During a March 15 retreat, the Edina City Council discussed a plan by Alpha Investment Group to convert a Marriott Residence Inn into 136 affordable apartment units, potentially delivering housing to workers in the Southdale area by mid-2025 without the typical funding delays that plague affordable housing projects.

Alpha Investment Group is proposing to transform the Marriott Residence Inn at Edinburgh Way and 78th Street from a 133-unit hotel into 136 apartment units focused on naturally occurring affordable housing—a term for housing that remains affordable without government subsidies. The conversion would involve minimal structural changes, allowing the project to move quickly.

The projected rents are modest: $1,100 per month for studios and $1,250 for one-bedroom units. These prices are designed to be accessible to workers employed in the nearby Southdale area, a regional employment hub.

A key advantage of this approach, according to project representatives, is speed. "We're excited from the standpoint that we can deliver rentable units in a very quick way where we're not waiting years and we don't got funding delays and all the stuff you would associate with a project that's going to be affordable to a lot of people right in the immediate Southdale area that come in here for employment," one speaker said during the retreat.

Unlike traditional affordable housing developments that often require years of planning and securing government funding, this conversion leverages an existing building structure. Work is scheduled to begin soon, with units targeted for occupancy by mid-2025.

The project represents a pragmatic approach to Edina's housing needs, converting underutilized hotel space into residential units at a time when affordable housing remains scarce in the Twin Cities region. The council's discussion of the project during its retreat suggests it is a priority item for the city.