The city of Minneapolis if offering a first look at what could be ahead for the former Kmart site near Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue S.

Renderings and ideas for the site, long considered an urban planning blunder, are now posted online. Nothing is set in stone, and the city is asking what people think.

A public open house on what the city has dubbed the “New Nicollet Redevelopment” will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Abyssinia Cultural Center, 322 W. Lake St., a few blocks west of the 10-acre site.

At the core of the city’s vision is reconnecting Nicollet between Lake and Cecil Newman Lane. In the late 1970s, Nicollet was bisected to build the Kmart — a decision many in the city came to regret. Planners want to see the area developed as a high-density, mixed-use area, with access for pedestrians and cyclists and public amenities that could range from a public performance stage to a sports court.

The details — How many lanes of traffic? Where will bike routes go? — are laid out in some of the renderings on the city’s website that will be displayed at the open house.

The city demolished the Kmart store in November after it caught fire, but plans to raze and redevelop the site had been underway since 2020, when the city bought out Kmart’s lease.

While redevelopment of the site is still a long way off — perhaps not until 2027 — much of the public infrastructure is on a shorter timeline. The city hopes to break ground on reconnecting Nicollet next year. Following public comments, the City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey are expected to finalize a plan.