The Minneapolis Planning Commission approved three significant development and policy items during its August 4 meeting, including a controversial 34-unit apartment building and a street renaming that drew dozens of public speakers.

Commissioners unanimously approved a site plan review and variance for Footprint Development to construct a four-story, 34-unit apartment building at 734 and 800 Tyler Street Northeast. The project, which will demolish an existing single-family home, requires no vehicle parking and will be built to Passive House energy efficiency standards with rooftop solar panels. Neighbors raised concerns about parking impacts and construction disruption, while supporters praised the environmental benefits and transit-oriented design near Broadway Street and Central Avenue corridors.

In a 7-0 vote, the commission recommended approval of renaming Edmund Boulevard to Lena Smith Boulevard, honoring Minnesota's first Black female attorney instead of Edmund Walton, a real estate developer who pioneered racially restrictive housing covenants in Minneapolis. The proposal drew overwhelming community support during a lengthy public hearing, with speakers from the Reclaiming Edmund Boulevard group detailing five years of neighborhood outreach that resulted in 69% of Edmund Boulevard residents and 80% of Ward 12 residents supporting the change according to survey data.

Commissioners also approved amendments to minimum height requirements in transit-oriented zoning districts, reducing requirements from four to three stories in Transit 15 districts and from six to four stories in Transit 20 areas. The changes split Transit 30 districts into two categories, with Transit 30A maintaining a six-story minimum in downtown areas and Transit 30B requiring five stories elsewhere. The amendments also exempt parks, production uses, and basic utilities from height minimums.

The Tyler Street project will proceed to construction following preliminary development review, while the Edmund Boulevard renaming advances to the City Council's Business Housing and Zoning Committee on September 22 for final approval. The zoning amendments take effect October 1 following implementation by the city's planning division.