Lupe Development celebrates The Hillock grand opening with Ecumen
The community, residents, project team and city representatives celebrated the grand opening of The Hillock, a 100-unit affordable senior housing community in Minneapolis.
The event included a short program, ribbon-cutting and tours. The Hillock recently welcomed its 100th resident, reaching full-occupancy.
The Hillock is the first phase in creating a 100% affordable, intergenerational campus called Snelling Yards, and redevelops a three-acre parcel at Snelling and 45th Street that formerly housed City Public Works. The Hillock adds vibrancy to the neighborhood and addresses a chronic shortage of need-specific, affordable housing for 55+ residents rooted in single-family housing. Designed to provide a safe, affordable, maintenance-free living option adjacent to public transit for older Minneapolis residents, The Hillock also offers the benefits of socialization and community.
PROJECT TEAM:
- Owner, Developer & Housing Manager: Ecumen
- Co-Developer: Snelling Yards Development, a joint venture between Lupe Development Partners and the Wall Companies
- Contractor: Frana Companies
- Architect & Interior Designer: Pope Design Group
- Civil Engineer: Stantec
- Structural Engineer: Steen Engineering
- Grant Writer: Rippley Richard Real Estate Development Services, LLC
- Photographer: Nate Johnson Studio and Tonka Real Estate Photography
Codeveloped by Ecumen and Snelling Yards Development, a joint venture between Lupe Development Partners and the Wall Companies, the redevelopment of the Snelling and 45th Street site has involved years of careful planning and collaboration through several challenges.
The Snelling Yards redevelopment, with The Hillock and the future phase of family housing, helps meet this area’s critical need for quality affordable housing. The Hillock provides homes to low- and moderate-income seniors age 55+ with all units at or between 30% and 60% AMI. The intergenerational approach allows aging seniors, entry-level workforce, and working family residents an opportunity to remain and thrive in their neighborhood with quality housing. This site is an ideal location for an intergenerational community due to its proximity to transit, jobs, retail and services.
Campus amenities help all residents build relationships with their neighbors. Fostering connections through intergenerational living gives seniors a sense of purpose, decreases isolation, and creates a place for sharing skills and ideas with younger generations. The project’s community garden along 45th Street will be programmed by Ecumen and open to the public. The garden supports food security initiatives and provides a space for residents and neighbors to tend and harvest fresh food together.