Proposal Could Provide More Apartments in Maple Grove

As Maple Grove continues its rapid transformation from rural community to booming Twin Cities suburb, one recently proposed development project is GrandeVille at Arbor Lakes.

GrandeVille would consist of two four story buildings totaling 440 units, housing 600 to 800 residents. It would be located within the Gravel Mining Area, northwest of the complex off of 80th Avenue North.

"It's a typical apartment, one to three bedroom units," said Maple Grove Community Development Director Dick Edwards.
 
The development would be constructed by LeCesse Corporation, the same company that built the CityWalk apartments in Woodbury. The project is led by developer Tom Hayden.

Initial plans called for 10,000 square feet of retail space within the unit but is now being proposed as a separate structure. At its May 2 meeting, the moved the potential project a step forward by approving the planned unit development concept plan for the project.
 
"We think it will fit very nicely there and be complimentary to the residential," Hayden said.

Hayden said the retail could accommodate a wide range of businesses. He said CityWalk contains retail like Primrose Preschool, which has been very convenient for the residents and nearby neighbors.

Each residential story would have an entrance to the parking garage.

"It's a neat concept. The building wraps the garage, in this case on three sides," Hayden said. "So, if you lived on the fourth level you'd drive up to the fourth level and be able to walk out without getting into an elevator and go directly to your unit."

Hayden said proposed security for the building might include a garage opening device or key to access the parking garage and cameras at the entrance to the building.

Renters of the residential units would be young families transitioning to home ownership, he said, retirees looking to scale down their living space and employees of nearby businesses.

"We gravitate towards the luxury end of the market, so people who are used to maybe a little bit more upscale living but we also see younger folks who are in their twenties who are working towards buying a home, that's very common," he said. "We also see people who work nearby and at this point, given the market conditions, choose to be leasing giving themselves flexibility as opposed to owning. And that may be folks who are maybe working for a corporation and they expect to be transferred within the next year or two."

City Administrator Al Madsen said the development fits well into the city's plan for the Gravel Mining Area, which includes high density housing.

"In our Gravel Mining Area plan we're talking about residential and that could be single family detached, single family attached, it would be apartments, it would be seniors, we're also looking in there for office development, retail development, industrial development," he said.

Edwards said creating a more urban, less suburban feel was an opportunity to give the city a unique look and is also a very efficient way of using land.

What's next?

The next stage in the process is called the development stage, Edwards said, where the city reviews the "nuts and bolts" of the project. All aspects of the project and how it will be built as checked out after the developer submits required information such as lighting, signage, curbing and more.