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Enclave Companies are proposing to redevelop the Macy’s Furniture store site at 7235 France Avenue. The proposal is to tear down the existing structure and build the following:
Southwest Parcel. An 11-story mixed use building containing 47,236 square feet of office, 49 senior condominiums, 9,549 square feet of retail/restaurant and a 280-stall parking garage.
Northwest Parcel. A 7-story mixed use building containing 20,825 square feet of office/lobby/conference, 124 apartment units and 7,594 square feet of retail, and a 318-stall parking garage.
Northeast Parcel. A 7-story apartment with 223 units and a 346-stall parking garage.
Southeast Parcel. A 7-story apartment with 176 units and 4,141 square feet of retail/restaurant and a 380-stall parking garage.
The applicant has requested the following:
Preliminary Rezoning from PCD-3 to PUD including an overall development plan. The PUD would ensure that affordable housing is included within the project, and that the Sustainable Buildings Policy is met. In return for providing affordable housing and a building that meets the Sustainable Buildings Policy, the applicant is requesting flexibility to the underlying PCD-3 standards including building height, building material, building transparency, first floor ceiling height, building setbacks, building setback from single-family homes, floor area ratio and building coverage.
Preliminary Site Plan and Subdivision/Replat.
Enclave Companies are proposing to redevelop the Macy’s Furniture store site at 7235 France Avenue. The proposal is to tear down the existing structure and build the following:
Southwest Parcel. An 11-story mixed use building containing 47,236 square feet of office, 49 senior condominiums, 9,549 square feet of retail/restaurant and a 280-stall parking garage.
Northwest Parcel. A 7-story mixed use building containing 20,825 square feet of office/lobby/conference, 124 apartment units and 7,594 square feet of retail, and a 318-stall parking garage.
Northeast Parcel. A 7-story apartment with 223 units and a 346-stall parking garage.
Southeast Parcel. A 7-story apartment with 176 units and 4,141 square feet of retail/restaurant and a 380-stall parking garage.
The applicant has requested the following:
Preliminary Rezoning from PCD-3 to PUD including an overall development plan. The PUD would ensure that affordable housing is included within the project, and that the Sustainable Buildings Policy is met. In return for providing affordable housing and a building that meets the Sustainable Buildings Policy, the applicant is requesting flexibility to the underlying PCD-3 standards including building height, building material, building transparency, first floor ceiling height, building setbacks, building setback from single-family homes, floor area ratio and building coverage.
Public Input- 7235 France Ave, Macy’s Furniture Store Site
The City of Edina offers several ways for people to provide input on development projects. Regardless of the method, all public input is considered, so people need to use only one method.
Instructions for leaving a public comment below:
Your comment will be available to Planning Commission, City Council, staff and others to review immediately instead of waiting until the public hearing.
Your comment will be posted and publicly viewable as soon as you hit 'Submit'.
You will not be able to edit or remove your comment.
Please introduce yourself, your neighborhood and your thoughts about this project. Example: Barbara Smith, The Heights. The project is two blocks from my home and my children would have to walk past it every day on their way to school. Please consider adding sidewalks to this project.
Other ways to provide comment:
1 - Leave a voicemail with your public input at 952-826-0377. Staff will submit the transcribed voicemail to Better Together Edina. (Available once project application is submitted)
2 - Two public hearings will take place for each development project in the City Hall Council Chambers, 4801 W. 50th St. Attend the meetings in person to give public input or watch the meetings live from home on Edina TV (Comcast Channels 813 or 16), Facebook(External link) or EdinaMN.gov/LiveMeetings(External link). Call in to provide live testimony at 312-535-8110. Call in access code and password are provided in the meeting agenda which can be found at EdinaMN.gov/Agendas(External link).
Generally, the City Council makes a decision on each development project at the City Council meeting following the second public hearing.
If you have any difficulties with participating, contact Community Engagement Manager, MJ Lamon at MLamon@EdinaMN.gov or 952-826-0360.
