Warehouse District Heritage Street Plan
In the spring of 2010 the City of Minneapolis applied for and received an Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund (“Legacy”) Grant to develop the Warehouse District Heritage Street Plan. The plan builds upon the information and guidance developed in the Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District Designation, Minneapolis Warehouse Historic District Design Guidelines, and the North Loop Small Area Plan.
The purpose of the plan is to provide clear direction on the pressing issue of how to protect the historic infrastructure of the District while promoting an accessible and pedestrian friendly environment. The plan will improve the decision-making process for the adaptive reuse of streets in the historic district.
The geographic scope of the project is the twenty-three blocks of streets and numerous alleys that retain original paving materials and the industrial infrastructure. The original paving materials include brick, cobblestone, and wood paver systems. The industrial infrastructure includes loading docks, canopies, and abandoned railroad tracks in the public right-of-way.
The City hired Bonestroo, Inc to work with CPED and Public Works to reach a preferred design for each heritage street and to outline a possible funding and implementation plan. A task force made up of people with expertise and interest in the historic district guided the City and its consultants throughout the process.
The document is a detailed street by street plan with specific trouble-shooting for how to preserve the remaining historic materials and industrial infrastructure, while accommodating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements and the need for street and sewer repairs. Chapter 5: Specific Street Analysis, Concept Plans and Recommendations shows in detail how to accommodate accessibility needs, stormwater management needs, and preservation needs on each block. The plan will be used to inform the individual site decisions that property owners, design professionals, and the City will need to make when buildings in the District are rehabilitated. It will also be used as the guiding document for the design and development of City capital improvement projects for the reconstruction and repair of the streets and alleys.
The Warehouse District Heritage Street Plan was approved by the North Loop Neighborhood Association on July 27, 2011 and the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission on August 23, 2011.
Chapter 2 – Plan Purpose and Background
Chapter 3 – Issues, Analysis and Planning Policy
Chapter 4 – Historic Context and Precedent Case Studies
Chapter 5 – Specific Street Analysis, Concept Plans and Recommendations
Chapter 6 – Implementation Recommendations and Strategies
Appendix 2 – Historic Documentation
Appendix 3 – Additional Analysis
Appendix 4 – Comments and Actions
Task Force Meeting #1
Task Force meeting #2
- Agenda
- Presentation
- Street Paving History
- Heritage Street Summary Document
- Warehouse District Heritage Streets Plan - Design Issues - Considerations
Case Studies
- Summary of Case Studies
- Dumbo District Case Study
- Philadelphia Case Study
- Rock Island Case Study
- Dubuque Case Study
- Wichita Case Study
Concepts
Contact
Beth Elliott
Brian Schaffer , AICP, Senior City Planner
Online information from the City of Minneapolis at MinneapolisMN.gov/CPED
Last updated Jan. 31, 2012