2006 MASLA Merit Award for Planning and Research
The Bassett Creek Valley area just west of downtown Minneapolis currently contains a wide variety of uses, but is primarily industrial, including a City impound lot and a concrete storage and crushing facility, both of which occupy large portions of the project area. Given that the project area is prime land in close proximity to downtown—including some tremendous views of the downtown skyline—these industrial uses represent underdevelopment and are incompatible with adjacent residential and park uses.
HKGi led the consultant team, an advisory committee, and two neighborhood groups through an intensive public participation and planning process that has as its objective a “reality-based” redevelopment plan addressing appropriate uses and densities; environmental remediation; infrastructure; and building form, massing and scale. HKGi prepared a Master Plan and set of Urban Design Design Guidelines for the property.