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Hello, my name is Pat Sheridan. I live at 7220 York Avenue South in Edina and I'm calling about the development proposed for the Macy's Furniture Store site at 7235 France Avenue in Edina. I feel that the number of apartments being suggested and requested is far too many. It will really increase our density, affect our park in our area, and the subsequent number of vehicles will cause more congestion. This has to be considered along with the proposed development of 7200 and France and also on France the US Bank site. Increasing our density will decrease our ability to enjoy our area and adversely affect the environment. In addition, the 11-story mixed use building would be far too high and affect our area with air currents and the ability of plants and trees to grow. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/20/24 at 7:54 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
about 4 hours ago
Hello, I am calling to share my thoughts on the Macy's furniture store site. Thank you for listening to my thoughts. My name is Martha Greiner. I live in the Coventry Town Homes at Centennial Lakes and my address is 309 Coventry Lane. First of all, thank you for all of you citizens serving on this important board. I would like to voice my opinion as I live very close to where Enclave Companies are proposing to redevelop the Macy's Furniture site. I feel that that it is way too dense to be putting in a 11-story mixed use building as well as three 7 story buildings. I don't know how the infrastructure can possibly handle all of those people and cars trying to enter and exit all of those buildings from France Avenue and surrounding side streets. I also feel it is way too many people for the Centennial Lakes Park in the current way it was developed. The beautiful, beautiful park... to absorb that many more people potentially using the park. So thank you for listening to my thoughts. I very much appreciate it. I will also be attending the meeting on June 4th. I hope that you will reconsider this and ask Enclave Companies to scale way back. I also don’t want to see such a tall mixed-use building as 11-stories. Even 7-stories in my mind is getting to be too much. What is the vision for skyscraper buildings in the city of Edina? I hope it’s not going to continue anymore like this. Please reconsider. Thank you very much. (Voicemail received 5/17/24 at 10:09 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
3 days ago
Sheila Ziegeweid. 507 Coventry Lane (close to France Ave. regarding the Macy's Furniture Store site). I cannot believe what has been suggested to build there. First of all, it’s all it's going to be too high, too dense, too noisy, too many people. I've lived in Edina since 1969 and I’ve watched the changes. Nothing is cohesive. Every building is different. Nothing fits. I can't imagine you building what you're suggesting on that site. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/17/24 at 10:07 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
3 days ago
My name is Jerry Hutchinson. My address is 7200 York Avenue South, Edina, MN. I'm calling in reference to the public hearing notice that 7235 France Avenue. I disagree with the 11-story mixed-use building. I also disagree with the 7-story mixed-use building. I also disagree with the Northeast and South East parcel of a 7-story apartment building. I think we have plenty enough apartments in this city and we don't need any ugly duckling buildings, like the Westin, sticking out above the rest of the city. I think we should just limit things to possibly 4 stories. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/16/24 at 11:14 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
4 days ago
This is Barbara Bittner at 7220 York Avenue South and I'm calling about the plan for the Macy's Furniture Store site. I object to having it 11 stories high. I think it's going to block a lot of light for one thing for the plants to grow around there. There is enough density and I'm concerned about the density. Also, I realized that we have to do something in that site but it shouldn't be that high of a building. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/15/24 at 8:22 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
5 days ago
Hi. I live in the Coventry Place unit closest to the development in question, the northwest corner of Coventry. It is hard to tell from the drawings, but it appears the 7-story apartment on the Southeast Parcel will be about 50 feet from my home once it is complete. While under construction I expect noise and dirt to be even closer. I cannot believe a new development of such high density will be so close to existing homes. I understand the developers want to put as many units as possible on this land, but I think they have set the density just too high. This will be out of character for the neighborhood. I hope they will go back to the drawing board. Steven Webster
Steve Webster
6 days ago
