Lake Street Kmart
Lake Street Kmart
The words “Lake Street Kmart” have been a sure way to evoke groans from Minneapolis residents for decades. The big-box store was plopped on top of Nicollet Ave in 1977, disconnecting the north end of a major Minneapolis artery from the south end and fracturing nearby neighborhoods. Last Friday, the City Council put forward plans to rebuild the contested landmark’s 10 acre lot as a mixed-use district dubbed “New Nicollet”.
Shortly after Kmart filed for bankruptcy, the city bought the lot in 2020, prematurely terminating the store’s 75-year lease. But demolition discussions stagnated following the murder of George Floyd when the Minnehaha and Lake Street USPS locations burned down and the Kmart building took on its latest form as a makeshift post office.
Because of this USPS lease, demolition likely won’t begin until March 2024 at the earliest. But eventually, bikes, buses, cars and pedestrians will move smoothly along a connected Nicollet Ave and through a “high-density mixed use walkable district,” which looks like buildings 4-15 stories tall (possibly taller), with storefronts on the bottom floor of some, interspersed with public spaces.
The project expectations and framework laid out last week aren’t a detailed construction plan, but rather a foundation to start from. This full-scale overhaul will require an enormous amount of planning to prioritize the needs of nearby residents, many of whom relied on the Kmart and the adjacent grocery store for affordable necessities before its closure, and are potentially at risk of displacement due to shiny new developments.
Phase I, which will start in early 2022, aims to gather feedback from those who live, work or frequent locations near the site. The multi-pronged approach described in the city’s public engagement framework will spur conversation and research around topics like affordable housing and climate justice.
Phase II, sometime toward the end of 2022, involves dreaming up a network of public spaces around and through the former Kmart site to benefit pedestrians, bikes, and public transit commuters. Phase III focuses on the future development of buildings on site. Ultimately, final decisions will be voted on by City Council and then approved by the Mayor.
During the 6-8 months of Phase I, the city says it will gather input through focus groups, virtual meetings, online surveys, interviews and more. Keep an eye out for a project webpage on the City’s website soon, designed to share project documents, conduct polls and post progress updates.
The “New Nicollet” project framework points out that historically, BIPOC renters and low-income residents have been vastly underrepresented in civic processes and city planning efforts. Though many would relish seeing the old Kmart building and surface parking lots upended tomorrow, taking time to thoughtfully implement feedback from community members is necessary to ensure that the reconnection of Nicollet Ave doesn’t create new fractures.
