Development: Mozaic Condos and Mixed-Use Project


	Mozaic Note: The author of OurUptown.com works for one of the project's developers. Often called one of Minneapolis' most truly urban projects is soon to rise from a large parking lot and the Lagoon Theater in Uptown. The project, dubbed Mozaic, combines housing, a hotel, restaurants, a public plaza, a large underground public parking ramp, and an expanded and improved Lagoon Theater. The developers, The Ackerberg Group and Financial Freedom Development, received full approvals from the City Council and Planning Commission after what proved to be a long and emotional battle between some neighborhood residents, project supporters, and city staff.		(Opens in New Window)



	October 14, 2006: On Wednesday, October 11th, The Ackerberg Group and CAG Development announced that their Mozaic project would replace the east building with a Graves Hotel. The hotel would include an event hall, pool, spa, restaurant, bar, and approximately 140 guest rooms. July 29, 2006: The Mozaic Sales Center opened to the public today at 1426 W. Lake Street. In addition, last week the Mozaic condo website went live to the public.


	Former Name: Lagoon Mixed-Use Project, Treehouse Developer: The Ackerberg Group & Financial Freedom Realty Architect: Bill Baxley, BKV Group Status: Approved Website: http://mozaicuptown.com Property Address: 1320 Lagoon Avenue; 2900, 2904, 2908 Fremont Avenue Lot Size: 110,692 Square Feet Current Use: Parking Lot, Movie Theater Proposed Use: Parking Ramp, Commercial, Movie Theater, Multi-Family Residential, Hotel Proposed Height: 112' (West condo building), 84' (east building) Current Parking: 262 spaces Proposed Parking: 830+ spaces Parking Requirement: 722 Housing Units/Type: 72 / condo Commercial Space: 140 hotel rooms, 10,800+ Square Feet of restaurant / cafe space, 1,600 seat movie theater Other Space: 23,000 Square Feet (public plaza)


	Development talk for this block is not a new subject. In the late 1980s, discussion of developing a multiplex movie theater, office, and retail complex began. The project, reported by the Star Tribune(1), was a $6 million retail/office building with an eight-screen Cineplex-Odeon movie theater with 1,950 seats, 18,000 square feet of retail and office, and a 600-stall parking ramp and 250 stall surface parking lot. The developer, Uptown Village Partners (Craig Oberlander, William Wanner, Amos Heilicher), hired Bruce Knutson as the architect. Knutson said that the project conformed with "all city planning and zoning ordinances and does not require any variances" according to the Star Tribune. Also reported was neighborhood and City concern over parking and the entertainment direction of the project. While the development talk was going on, the site had a parking lot and a building that once housed hair salon (which was vacant from a building fire). However, the Uptown Village plan was ditched after significant opposition from the business and neighborhood communities. Another Developer, Paul Klodt, took interest in purchasing the property from Uptown Village Partners. During that time, a moratorium on all new construction in Uptown had been installed while the City determined new guidelines on building height, liquor licenses, and fast-food restaurants (2). However, Klodt did not develop the property and so the property remained a parking lot. In 1994, The Ackerberg Group purchased part of the property and built a two-story office/retail building on the northwest corner of Fremont Avenue and Lagoon Avenue. The Ackerberg Group purchased the Lagoon Cinema property in 2000, including what is mostly parking lot. Later on, discussion began regarding building a parking ramp on the site. The Metro Transit transit hub took part of the property for the station and bus lane. The parking ramp concept never went anywhere. Not until 2004 did significant consideration occur regarding better use of such prime Uptown real estate. Throughout 2005, The Ackerberg Group and BKV Group (architects) met with neighborhood and business groups and the City of Minneapolis about a large mixed-use project comprised of for-sale housing, office space, an improved and enlarged movie theater, retail space, plaza, and underground parking space. The project, what ultimately has become Mozaic, contained two building: one thirteen-story condo building with street-level commercial, and one five-story office building for then-interested Colle+McVoy. Concerned about height, traffic, and the intensity of the development, some neighbors voiced their concern. Advocates of the project liked the 200 well-paid, creative jobs that would come to the neighborhood, its urban and mixed-use design, and the public plaza. After an emotional and long process, the project was dealt some set-backs and had to be redesigned. The compromise was a shorter building, less office space (no Colle+McVoy), a better site plan, and more condos. (1) Jones, Jim. "$6 Million Retail/Office Plan Raises Uptown Traffic Fears." Star Tribune 24 Feb. 1989. (2) Sundstrom, Ingrid. "Klodt to Buy Uptown Site of Planned Theater." Star Tribune 3 Oct. 1990.


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