Hi my name is Jane Stanton and I have lived at the 71 France apartment complex for six years. I have a concern about the size of the new apartment complex that is going into where the Macy's Home Store has been, or is, I believe it's just too many people with probably over a thousand people and those 600 units and there's so much congestion right now in this little area of Edina because there's absolutely no street parking or room for guests to park when they come to visit you with the 71 complex. I didn't see anything that looks like there's any surface parking in the schematic that was published. My big question is whether there will still be a connecting road from the new complex to the 71 complex and the Lunds and shops area over there, as there currently is, I think the amount of traffic will increase dramatically if this does happen because people already are using the roundabout from Hazelton Road and driving right through the 71 France complex because we have buildings on both sides of that little road that comes off of the roundabout and they will use it to get over to the new complex so they don’t have to get onto France Avenue. I also noticed there won’t be any driving entrances to the complex because it has the park on 2 sides. That kind of cuts off a lot of people from being able to come in up from that way. I am also really concerned about that right now because we are a divided complex and that little road that everyone drives on to get over to Lunds and the Pinstripes area. We have to cross that all the time to pick up packages, get to the pool, and the business office. Everything that is in our complex that is communal is over in those buildings. Sometimes it is very dangerous right now to cross that street and I think we’re going to have hundreds more on that little street if we allow the road access setup as it is right now. So, I ask you to look at the road setup and see what the impact is for the neighborhood here before you allow that many more people to be living in this little area. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/13/24 at 8:35 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Liz Olson
7 days ago
Some concerns: 1. With a total of 524 new living units and 1324 parking spaces being proposed in a relatively compact parcel, there better be a thorough traffic study done for France Avenue and adjoining streets. This seems like too much to add here. There also has to be some thought given to how much parking and traffic is being collectively added by other similar developments within a few blocks, like the US Bank property to the north. 2. Where is there mention of a pedestrian/bike bridge over France? What will it look like? How might this coordinate with access to the Promenade and the Nine-Mile Creek trail? How will this project interface with development west across France Avenue on the vacant property? Is the city doing anything to bring the developers together on an overall vision for this area of France Avenue? 3. More TIF financing? Seriously? For only 57 more units (10%) of affordable housing? The school district had to make significant cuts to its budget this year. How can the city continue to justify more projects which will delay tax revenue for Edina schools? Have we gotten to the point where developers simply will not develop unless they get a sweetened deal from the city? Southdale is an in-demand area - why is TIF always necessary to attract development? 4. Could we see a little more creativity in the style and appearance of the buildings? This looks like standard, straight-up apartments scrunched together. This parcel, after all, adjoins the Centennial Lakes area which, stylistically, could use something else. Did the designers look at the park and trails and consider a more coordinated look?
Hello, my name is Pat Sheridan. I live at 7220 York Avenue South in Edina and I'm calling about the development proposed for the Macy's Furniture Store site at 7235 France Avenue in Edina. I feel that the number of apartments being suggested and requested is far too many. It will really increase our density, affect our park in our area, and the subsequent number of vehicles will cause more congestion. This has to be considered along with the proposed development of 7200 and France and also on France the US Bank site. Increasing our density will decrease our ability to enjoy our area and adversely affect the environment. In addition, the 11-story mixed use building would be far too high and affect our area with air currents and the ability of plants and trees to grow. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/20/24 at 7:54 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Hello, I am calling to share my thoughts on the Macy's furniture store site. Thank you for listening to my thoughts. My name is Martha Greiner. I live in the Coventry Town Homes at Centennial Lakes and my address is 309 Coventry Lane. First of all, thank you for all of you citizens serving on this important board. I would like to voice my opinion as I live very close to where Enclave Companies are proposing to redevelop the Macy's Furniture site. I feel that that it is way too dense to be putting in a 11-story mixed use building as well as three 7 story buildings. I don't know how the infrastructure can possibly handle all of those people and cars trying to enter and exit all of those buildings from France Avenue and surrounding side streets. I also feel it is way too many people for the Centennial Lakes Park in the current way it was developed. The beautiful, beautiful park... to absorb that many more people potentially using the park. So thank you for listening to my thoughts. I very much appreciate it. I will also be attending the meeting on June 4th. I hope that you will reconsider this and ask Enclave Companies to scale way back. I also don’t want to see such a tall mixed-use building as 11-stories. Even 7-stories in my mind is getting to be too much. What is the vision for skyscraper buildings in the city of Edina? I hope it’s not going to continue anymore like this. Please reconsider. Thank you very much. (Voicemail received 5/17/24 at 10:09 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Sheila Ziegeweid. 507 Coventry Lane (close to France Ave. regarding the Macy's Furniture Store site). I cannot believe what has been suggested to build there. First of all, it’s all it's going to be too high, too dense, too noisy, too many people. I've lived in Edina since 1969 and I’ve watched the changes. Nothing is cohesive. Every building is different. Nothing fits. I can't imagine you building what you're suggesting on that site. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/17/24 at 10:07 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
