Reconnect Nicollet project: City unveils vision for former Kmart site | FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Expand / Collapse search
☰

Reconnect Nicollet project: City unveils vision for former Kmart site

By and
Published  February 25, 2025 6:21pm CST
Whittier
FOX 9

The Brief

    • Minneapolis city leaders shared their vision for the future of the former Nicollet Kmart site.
    • The city is working to reconnect Nicollet Avenue near Lake Street, after it was disconnected decades ago.
    • Some early work is expected to start this year, but it may take a few years for the street to reopen.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Work is expected to begin this year on a multi-year plan to reconnect Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis. On Tuesday, the City of Minneapolis unveiled its vision for the former Kmart site.

Reconnect Nicollet

The backstory:

The Kmart on Nicollet Avenue blocked off the street between Lake Street and West 29th for decades, starting in the late 70s.

Some resident groups have long pushed for the street to be reconnected. The closure of the Kmart location and a SuperValu store at the site over the last decade has allowed city leaders to move forward with a plan to restore the avenue.

Nicollet Avenue reconnection plans unveiled

After years of debate, work is expected to begin this year on a multi-year plan to reconnect Nicollet Avenue in south Minneapolis.

A fire at the former Kmart building in 2023 sped up the process, forcing the city to move up the demolition of the building.

Last year, city leaders approved a concept for the street.

What we know:

On Tuesday, Minneapolis leaders talked about the vision for the Kmart site.

Along with reconnecting the avenue, the plans call for adding both commercial and residential space and a park.

City leaders say the residential buildings will bring 500 to 600 rental units to the area, including both market rate and affordable housing. The commercial space will be limited and concentrated on corners, with a focus on bringing locally-owned shops to the area.

City officials say the draft framework for the site was the result of a wide-range of public input. The vision is being shared with members of the public at an open house on Tuesday.

While early work to transform the site will begin this year, it could take three years to reconnect the street.

Nicollet Avenue timeline

Timeline:

The project to reconnect Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis has been ongoing for years.

  • 1978: After reaching an agreement with the city, Kmart builds its store at Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street. The new store closed the blocks of Nicollet between Lake and 29th Street South. The store replaced a number of vacant businesses in that area. A SuperValu grocery store also opened on the former block.
  • 2014/2015: SuperValu closes, and the city buys the store's former location.
  • March 2020: The Minneapolis City Council approves the termination of Kmart's lease. As part of the deal, Kmart agreed to close by June 30, 2020. A couple of months after the council vote, George Floyd was killed just blocks away. The Kmart store is damaged in the ensuing riots. After the Kmart closed, the USPS moved into the building temporarily following the Floyd riots.
  • 2022/2023: Planning begins for the future of the Kmart site. Public meetings are held.
  • October 2023: A fire breaks out at the former Kmart store, causing parts of the building to collapse. The fire speeds up the timeline for the building, which was set to be demolished the following year.
  • November 2023: The former Kmart building is demolished.
  • March 2024: Project leaders offer up a set of recommended concepts for the future of Nicollet Avenue.
  • May 2024: The Minneapolis City Council approves a plan to reconnect Nicollet Avenue from Lake Street to 29th Street and Cecil Newman Lane.
WhittierBusiness