The demand, supply, and cost of public parking have become a central issue in the public conversation about the development underway at 3 sites totaling 10 acres at the southwest corner of Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue, adjacent to the Midtown light rail station and the YWCA Midtown. Planning and zoning codes prescribe transit-oriented development like Clare Midtown, a 3-story apartment with underground parking now being constructed. But cars were king on Lake Street long before Hiawatha Light Rail began running, and despite the progressive plans to capitalize on transit, established uses like Target and the YWCA beckon motorists with virtually unlimited surface parking.

When 10 acres of asphalt turn Transit Oriented, will parking sink the neighborhood? This question frames a new research project by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO).

The research project, which began on June 7, aims to measure the current demand and anticipate new demand for parking brought by mixed-use redevelopment projects in the Corcoran neighborhood. Moreover, the study will engage and convene the YWCA of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Public Schools, the City of Minneapolis, prospective developers, and others in a round table conversation about parking demand, precedents and possible solutions, and shared opportunities for cost savings and fund raising. A final report will help inform ongoing area development.

CNO welcomes Sasha Bergman, a Master of Urban and Regional Planning candidate at the University of Minnesota's Humphrey Institute, to lead the new project. Bergman arrives directly from Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED), the City of Minneapolis department where she completed a planning project this spring.

At the YWCA Midtown, General Manager Kee Vang says the facility has outgrown its parking lot and is exploring new solutions. “We share a roof with the Minneapolis Sports Center, a regional draw for participants of citywide intramural leagues, events, and South High School team practice,” said Vang. “We have nearly 10,000 members and a demand for growth, and our parking lot is consistently full.” A parking deck was considered as part of the YWCA Midtown plans, but was trimmed to cut costs prior to the 2000 construction. Located between the YWCA and the light rail station, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has relocated its citywide Welcome Center and Adult Basic Education programs to 2225 East Lake—former site of its Anishinabe Academy and previously Brown Institute—while preparing a Request for Proposals to redevelop the entire 6-1/2 acre site. These programs, along with the Midtown Farmers Market—which draws over 40,000 customers to the site each season—will be accommodated in any redevelopment project, according to Mark Bollinger, Executive Director of Facilities for MPS. 2225 East Lake also hosts a temporary Park & Ride lot for Metro Transit, though elected officials and city planners generally agree that a Park & Ride with views of Downtown is inconsistent with urban planning principles.

To learn more about the research project, please contact Eric Gustafson at CNO. Corcoran residents are invited to get involved by joining the Land Use & Transportation and Housing committees on the 3rd Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at CNO, 3451 Cedar Avenue South.

Link to June 9, 2010 Media Release.