My name is Jerry Hutchinson. My address is 7200 York Avenue South, Edina, MN. I'm calling in reference to the public hearing notice that 7235 France Avenue. I disagree with the 11-story mixed-use building. I also disagree with the 7-story mixed-use building. I also disagree with the Northeast and South East parcel of a 7-story apartment building. I think we have plenty enough apartments in this city and we don't need any ugly duckling buildings, like the Westin, sticking out above the rest of the city. I think we should just limit things to possibly 4 stories. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/16/24 at 11:14 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
This is Barbara Bittner at 7220 York Avenue South and I'm calling about the plan for the Macy's Furniture Store site. I object to having it 11 stories high. I think it's going to block a lot of light for one thing for the plants to grow around there. There is enough density and I'm concerned about the density. Also, I realized that we have to do something in that site but it shouldn't be that high of a building. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/15/24 at 8:22 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Hi. I live in the Coventry Place unit closest to the development in question, the northwest corner of Coventry. It is hard to tell from the drawings, but it appears the 7-story apartment on the Southeast Parcel will be about 50 feet from my home once it is complete. While under construction I expect noise and dirt to be even closer. I cannot believe a new development of such high density will be so close to existing homes. I understand the developers want to put as many units as possible on this land, but I think they have set the density just too high. This will be out of character for the neighborhood. I hope they will go back to the drawing board. Steven Webster
Hi my name is Jane Stanton and I have lived at the 71 France apartment complex for six years. I have a concern about the size of the new apartment complex that is going into where the Macy's Home Store has been, or is, I believe it's just too many people with probably over a thousand people and those 600 units and there's so much congestion right now in this little area of Edina because there's absolutely no street parking or room for guests to park when they come to visit you with the 71 complex. I didn't see anything that looks like there's any surface parking in the schematic that was published. My big question is whether there will still be a connecting road from the new complex to the 71 complex and the Lunds and shops area over there, as there currently is, I think the amount of traffic will increase dramatically if this does happen because people already are using the roundabout from Hazelton Road and driving right through the 71 France complex because we have buildings on both sides of that little road that comes off of the roundabout and they will use it to get over to the new complex so they don’t have to get onto France Avenue. I also noticed there won’t be any driving entrances to the complex because it has the park on 2 sides. That kind of cuts off a lot of people from being able to come in up from that way. I am also really concerned about that right now because we are a divided complex and that little road that everyone drives on to get over to Lunds and the Pinstripes area. We have to cross that all the time to pick up packages, get to the pool, and the business office. Everything that is in our complex that is communal is over in those buildings. Sometimes it is very dangerous right now to cross that street and I think we’re going to have hundreds more on that little street if we allow the road access setup as it is right now. So, I ask you to look at the road setup and see what the impact is for the neighborhood here before you allow that many more people to be living in this little area. Thank you. (Voicemail received 5/13/24 at 8:35 AM. Transcribed by City Staff)
Some concerns:
1. With a total of 524 new living units and 1324 parking spaces being proposed in a relatively compact parcel, there better be a thorough traffic study done for France Avenue and adjoining streets. This seems like too much to add here. There also has to be some thought given to how much parking and traffic is being collectively added by other similar developments within a few blocks, like the US Bank property to the north.
2. Where is there mention of a pedestrian/bike bridge over France? What will it look like? How might this coordinate with access to the Promenade and the Nine-Mile Creek trail? How will this project interface with development west across France Avenue on the vacant property? Is the city doing anything to bring the developers together on an overall vision for this area of France Avenue?
3. More TIF financing? Seriously? For only 57 more units (10%) of affordable housing? The school district had to make significant cuts to its budget this year. How can the city continue to justify more projects which will delay tax revenue for Edina schools? Have we gotten to the point where developers simply will not develop unless they get a sweetened deal from the city? Southdale is an in-demand area - why is TIF always necessary to attract development?
4. Could we see a little more creativity in the style and appearance of the buildings? This looks like standard, straight-up apartments scrunched together. This parcel, after all, adjoins the Centennial Lakes area which, stylistically, could use something else. Did the designers look at the park and trails and consider a more coordinated look?