Plymouth Considers Apartments, Mixed-Use Proposals for City Center Redevelopment

The Plymouth City Council is expected to review proposals to redevelop its City Center.

It’s an area where city officials hope to create a walkable, vibrant downtown. 

Each of the proposals include plans for an apartment complex, as well as commercial or retail space.

The council is scheduled to discuss plans from three developers, all of whom are pitching mixed-use developments near Life Time and Plymouth Ice Center (PIC). A special city council meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Back in 2021, city leaders adopted a plan called City Center 2.0 to reflect Plymouth’s vision for the area. Since then, the city has made infrastructure improvements in anticipation of future redevelopment opportunities, including the reconstruction of Plymouth Boulevard.

City documents also show there are plans to add a parking facility to serve the area.

The vision also includes plans to add a fourth sheet of ice at PIC, as part of the city’s Play It Forward Plymouth campaign.

The city had sought legislative approval last spring to put a sales tax referendum on the fall ballot to pay for recreational facility improvements, but Minnesota lawmakers did not advance any local sales tax requests.

“While the area is highly desirable, one of the ongoing challenges has been a lack of available sites due to low vacancy rates, high land prices and reluctant sellers,” city documents stated.

As a result, the city is seeking developer proposals on land it owns — the parking lot in front of PIC and Life Time, which is about 2.5 acres in size.

Reviewing Three Proposals 

The city has received proposals from the following development groups: Hempel Real Estate, Sherman Associates and McCarthy-Monarch-Great States development group.

The proposals are as follows:

Hempel Real Estate 

Minneapolis-based Hempel Real Estate proposes to transform the the city-owned surface parking lot with a 7-story apartment building of between 155 to 165 units. The proposal would include 600 parking stalls, 360 of them for public use. The building would allow for a signature restaurant and retail on the ground level. 

The proposal would require a public-private partnership.

Hempel Real Estate proposal for surface parking lot near Life Time/rendering courtesy Hempel Real Estate

Sherman Associates

Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates proposes two multi-story apartment buildings. One on the south end of the site would be a market-rate building with 205 units and roughly 230 parking stalls. On the north end of the site would be a building of 128 affordable apartments aimed at 60 percent of area median income with about 280 parking stalls.

The proposal allows for ground floor commercial space oriented toward Plymouth Boulevard. 

McCarthy-Monarch-Great States

A third proposal includes Plymouth-based McCarthy Development, Excelsior-based Monarch Development Partners and Fargo, N.D.-based Great States Development.

It’s proposing 185 units up to 6 stories in height and approximately 480 parking stalls. Commercial space along Plymouth Boulevard is also part of the plan.

McCarthy-Monarch-Great States development proposal near Life Time/courtesy McCarthy-Monarch-Great States team

Next Steps

Any of the three proposals would require cooperation with Life Time. City documents show the company has “expressed reservations about any project that might impact its parking, visibility or overall functioning of the site.”

“The cooperation of the company will be critical for any project to advance and having a relationship with Life Time is very helpful,” the city report noted. 

To move forward, the city council will need to choose a finalist for the development. Plymouth would then put together a development agreement to be approved by the council before the end of the year.

The Plymouth Life Time, which opened in 1997, is also undergoing renovations of its own, including locker room improvements and added pickleball space.

Also see: Maple Grove Approves Large-Scale Dick’s House of Sport Development

Plymouth