Development At 36th And Grand Could Open Aug. 2013

A proposed apartment at 36^th and Grand could open as soon as August of 2013, according to the developer, if the Minneapolis Planning Commission gives the go-ahead in a hearing on Monday afternoon.

Unlike several recent Southwest Minneapolis developments, the 3535 Grand project is arriving in front of City Hall Room 317’s big wooden dais with a good deal of support from its neighborhood.

“It’s a really good development for infill on this kind of zoning,” said Mark Hinds, Executive Director of the Lyndale Neighborhood Association. “The relatively large unit size means renters might stay here for the long-term.”

Hinds added that many Lyndale residents are excited by the developer’s use of underground parking (28 spaces) and several “green” aspects to the design—managing all stormwater on-site, and proposed environmentally-friendly fixtures.

The 3535 Grand project will have 30 units, with one-bedroom apartments coming in around 800 square feet and 2-bedroom units coming in around 980 square feet, said developer Daniel Oberpiller. Oberpiller said his company, CPM Property Management, was planning to own and manage the building as a rental property for the foreseeable future, something Hinds said excited the neighborhood as well.

“In our experience, people who’re building to own cut far fewer corners than people who’re building to sell or convert to condos, once the market improves,” he said.

Some neighbors have been nervous about the project, however, with concerns about the availability of on-street parking. Hinds said parking concerns were partly due to the popular , across the street from the development, and suggested conditions might improve if the next business to move into Butter’s space is less popular. into the later this year.