48-Acre Mega-Development Taking Shape on Minneapolis Waterfront

The Minneapolis City Council will consider initial mixed-use development plans for critical riverfront industrial site surrounded by a struggling residential neighborhood.

1 minute read

February 28, 2019, 7:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Minneapolis Waterfront Development

City of Minneapolis / Upper Harbor Terminal Concept Plan

"On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council will vote on a massive plan to turn 48 acres of riverfront land into housing, businesses and an outdoor performance venue," reports Jessica Lee. "The project — the Upper Harbor Terminal — is city officials’ No. 1 construction priority right now."

With the City Council's vote forthcoming, Lee digs into details of the project, which is considered "critical" to the city's economic development plans. The site housed a barge shipping terminal until fears of invasive carp forced the facility to close in 2014.

The project site is surrounded by a federal Promise Zone and a city Green Zone. The surrounding residential areas are defined by median household incomes below the city and regional average.

The City Council will consider the project's "General Land-Use Concept" on Friday, which lays the groundwork for more detailed design and planning work to follow.

Lee provides additional details about the funding challenges facing the project, as well as the tough political path the plan had to arrive at this point in its evolution.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019 in MinnPost

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Looking out at trees on 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles, California.

LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism

After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.

April 23 - Torched

White and blue Sacramento regional transit bus with one bike on front bike rack.

Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras

The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.

April 23 - Streetsblog California

View of downtown Seattle with Space Needle and mountains in background

Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum

Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.

April 23 - Next City