Minneapolis relaxes parking requirements on new multifamily buildings

The Minneapolis City Council voted recently to ease parking requirements for new multifamily buildings.

The council cut the number of spots required for large developments by half. It also will accept plans with no parking spaces for buildings of fewer than 50 units if they are located no more than a quarter-mile from transit with pickups at least every 15 minutes.

The new standards could spur more construction of small apartment buildings, and, supporters hope, lower rents in some areas of the city.

“Too often we see a whole building designed around a concrete structure to store cars, instead of the people who are living in the building, or walking by it, or living nearby,” City Councilor Lisa Bender told the Minneapolis StarTribune. “It will allow more flexibility in design.”

The rule is expected to reduce the cost of building multifamily structures by eliminating the need for underground parking garages.

In this exclusive video interview for HorizonTV, Fred Pierce, CEO of Pierce Education Properties, developer and manager of off-campus student residences, chats with Rob Cassidy, Editor, MULTIFAMILY Design + Construction about student housing during the pandemic and what to expect for on-campus and off-campus housing in Fall 2021 and into 2022.