The changing skyline of northeast Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Apartments and condos are going up just as fast as people are moving to the city, but not everyone is happy with the so-called 'residential boom.'

On the former Nye’s site stands a six-story building with 72 apartments. At the former Superior Plating site, there’s a building with 20 stories and 280 units. The tallest of them all stands at 40 stories and has with 214 condos at the former Washburn-McReavy site. They’re all part of a changing northeast skyline.

"We've been going to war on surface parking lots for several years and we're winning," said Jacob Frey, Minneapolis City Councilman.

The residential boom in Minneapolis has been encouraged by city leaders like council member Frey as the city tries to reach a downtown density goal of 70,000 residents by 2025.

"You don't create an urban paradise of retail and shops if you don't have people to maintain it," said Frey.

But all that upward construction hasn't been without opposition.

Ted Bennett and his buddies play racquetball at the St. Anthony Club, which only has weeks left before it gets torn down to make way for condos.

"Another one bites the dust, there's not many left," said Bennett. "Anything mom and pop would be great to keep around here and it's another scary thing with Nye's gone, but I understand it and it’s going to happen and there's nothing we can do about it."

As long as projects are within zoning requirements, meet city code, and are on private property, then developers can largely do with them what they please.

But Frey says developers have worked well with city leaders and neighbors to make sure their projects are making a downtown everyone wants to live in.

"We can preserve historic character and simultaneously make our own history in 2016," said Frey.