Community Plans

COMMUNITY PLANNING, IN COLLABORATION WITH RESIDENTS AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS.

It is a vital part of Redesign’s work going back to the days of ‘urban renewal’ in the 1960s and 1970s.

Seward Commons is the first development in the Franklin Light Rail Station area and will open up access to the Franklin LRT station through improved streets, public spaces, and well-designed pedestrian and bicycle connections.

The planning process led by Redesign to work with Seward Neighborhood Group, Longfellow Community Council, and local businesses to identify parameters for the redevelopment.

Plan to guide redevelopment in the area around the 46th Street Light Rail Transit Station. The plan contemplates major redevelopment and reconfiguration of the street system to the southeast of Hiawatha and 46th Street; a green corridor is envisioned along the existing freight rail tracks as they are abandoned as well as smaller-scale residential uses and additional park space at the former Public Works Yard site; connecting development on the east side of Hiawatha to the LRT station on the west side remained a significant unresolved issue.

Expressed a desire to link commercial and residential uses with each other and with transit while acknowledging the existing non-pedestrian-friendly nature of the area; prioritizes Hi-Lake shopping center for redevelopment including residential and specialty retail; targets the CUB-Target-Rainbow area and former school site for redevelopment; also envisions a pedestrian-bicycle loop around the area and a large Public Market Hall with housing above.

The plan focuses redevelopment at the station node east of Hiawatha while acknowledging the difficulty of dislodging the existing grain storage uses; envisions higher-density residential over first-floor commercial uses at the node with a mix of new development and retained industrial job base on the blocks further north and south of 38th Street; identifies high-tension power line and rail line serving the grain storage businesses as a major impediment to redevelopment and access to the LRT station west of Hiawatha; plan envisions neighborhood-scale development on 38th west of the station and on Minnehaha Avenue.