2 new developments promise to transform section of N. Mpls

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Two separate developments promise to transform a section of north Minneapolis in more ways than one.

NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center plans an expansion worth about $66 million near the intersection of Penn Avenue North and Plymouth Avenue North, while Thor Construction plans to move its headquarters just across the street, a separate project worth at least $30 million. 

“What I think you’re really doing is creating hope,” Ravi Norman, CEO of Thor Construction, said. “I think far too often the narrative about north Minneapolis is about deficits and disparities. And we want to change some of that narrative.”

The plans have been in the works for years. NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center has been in the community since 1968. Beyond health and dental care, the center also offers community services. CEO Stella Whitney-West said the center is serving more people than ever before, but that is not the only reason why the expansion is needed.

“And we understand that for a community to be healthy, there has to be jobs, we understand that there has to be safe affordable housing, we understand that the streets have to be safe,” Whitney-West said.

The center plans to expand all the way to the corner of Penn and Plymouth. Estes Funeral Home would move across the street to make room for the expansion.

Separately, Thor Construction plans to move its headquarters from Fridley, Minn. to the southeast corner of the intersection, which will also feature retail space.

The projects need some government approvals and land transfers to be completed.

Some of the land is owned by City of Minneapolis and if the plans are approved, the city would transfer ownership of the land to Hennepin County for $1. Hennepin County would cover the cost for environmental remediation needed on some of the sites, and facilitate land transfers to enable the development to move forward.

The Hennepin County Board has already signed off on the plan, but they are making their way through the Minneapolis City Council. Thor Construction hopes to break ground on the phase of its project this fall, while the NorthPoint plan is about three years away.