The mammoth development project at Edina’s old Macy’s Furniture Store site received a recommendation of approval at the Wednesday meeting of the Edina Planning Commission.
The property, which is being developed by Enclave Cos. and Lifestyle Communities, was approved in a 5-1 vote by the commission, Edina Community Development Director Cary Teague said in an email. The city staff also recommended approval of the project.
According to a staff report, the complex at 7235 France Ave. will span four buildings and will include 68,000 square feet of office space, 523 apartment units, 49 condos, and 21,300 square feet of retail/restaurant space. The development will feature 1,324 parking stalls spread out over four parking garages, one at each building.
Three of the buildings will be seven stories, contain all the apartments and some of the retail and office space. The fourth building will be 11 stories tall, have all the condos and contain a majority of the retail and office space.
Of the 523 proposed units, 53 will be affordable at 50% of the area median income.
Draft plans for the property were presented to the planning commission about a year ago. Those plans included 460 apartment units and 300,000 square feet of office space. Edina Economic Development Manager Bill Neuendorf said it’s not unusual for plans to change from the sketch phase to the final proposal, but he speculates the developer likely changed the current space allocation to adjust to market demands.
Enclave developer Patrick Brama called the land where the development will take place a “superblock” and said the project’s intent is to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly area through mixed-use development.
During a panel discussion in April, JLL senior director Erin Fitzgerald said that cities that choose to shift their real estate to mixed-use are going to have the most success in the post-pandemic environment.
“We’re happy and continue to be excited and honored for the opportunity to work with the community on what we think is a project that is not only good for the people who will be living within this community but the greater community,” Brama said.
The Edina Promenade is a series of pedestrian pathways near the Centennial Lakes Park area of the city. It connects multiple properties on the corridor and is about half a mile away from the former Macy’s location.
Part of the project’s intent is not only to bring residents to the development itself, but to the promenade as well, according to Brama.
“A big part of the project, the intention is to pull the Promenade to France and people from France to the Promenade and create placemaking in a public realm for a public-private partnership win-win,” he said.
Brama said the city is considering creating a way for pedestrians to cross the France Avenue corridor. Brama said that the development changed its setup to allow for a crossing to happen there, if the city decided to do so.
“That was a big part of our public process, working with the city on their vision for a potential pedestrian connection across France Avenue that would land right in the middle of our site,” he said. “Whether it’s above-ground, below-ground; now or in the future.”
Neuendorf said there needs to be a way for pedestrians to cross France Avenue, which is 10 lanes of traffic. He said the first step is finding a safe way to design a bridge or an underpass. Then finding a “palatable” price tag. But, if neither of those things happen, he said, the city probably won’t develop it.
Back in August 2023, the development completed an Environmental Assessment Worksheet, a required review examining potential impacts of a project on the Edina site.
The project now heads to the City Council for final approval during its June 10 meeting. Should approval be granted, construction is expected to start in late 2025, after the removal of the existing structure, and be completed in 2028.
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