A four-story, 110-unit senior apartment building could soon rise just north of the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, with most of the homes reserved for residents 55 and older and priced at levels affordable to moderate-income households. The project, which developers say will need public subsidy and city approvals, is being pitched as a largely income-restricted community tied to about 60% of the area's median income.
According to the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, the development, called Fairway Commons, is planned as a four-story, 110-unit building targeted to residents age 55 and up. The outlet reports that a majority of those apartments would be reserved with rents affordable to households earning roughly 60% of the area's median income.
Local reporting and city records identify the site as a parking parcel west of the Amber Union building, at the southwest corner of Larpenteur and Snelling avenues. Park Bugle reported that Richfield-based MWF Properties sought county predevelopment funds for the property, and Falcon Heights documents show a Metropolitan Council predevelopment grant tied to an Amber Flats parcel at 1644 Snelling Avenue.
Design and approvals
Preliminary plan materials list Kaas Wilson Architects as the architect on the project and depict a compact four-story structure with underground parking tucked under the building. The developer plans to seek financial support from Ramsey County and state housing programs and to move the site through a planned-unit-development process along with city design review, according to the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Kaas Wilson's existing portfolio features similar senior housing projects across the Twin Cities metro.
Why it matters
Pricing units for households at roughly 60% of the area median income is a standard strategy for adding more affordable housing across the Twin Cities, especially for seniors on fixed incomes. The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis has noted that while the region has recently met some ambitious housing production goals, there is still a sizable gap in affordable options. Ramsey County materials outline the local funding tools that developers often rely on to close financing gaps for projects like Fairway Commons.
Next steps for the Falcon Heights proposal include nailing down subsidy commitments and submitting formal zoning and planned-unit-development applications to the city, which will trigger staff review and public hearings. Falcon Heights records already document predevelopment activity on the parcel, along with the predevelopment grant award that signals early-stage funding work that must be completed before any construction can start.
