Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA)
The Racial Equity Impact Analysis helps the City consider racial equity outcomes when shaping policies, practices, programs and budgets.
Comprehensive Plan amendment: Built form guidance, 3554 Girard Avenue South - REIA
Section 1: Background
| Public Safety | No |
| Housing | Yes |
| Economic Development | No |
| Public Services | No |
| Environmental Justice | No |
| Built Environment & Transportation | Yes |
| Public Health | No |
| Arts & Culture | No |
| Workforce | No |
| Spending | No |
| Data | Yes |
| Community Engagement | No |
The purpose of this comprehensive plan amendment is to amend the built form policy guidance in Minneapolis 2040 for the property located at 3554 Girard Ave S from Interior 2 to Corridor 4, to allow for a new four-story multiple-family dwelling. The project is planned to include six for-sale condominium units.
The amendment will help achieve City policy goals related to Housing and Built Form and Transportation by increasing the supply of housing, including housing near high-quality transit and retail goods and services due to the project’s proximity to Hennepin Avenue and the proposed METRO E Line aBRT and local bus routes. The proposed project would also help achieve City goals of supporting new and innovative housing types, as it would be among very few missing-middle scale project with homehownership opportunities recently constructed in the city.
The amendment will help achieve City policy goals related to Housing and Built Form and Transportation by increasing the supply of housing, including housing near high-quality transit and retail goods and services due to the project’s proximity to Hennepin Avenue and the proposed METRO E Line aBRT and local bus routes. The proposed project would also help achieve City goals of supporting new and innovative housing types, as it would be among very few missing-middle scale project with homehownership opportunities recently constructed in the city.
Andrew Frenz, Rattana Sengsoulichanh
Section 2: Data
The project site is located in the South Uptown Neighborhood. According to the 2016-2020 American Communities Survey, the racial demographics of the South Uptown Neighborhood are 8.5% Black, 4.1% Asian, 7.4% Hispanic or Latino, 7.5% two or more races, and 72% white. Data on the American Indian population is not readily available at this geographic level.
This is compared to the racial demographics citywide which are 19.6% Black, 1.1% American Indian, 5.9% Asian, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 4.5% two or more races, and 59.7% white.
This is compared to the racial demographics citywide which are 19.6% Black, 1.1% American Indian, 5.9% Asian, 9.6% Hispanic or Latino, 4.5% two or more races, and 59.7% white.
In terms of demographics of residents in the neighborhood that includes the subject property, the South Uptown neighborhood has a lower percentage of Black and Hispanic or Latino residents compared to citywide by 11 and 2 percentage points, respectively.
In regard to housing, in Minneapolis BIPOC households are more likely to be renters compared to white households. According to the 2012-2016 ACS 5-Year Estimates, in Minneapolis about 20 percent of Black and American Indian, 25 percent of Latino, and 34 percent of Asian households owned their own, whereas 58% of white households owned the home they occupied.
Housing accordability also continues to be a growing issue that Minneapolis residents face. Housing costs have risen relative to incomes for renters in Minneapolis at a higher rate than for homeowners. The rising cose of housing is disproportionately impacting households of color. According to the 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample, at least 50 percent of Black and American Indian households, 45 percent of Hispanic or Latino houeholds, and 38 percent of Asian households are housing cost burdened, compared to 28 percent of white households.
In regard to housing, in Minneapolis BIPOC households are more likely to be renters compared to white households. According to the 2012-2016 ACS 5-Year Estimates, in Minneapolis about 20 percent of Black and American Indian, 25 percent of Latino, and 34 percent of Asian households owned their own, whereas 58% of white households owned the home they occupied.
Housing accordability also continues to be a growing issue that Minneapolis residents face. Housing costs have risen relative to incomes for renters in Minneapolis at a higher rate than for homeowners. The rising cose of housing is disproportionately impacting households of color. According to the 2015-2019 ACS 5-Year Estimates Public Use Microdata Sample, at least 50 percent of Black and American Indian households, 45 percent of Hispanic or Latino houeholds, and 38 percent of Asian households are housing cost burdened, compared to 28 percent of white households.
Racially disaggregated data on income, housing, and housing tenure for Minneapolis is generally available. Demographic data for the American Indian population is not readily available for either the South Uptown Neighborhood or the Southwest Community, but is accessible at the City level. According to the 2015-2019 ACS 5-year estimates for Minneapolis, 1.1% of residents are American Indian.
Section 3: Community Engagement
| Inform | Yes |
| Consult | Yes |
| Involve | No |
| Collaborate | No |
| Empower | No |
As part of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Application, the applicant is required to conduct public outreach and engagement to raise awareness about the proposed application and seek feedback on how the amendment will help achieve comprehensive plan goals to inform application materials. The applicant met with the neighborhood organization in August 2019 and January 2022, and held a community meeting regarding the project on May 5, 2022.
Stakeholders who participated in the engagement process expressed a mix of opinions regarding the project. Neighbors who expressed support for the project cited support for the scale of the project and the inclusion of homeownership opportunities. Neighbors who expressed opposition to the project citied concerns regarding height and shadowing, traffic and parking, and affordability.
Stakeholders who participated in the engagement process expressed a mix of opinions regarding the project. Neighbors who expressed support for the project cited support for the scale of the project and the inclusion of homeownership opportunities. Neighbors who expressed opposition to the project citied concerns regarding height and shadowing, traffic and parking, and affordability.
Section 4: Analysis
The comprehensive plan amendment advances City policy goals related to housing and built form and transportation by supporting innovative housing development and housing growth with lower car dependency. The geographic location of the project site would allow for additional housing with excellent access to high quality transit, as well as public parks and neighborhood goods and services accessible by walking. According to the City of Minneapolis Office of Sustainability, in 2015 on-road transportation accounted for 26% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions. These vehicle emission have a cumulative adverse effect on human health that can lead to serious health problems such as heart attacks, asthma, and lung conditions. The site is located approximately 160 feet from a proposed station on the METRO E Line aBRT, and is also directly served by local bus routes. By increasing the scale of development with access to high quality transit, the amendment will create opportunities for more residents to have access to car-free transportation options. The proposed project would be relatively unique among recently constructed projects in that it includes homeownership opportunities at a missing-middle scale, and could serve as a demonstration for future projects of this type, including projects which could include more affordable homeownership opportunities.
Section 5: Evaluation
CPED staff will continue to track comprehensive plan amendments for Minneapolis 2040. Comprehensive plan amendments are typically followed by a proposed development project that would be supported by the new land use and built form policy guidance. Staff will continue to track permitting data of development projects.
CPED continuously strives to identify more consistent and accessible ways of tracking the state of housing in Minneapolis as well as outcomes for residents disaggregated by race and other important factors. This includes a partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to develop a dashboard on housing indicators in Minneapolis with a goal of having this information available online for residents, staff, and policy makers to access.
CPED continuously strives to identify more consistent and accessible ways of tracking the state of housing in Minneapolis as well as outcomes for residents disaggregated by race and other important factors. This includes a partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis to develop a dashboard on housing indicators in Minneapolis with a goal of having this information available online for residents, staff, and policy makers to access.
As part of the Comprehensive Plan Amendment process the City will submit the comprehensive plan amendment application as an applicant for approval with the Metropolitan Council. If approved, a rezoning will be required to update regulations to match the new policy guidance. As part of that process, community stakeholders will be informed of the petition to rezone and can participate and provide feedback.