The Blueprint

A team led by Lupe Development Partners and Wall Cos. wants to bring more than 100 units of affordable senior housing to a triangular parking area near the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, the latest version of a yearslong effort to redevelop the site.

On Thursday, the Minneapolis Planning Commission Committee of the Whole reviewed plans for the five-story, 104-unit building at 600 Main St. SE. The project would require a comprehensive plan amendment, rezoning and other approvals.

Jess Olstad, a city spokesperson, said in an email that the committee took no formal action.

“The next step for the project team will be to conduct public engagement around their potential comprehensive plan amendment, and to prepare their land use applications for submittal,” Olstad said.

Steve Minn, vice president and chief financial manager of Lupe Development, said Friday that the project received “very positive feedback” from the committee.

“We’re just going to proceed with the rest of our application, which will be in the next week or so,” said Minn, who added that the proposed location is a “perfect site for housing” and that “senior housing is a need.”

A comprehensive plan amendment would require Metropolitan Council review. If the approval process goes well and financing comes together next year, the project could break ground in 2028, Minn said.

A 58-space “principal parking facility” currently occupies the 37,401-square-foot development site, which is framed by Sixth Avenue Southeast, Main Street Southeast, and a railroad property, according to a city staff report.

The project would primarily offer one-bedroom units, though the mix would also include some two-bedroom dwellings and efficiencies. Thirty-nine stalls of underground parking are also planned.

Located near the Stone Arch Bridge trailhead in the Mississippi River Critical Area Overlay District, the project would be “compatible with the surrounding neighborhood architecture,” according to a narrative submitted on behalf of the developer.

The plan includes site improvements such as structured parking and pedestrian spaces, and a new public trail, which would connect to existing Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board trails in Father Hennepin Bluffs Park.

According to the developer’s narrative, the project “represents a reinvestment in a privately owned, undeveloped parcel that is not used for park purposes and is not planned for acquisition.”

The project would align the property’s “land use, built form, and Mississippi River Corridor Critical Area Overlay District designations with the surrounding urban context and applicable regulatory framework,” the narrative states.

Wall Cos. and Lupe Development Partners, doing business as Bluff Street Development, have long wanted to redevelop 600 Main St. SE. In 2023, the developers pitched a plan for 80 affordable housing units on the site.

The developers’ history with the site goes back as far as 2009, when they proposed separate plans for a 98-unit and a 79-unit apartment project, as previously reported. In 2010, Bluff Street sued the city after the City Council rejected the plans. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2011.

When development efforts first started, the Mississippi River Critical Corridor Area rules and regulations had not been defined, and “there was a lot of angst in the community” about what those regulations would be, Minn said.

Those regulations are now “well defined,” clearing the way for development, he said.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Fred and Friends Traveling Tavern is broadening its appeal this season by introducing a new alcohol-free menu geared toward younger guests, joining the popular dirty soda craze sweeping the nation.

Previously focused on the 21-and-older crowd, the tavern has expanded its offerings to include customizable dirty sodas, loaded lemonades, and Alanis—largely thanks to inspiration from 14-year-old staff member Rylynn Bradley, daughter of manager Lindsay Bradley.

“We’ve had the tavern for a couple years now where we cater to our 21 and over crew, but we’ve kind of noticed a need for those under 21,” Lindsay Bradley said. “They want to come up and get a slushy, you know, hang out with mom and dad.”

The tavern offers a rotating selection of drinks featuring about 20 different syrup choices, including both zero sugar and regular soda options.

Among the customer favorites are:

• Dirty Cotton Candy Alani: A vibrant mix of blue raspberry, edible glitter, cotton candy Alani, and cotton candy cold foam
• Bomb Pop: Combines cherry, Sprite, and blue raspberry-infused cold foam for a refreshing taste

“It’s so customizable, which is what we really like about it,” Lindsay said. “You come up, you see the syrups, you see the soda. If you want a drink, we’ll make it.”

Teen Inspiration

Rylynn Bradley, who helped inspire the menu expansion, says working at the tavern has been a valuable learning experience.

“It is such a great opportunity. It helps me learn how to do new things and try to work on my communication skills a little bit better,” Rylynn said. “It’s really fun and it’s one of my favorite things that I do.”

Friends of Fred Network

Fred and Friends Traveling Tavern is part of Friends of Fred, a local network that helps food trucks in the Indianapolis area connect and support each other.

“We all network together, we look out for the best of one another,” Lindsay said. “That’s what you get with Friends of Fred.”

The timing of the expansion coincides with National Food Truck Day, though weather challenges reminded the team of the unpredictable nature of the business.

“The weather has completely derailed almost everybody’s plans today, so that’s food truck life in a nutshell,” Lindsay said.

Where to Find Them

The tavern will be at White River State Park for the upcoming drone show event, serving both its alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink selections.

For those interested in connecting with the Friends of Fred network or finding the tavern’s location, visit the Friends of Fred Facebook page. Look for trucks displaying the “Friends of Fred vetted member” sticker.

Along with the new alcohol-free dirty soda selection, the tavern continues to offer slushies, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, catering to a wide range of tastes throughout the Indianapolis food truck scene.

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – Heinen’s Grocery Store announced on Friday that it will be closing its downtown Cleveland location on the corner of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue.

This last day will be on July 31.

The store first opened in 2015.

All associates at the downtown store will be offered roles at other Heinen’s locations, and there will be no layoffs, the release said. This decision affects only the Downtown Cleveland location.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb shared the following statement after the announcement was released:

This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.