DESCRIPTION
Viva Apartments, TOD housing proposed for 2709 E Lake Street in Minneapolis, expresses the ambition of the Owner team to create a vibrant and iconic street presence evoking the surviving built fabric and symbolizing the neighborhood’s physical recovery. Prior to its destruction during the unrest following the murder of George Floyd, Rodeo Plaza was a social anchor for the neighborhood and broader Latino community. While acknowledging its history, redevelopment of the site will bring new vibrancy through community-focused design, sustainability, affordable housing, and commercial space to support Latino-owned businesses.
The building is intentionally designed to create a gateway across Lake Street with Redesign’s renovated Coliseum Building. Mural and mosaic art is purposefully integrated throughout the architecture to create a physical embodiment of the diversity and vibrancy of the Longfellow neighborhood and provide opportunity for collective commemoration. The VMWP team was able to support this project through Hennepin County’s TOC (Transit Oriented Communities) Predevelopment Assistance program.
TOD Design Features
- Massing thoughtfully emphasizes the commercial corner
- Residential lobby has a distinct entry on East Lake Street adjacent to transit and the East Lake Library
- Commercial space is oriented to provide frontage on Lake and activating the historical commercial strip on 27th Avenue
- The building massing provides resident open space in a south-facing roof deck with views of the Longfellow neighborhood
Green Features
- Building configuration maximizes winter solar energy gain and uses maxing to shelter resident courtyard and proposed adjacent market from winter winds.
- Design for future connection to a proposed district-scale Low Temperature Aquifer Thermal Energy System
PROJECT INFORMATION
- Client: Wilmar Delgado via Hennepin County Transit Oriented Communities Predevelopment Assistance program
- Site Area: 14,213 S.F. / 0.33 acre
- Density: 47 units – 142 DUA
- Completion: Est. 2028
Minneapolis Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
VMWP’s transit-oriented developments combine mixed-use and infill development with pedestrian-friendly streets close to public transportation. These comprehensive plans create lively villages that inspire people to buy locally, use more public transit and drive less. Our TOD projects have included land use plans and urban design guidelines, master plans for new mass transit station areas, and infill visions for park-and-ride lots. VMWP also works with municipalities to develop implementation strategies as well as guidelines with which to evaluate development proposals.