95-unit affordable housing project coming to former City of Minneapolis site near Blue Line LRT
New family-oriented Snelling Yards joins intergenerational campus in Hiawatha neighborhood
MINNEAPOLIS – Lupe Development and Wall Companies broke ground Friday on a new affordable housing community in the Hiawatha neighborhood alongside Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley. The four-story, 95-unit building will rise on the site of a former City of Minneapolis Public Works maintenance and storage facility and complete the partners’ vision for the site as an affordable, intergenerational community. Click here to download photos from the event.
“A place to live is a foundation and a human right. Since 2018, the City of Minneapolis has invested more than $400 million in affordable housing and homelessness prevention. Today, we celebrate an important milestone for one of these investments,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. “What was once underutilized City property will become a home for our neighbors who need that stable foundation with important connections to transit, services and businesses in our community.”
Located at 3601 E 44th St., Snelling Yards features generously sized units affordable to families earning 30%-80% of area median income, with 13 units reserved for veterans experiencing homelessness. The new building will share amenities with the Hillock, the neighboring 100-unit 55+ community managed by Ecumen, including an outdoor community area and playground.
“This project has been many years in the making, and we are thankful for our partners at the City of Minneapolis for their diligence in seeing it through,” said Lupe Development Vice President Aaron Diederich. “The result is a project that is much more than the sum of its parts, thanks to the incredible connections Snelling Yards will offer as part of this intergenerational campus in the Hiawatha neighborhood.”
Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2026.
Snelling Yards received funding from the City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and Minneapolis Public Housing Authority. Allianz Investment Management provided tax-exempt bond financing and a construction bridge loan. R4 Capital is the low-income housing tax credit investor.
About Lupe Development Partners
Lupe Development Partners is a Twin Cities-based, women-owned enterprise that plans, develops and manages residential and mixed-use real estate in the Twin Cities urban core. Since 1989, the company has developed, owned and renovated more than 2,200 apartment or condominium units and more than 1 million square feet of retail, residential and industrial property. Lupe Development Partners has recently completed several affordable housing projects, including Forty-Forty Flats in Edina and the Theodore and the Eloise in Minneapolis.
About Wall Companies
Wall Companies has a long history of development in the Twin Cities. For nearly 60 years, the company has developed hundreds of residential units, and over 2 million square feet of retail, office and industrial property. Wall Companies is committed to developing diverse neighborhoods and sustainable buildings that enhance the lifestyles of those who live in them, while preserving community and quality.