Lake St W, Minneapolis, MN |
| 2. | Ward 10 | Whittier | 30 Lake St W, Minneapolis, MN |
Background Analysis
This report recommends lining up the northern property line of the New Nicollet site between Blaisdell Ave on the west and 1st Ave on the east. The northern property line is shared between the City of Minneapolis and the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA). HCRRA owns the property to the north, with the Midtown Greenway. The City of Minneapolis owns the property to the south, which is the New Nicollet (former Kmart) site. The current property line is approximately 27 feet farther north on the west side of the site (between Blaisdell Ave and what will be the new Nicollet Ave roadway) than on the east side of the site (between what will be the new Nicollet Ave roadway and 1st Ave). The land swap recommended in this report will align the northern property line on both sides of the new Nicollet roadway.
The land swap, if approved, will move the northern property line between Blaisdell Ave and the new Nicollet roadway approximately 15 feet south of where it is today and the northern property line between the new Nicollet roadway and 1st Ave approximately 12 feet north of where it is today.
The total square footage of City-owned land being transferred to HCRRA is approximately 6,475 sq ft. The total square footage of HCRRA-owned land being transferred to the City of Minneapolis is approximately 3,030 sq ft. While the amount of land is not exactly the same, this land swap, at no cost to either party, is preferred by both the City and HCRRA staff. The swap is advantageous to the City because it transfers a portion of the embankment down to the Midtown Greenway to HCRRA. The City of Minneapolis is not in a position to manage the embankment in the way HCRRA can and does for the length of the Greenway. In addition, the City of Minneapolis gains land at grade to add to the square footage available for the future development along the northern border between the new Nicollet Ave roadway and 1st Ave.
HCRRA staff are taking a recommendation to the HCRRA Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. Staff from both agencies plan to record the change with the Hennepin County Recorder’s Office by December 31, 2024.