Minneapolis has set its sights on reopening Nicollet Avenue to cars, bikes and pedestrians at Lake Street by Nov. 24, closing a gap in the corridor that has existed since the Kmart store known as the Nicollet Wall cut it off in 1977. The target date, which city officials say is contingent on weather, would reconnect Eat Street with downtown for the first time in nearly 50 years.
According to FOX 9, a target date to reopen the popular corridor has been set for Nov. 24, pending weather delays. The station also noted that any delay bumping up against the Thanksgiving holiday would likely push the reopening into the following week, meaning the long-awaited link could still slip past the holiday if conditions do not cooperate. The City of Minneapolis Government shared news of the project on Facebook, calling it “BIG news” as plans move forward to reconnect Nicollet Avenue with Eat Street and downtown.
The scope of the project goes beyond simply repaving a missing block. The reopened street is set to include accessibility improvements, bridge upgrades over the Midtown Greenway and transit enhancements, according to the City of Minneapolis Government. Those transit changes have a concrete date attached: Axios Twin Cities reports that Metro Transit's Route 18 bus will no longer have to detour around the block once quarterly service changes take effect Dec. 5.
A Wall Coming Down After Nearly 50 Years
The Kmart building that severed Nicollet Avenue in 1977 has loomed over the corridor for generations, and its removal marks the literal undoing of that decades-old barrier. The reconnection follows nearly 50 years of separation along the corridor, per the city's own description of the project. Once reopened, the street will again let drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians pass straight through a stretch that has forced detours since the Kmart era began.
The redevelopment plan calls for Nicollet Avenue to be rejoined and open to cars, with a pedestrian and bike promenade running diagonally through the 10-acre site, the Star Tribune reports. That vision contrasts with community sentiment captured elsewhere: Our Streets says the car-free option ranked first in a city community survey of more than 2,500 participants, a notable tension between what residents favored and what the city ultimately chose to build.
Housing, a Park and Retail Fill Out the Site
Beyond the roadway itself, the former Kmart site is slated to transform into a community destination with housing, nonprofit and retail spaces, and a park, according to the city. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board describes plans to develop a high-density, mixed-use, walkable district on the rest of the city-owned site alongside the street reconnection. The Star Tribune similarly reports that a new city park will sprout up as part of the broader redevelopment.
Details on the first phase of development remain in flux, and accounts of its status diverge. The Star Tribune reported that both proposals under consideration for phase one included affordable apartments, nonprofit space and a handful of retail shops. FOX 9 reported that the city continued to solicit developer bids on phase one of the project, even as it had already run several community surveys. Axios Twin Cities, however, reported that the City Council had selected developer Trellis for the first phase, with a pitch for 119 affordable apartments and a construction start no earlier than 2028. Hoodline could not independently resolve which account reflects the project's current status.
What Comes Next for Drivers and Riders
For now, the most concrete marker for Minneapolis residents is the Nov. 24 target to get cars, bikes and foot traffic moving through the site again before Thanksgiving. The accessibility and transit improvements built into the reopened road, including the Midtown Greenway bridge work, are designed to serve the broader mixed-use district the city and park board have described. Whether the housing and retail components follow on the timeline either report suggests remains to be seen as the project moves forward.
