Southwest LRT Station Area Strategic Planning: Minneapolis

Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis are conducting a station area strategic planning process for the Royalston, Van White, Penn, 21st Street, and West Lake Street stations along the Minneapolis portion of the proposed Southwest LRT line.

The planning process began in May, 2010 with a multimodal access analysis and an intensive market study which, together with input from area residents, businesses, and community groups, will form the basis for conceptual designs for the station, a detailed land use plan for a half mile radius around each station, and an implementation plan for each station area. The plans will build on previous land use studies and inform future rail design and land use decisions.

Getting Involved
The public input process began in late June and will continue throughout the strategic planning process, which is expected to be complete by the end of 2010. Please see the Meetings & Events page for meeting details.
     ∙Open Houses will be held throughout the planning process. Open houses were held July 13th and 14th and will be held in September, and November, 2010. Interested community members should watch for meeting announcements (sign up here) or check the Meetings & Events page for times and locations.
     Open Houses - July 13 & 14, 2010
          Station Area Information Boards Presented at Open Houses

     ∙A Community Members' Working Group (CMWG) composed of members appointed by neighborhood associations, business associations, local organizations, and owners of property adjacent to stations, will be convened to 1. raise local issues as plans are formulated, and 2. act as liaisons with their representative group. The CMWG will meet four times and meeting topics will correspond to the planning process work being done at the time. CMWG meetings will be open to the public; for times and locations see the Meetings & Events page.
      Community Members' Working Group Meeting - June 22, 2010
           Purpose & Agenda
           Presentation
           Station Area Discussion Notes

Station Area Strategic Planning Team
The Station Area Strategic Planning work will be conducted as a collaboration between Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis. The County and the City have selected a consultant team led by AECOM to carry out the planning activities. AECOM and its subcontractors have extensive experience working on LRT projects, urban design, and transit oriented development.

Printable Handout on Southwest LRT Station Area Strategic Planning - Minneapolis

Southwest LRT Station Area Planning: St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie

In anticipation of the construction of passenger stations along the Southwest Transitway, the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority (HCRRA) is funding a series of station area planning activities in partnership with the cities of Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Hopkins, and St. Louis Park. Planning will occur around the Minneapolis stations in spring of 2010.

Station area planning builds upon the past planning work of each community to analyze how LRT riders will get to the transit stations and how development patterns could change around each station. Community members and city staff will help the Hay Dobbs consulting team develop strategies and recommendations for the station area land-use plans within a half-mile radius around each of the 12 suburban stations. Read more about Station Area Planning and how the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Station Area Planning work together.

Please note that the station area plans are only conceptual and reflect long-term ideas for development around stations. The plans are not construction blueprints or implementation plans.

Station Area Planning Meetings

Stakeholder and public meetings were held in each of the four communities in 2008-2009 to obtain feedback and recommendations. For materials from each of these meetings, please see below:

Spring 2009 Open Houses

Hopkins - April 21, 2009
Click here for presentation boards shown at the Hopkins public meeting.

Minnetonka - May 13, 2009
Click here for presentation boards shown at the Minnetonka public meeting.

St. Louis Park - May 14, 2009
Click here for presentation boards shown at the St. Louis Park public meeting.

Eden Prairie - July 22, 2009.
Click here for presentation boards shown at the Eden Prairie public meeting. Set 1 Set 2

Summer 2009 Open Houses

Hopkins - August 11, 2009
Click here for the station area planning presentation shown at the Hopkins public meeting.
Click here for the Blake Station Handout
Click here for the Downtown Hopkins Station Handout
Click here for the Shady Oak Station Handout

Minnetonka - August 13, 2009
Click here for the station area planning presentation shown at the Minnetonka public meeting.
Click here for the Shady Oak Station Handout
Click here for the Opus Station Handout

St. Louis Park - August 18, 2009
Click here for the station area planning presentation shown at the St. Louis Park public meeting.
Click here for the Beltline Station Handout
Click here for the Wooddale Station Handout
Click here for the Louisiana Station Handout

Eden Prairie - August 19, 2009.
Click here for the station area planning presentation shown at the Eden Prairie public meeting.
Click here for the City West Station Handout
Click here for the Golden Triangle Station Handout
Click here for the Eden Prairie Town Center Station Handout
Click here for the Southwest Station Handout
Click here for the Mitchell Station Handout

Please visit your city’s website for more information about station area planning in your community.

When can I ride the Southwest LRT train?

At this time, the Southwest LRT is projected to open in 2017.