What should happen to former Lake Street Kmart location? Minneapolis wants your input.
MINNEAPOLIS — Months after a fire and demolition, Minneapolis has unveiled ideas for the space that will reconnect Nicollet Avenue at the former Kmart site in Minneapolis.
When the old Kmart opened decades ago, it closed the block of Nicollet from 29th to Lake Street. The city now admits that the move in the 1970s created a barrier that affected the south Minneapolis community.
A November fire sped up the demo timeline, and now the city will rebuild. They hope reconnecting this area with a road, public spaces, affordable housing and local businesses will help create a commercial and cultural crossroads.
After lots of public input, the city is presenting residents with several options. One decision will be to tackle where to put public spaces like a plaza, park and recreation courts. One of the renderings shows the public space along the Midtown Greenway, while another lines the new Nicollet Avenue with recreational space.
Yet another rendering under consideration shows a diagonal promenade with a corner park between Nicollet and First Avenue South.
They're also deciding smaller things like parking, sidewalks, bike lanes and green space.
The Nicollet Avenue road and bridge construction is slated to begin in 2025. There's an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Abyssinia Cultural Center on Lake Street. From there, the mayor and city council will finalize a plan.
