The townhomes emerged out of both urgency and opportunity. In 1973, local leaders learned that a set of federal housing vouchers originally allocated for a cancelled development, would be lost if not quickly reassigned. Within just a few days, community members, planners, and architects mobilized to design and secure approval for a 12-unit housing development across multiple sites at the southern edge of Milwaukee Avenue and nearby blocks.

The process was as grassroots as it was ambitious. Early concepts were sketched on bar napkins, debated in living rooms, and refined in real time with architects. At the same time, organizers navigated complex political dynamics, working through opposition while maintaining a clear commitment to creating affordable housing for residents being displaced by highway construction and broader urban renewal efforts.

Designed by AEI Architects, the townhomes reflect a moment of architectural transition. While distinctly shaped by mid-1970s modernism, their forms were intentionally adapted to complement the historic character of Milwaukee Avenue, featuring pitched gables, vertical window rhythms, and a scale that respected the surrounding streetscape. Completed in 1975, they became the first new construction within the redevelopment area and a widely recognized example of “sympathetic infill.”

Originally developed under a federal Section 236 program, the homes provided income-based rental housing to eligible residents, with a priority for families displaced from the neighborhood. Seward Redesign (now Redesign, Inc.) served as the developer and has remained the general partner and property manager ever since. In 2017, the property was successfully converted to project-based Section 8, ensuring its long-term affordability.

Seward West before and after highway construction

The Vision

The Milwaukee Avenue Townhomes represent an early and influential example of Redesign’s core philosophy: that development should be shaped by community priorities, not imposed upon them.

At a time when urban renewal often meant large-scale clearance and displacement, this project demonstrated a different path, one where new construction could support, rather than erase, the social and architectural fabric of a neighborhood.

The vision was not to replicate the past exactly, nor to impose a wholly new architectural language, but to find a middle ground. The townhomes were designed to be contemporary yet contextual, acknowledging that neighborhoods evolve, while still honoring what makes them cohesive and meaningful.

Equally important was the commitment to housing stability. By leveraging federal resources and acting quickly and collaboratively, the project ensured that new housing would remain accessible to those most at risk of displacement. This was not simply about building units; it was about maintaining continuity for a community undergoing profound change.

Community Mission & Impact

Today, the Milwaukee Avenue Townhomes continue to function as a quiet but enduring piece of community infrastructure, providing stable, affordable housing in one of Minneapolis’s most distinctive historic districts.

Their impact is both practical and symbolic. Practically, they have offered decades of housing stability for low-income residents, supported through long-term affordability mechanisms and consistent stewardship. The 2017 conversion to project-based Section 8 reinforced this commitment, ensuring that the homes remain accessible for future generations.

Symbolically, the townhomes stand as proof that new development can be both responsive and responsible. Built at a time of economic uncertainty, political tension, and rapid neighborhood change, they demonstrated that community-led processes could produce outcomes that were not only viable, but lasting.

While the surrounding rehabilitation of Milwaukee Avenue is often celebrated, the townhomes tell an equally important story: that preservation alone is not enough. Neighborhoods must also make room for new housing, new residents, and new forms of investment, done in ways that align with community values.

More than fifty years later, the Milwaukee Avenue Townhomes remain a testament to what is possible when urgency is met with creativity, when design is guided by context, and when development is rooted in a commitment to people over profit.