Minneapolis, USA 2025
Urban Fabric Repair | Public Realm Masterplan
Collaboration with Build:Public
The last decade brought a different trajectory. Local ownership gave way to national landlords seeking national tenants, followed by out-of-state investors holding the property for an exit that never materialized. Renamed Seven Points in 2020, the complex lost tenants through the pandemic and the civil unrest that followed. Storefronts emptied, several were boarded over, and three of the four corners at Lake and Hennepin fell largely inactive. As everyday street life disappeared, one of Minneapolis's most important urban intersections lost much of its vitality.
A redevelopment proposal followed.
The southern half of the mall, occupied by two long-vacant retail spaces, was slated for a five-story, 228-unit apartment building organized around a gated internal courtyard. The scheme presented blank walls and service areas to the public streets while offering little to the surrounding neighborhood. While additional housing is essential, we believed the site represented an opportunity to do more than add density. It could help restore Uptown's civic life.
Working through an intensive charrette with Build:Public, a collective of architects and urban designers organized by developer Michael Lander, we created an alternative proposal centered on the public realm while maintaining the original project's unit count and program.
The proposal places active retail uses along the street and introduces residential stoops along the building edges so that homes address the sidewalk directly. This approach follows Jane Jacobs's principle of "eyes upon the street," the natural surveillance created by residents, shopkeepers, and pedestrians that helps make urban places both safe and lively.
At the center of the block, we introduced a European-scaled public square designed for cafés, outdoor seating, and everyday social life. The square connects to a covered arcade carved through the existing mall, inspired by the historic passages of Paris. The arcade creates a street-like public room that remains active throughout the long Minneapolis winter, lined with small shops and cafés.
The proposal also subdivides the oversized retail spaces into a network of smaller commercial units. Instead of relying on a handful of large tenants, the project creates opportunities for independent businesses at a variety of scales, strengthening the local economy and lowering barriers to entry for new ventures.
Finally, the existing parking structure is lined with new residential units. The ramp is currently underused, and the neighborhood's greatest need is not additional parking but additional residents.
The urban strategy is matched by a strong economic case. By adding one additional story and tightening the building footprint, the proposal accommodates the same 228 units on a smaller development site, reducing land costs from approximately $6.5 million to $4 million. The reactivated street frontage is estimated to add roughly $2.5 million in value while transforming an annual operating deficit into a positive income stream. The result is a proposal that benefits both the developer and the city while restoring Uptown's civic center.
The project was presented to the community in the fall of 2025 and received strong public support. A three-day outreach campaign generated hundreds of votes, written comments, and signed statements of support, with 93 percent of participants favoring the Build:Public proposal.