Strike Three for Proposed Rezoning on Main St.

A proposal to rezone a small parcel adjacent to the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis was denied by the Minneapolis City Council late last week. The council voted 11-2 to deny the proposed plan to build a six-story, 98-unit apartment building at 600 Main St. SE, adjacent to the east end of Minneapolis' Stone Arch Bridge.

This latest defeat for developer Steve Minn and Bluff Street Development comes a week after the Zoning and Planning Committee of the Minneapolis City Council also voted to deny the plan. That same committee is likely to hear an appeal of the council's decision this week. If the appeal is approved, the full City Council will vote once again on May 8th. If the appeal is denied, Bluff Street Development's remaining course of action would be to take the ruling to court. In an effort to prevent such future lawsuits, the Council also unanimously passed a resolution which provides detailed explanations of the findings that resulted in the vote to deny.

FMR has been recommending denial of the proposal, along with several other groups and organizations including the Minneapolis Park Board , National Park Service, Sierra Club Northstar Chapter, Marcy Holmes and Nicollet Island/East Bank neighborhood organizations, Friends of the (Central) Riverfront, and Minneapolis Park Watch. FMR's concerns rest with the location of the proposed project, situated within a regional park boundary, adjacent to the historic stone arch bridge, and on the riverward side of what will someday be an extension of East River Parkway.