The Midtown Greenway Coalition encourages Greenway real estate development, but in a way that offers an attractive urban environment. With feedback from the neighborhoods, we have proposed design goals and a zoning ordinance overlaying the entire corridor. Due to its history as a freight rail corridor, the Greenway is characterized by industrial back doors and large blank walls. We are looking ahead to the Greenway's future use as a beautiful green space used for transportation and recreation. We anticipate that there will continue to be a mix of different land uses along its edges. New buildings or major changes to existing buildings framing the corridor are opportunities to present more attractive facades and better physical integration with the corridor, whether these buildings are industrial, commercial, or residential. Our proposed design goals and zoning overlay seek to foster this corridor transformation over time. We expect that his will enhance the Greenway and benefit adjacent property owners.

Documents, Articles, and Links

1. Zoning Overlay District Report: October 13, 2003

This report is available in two formats. Under 'A', Chapters I - IX can be downloaded in one file and the Vision Statement and Urban Design Goals are available in higher resolution files. Under 'B', Chapters I - IX can be downloaded as smaller or separate files and the Vision Statement and Urban Design Goals are availabale as lower resolution/smaller files. The information 'A' and 'B' is identical.

A. ZOD Report as one file and/or higher resolution

Chapters I - IX (3.5 MB): Introduction, Questions Raised, Outreach Process, Revised Zoning Overlay District (Revised), Non-Conforming Use Analysis, Solar Envelope Impact Analysis, Solar Access and Eyes on the Greenway, Density Credit Study

Chapter X:
Vision Statement (669 KB)
Urban Design Goals (2.9 MB)

B. ZOD Report as multiple files and/or lower resolution

Chapters I - IV (263 KB): Introduction, Questions Raised, Outreach, How has the ZOD Changed
Chapter V (888 KB): Revised Zoning Overlay District
Chapter VI ((1.07 KB): Non-Conforming Use Analysis
Chapter VII (1.13 KB): Solar Envelope Impact Analysis
Chapters VIII & IX (494 KB): Solar Access and Eyes on the Greenway, Density Credit Study

Chapter X
Vision Statement (293 KB)
Urban Design Goals (804 KB)

2. Midtown Greenway Phase III Land Use Plan

This land use planning project was funded by Hennepin County and was undertaken cooperatively with consultants and the involvement of the Longfellow Community Council, Seward Neighborhood Group, Seward Redesign, and the Midtown Greenway Coalition. It was completed in the summer of 2004.

To link to the Seward Neighborhood Group's web site and the land use plan, click here.

3. Midtown Greenway Land Use and Development Plan

The City of Minneapolis engaged consultants in 2005 to undertake a land planning effort for the area a block north and south of the Midtown Greenway along Phases I and II from the City's western border to Hiawatha Avenue.  The plan excluded the geographic area on the south side of the Greenway from Blaisdell Avenue to 11th Avenue, as this was addressed in the Midtown Minneapolis Land Use and Development Plan. (To view this plan on the city's web site, click here).

Throughout late 2005 and most of 2006 a steering committee and public meetings guided the plan.  Recent activity on this plan includes:

• A public comment version of the plan was made available in early November 2006.
  
  
• The Midtown Greenway Coalition submitted recommended changes and a number of them were incorporated into a 12/12/06 version of the document which was sent to the City's Planning Commission for consideration.
  
  
• On December 18, 2006 the Planning Commission adopted the 12/12/06 version of the document (To view this plan on the city's web site, click here).  They adopted it along with a few additional "Consensus Changes" recommended by the Midtown Greenway Coalition.  To view a marked agenda from the Planning Commission that details their action, click here.
  
  The plan next goes to the City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee for adoption, and then to the full Council.  Click here (504kb pdf file) to see the Consensus Changes recommended by the Coalition and adopted by the Planning Commission, as communicated in a City staff memo to the Zoning and Planning Committee members. After Zoning and Planning, the Plan goes to the full City Council.  Once adopted by the City Council the document becomes an amendment to the City's comprehensive plan.
  
  
• The January 18, 2007 agenda of the City's Zoning and Planning Committee included an item to adopt the Midtown Greenway Land Use and Development Plan as forwarded by the Planning Commission, but the item was postponed two meeting cycles until February 15.  The Midtown Greenway Coalition continues to advocate for additional changes to make the document as strong as possible in protecting the public interests in the Greenway and thoughtfully guiding development along its edges.  The changes the Coalition continues to advocate for are in an called Unresolved Issues document. Click here to read that document (170kb pdf file).

Additional questions about this process can be directed
to Tim Springer at tim@midtowngreenway.org.  

4. Zoning performance by Wendy Morris, November 2002. Quicktime v.6 movie 5.6 MB, with text. Requires Apple's free Quicktime Player v.6 or later.

Zoning Movie

5. What Can We Learn From the Uptown Transfer Station: April 14, 2002

• High resolution PDF file for printing - 527KB

6. 1996 Midtown Greenway Master Plan

7. Policy and resolutions

8. Articles

A Great Greenway is Good For Business
The Greenway newsletter, Winter 2003, page 2, click here (PDF file, 949kb)