In May 2012 Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak announced a new revitalization initiative for North Minneapolis called Green Homes North. Funding was secured through the Minneapolis Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED). And on June 3 the ground breaking ceremony was held at the future site of the Shingle Creek homes. The inception of Green Homes North was inspired by the huge success of the North Minneapolis Hawthorne’s Eco Village. The reasonably priced homes under this new program have already generated enormous interest sending a ripple of enthusiasm throughout the Twin Cities. Since the mayor’s announcement, interested home buyers have been making inquiries, said Rose Lindsay, Marketing Specialist for CPED.
The new homes will help transform North Minneapolis by making it once again a desirable place to raise a family and increase the market value of area homes; a welcome relief for many home owners who have struggled for many years by the abandoned homes on their block. Since the foreclosure crisis, the city of Minneapolis has been saving many of these homes by rehabbing them. Green Homes North is now going to the next logical level. Although it may not be a solution to all the challenges that North Minneapolis has grappled with, it is a positive step forward.
Over the next five years a total of 100 homes will be built in the Webber-Camden, Shingle Creek, Folwell, Victory, Hawthorne, Jordan and Willard-Hay neighborhoods of North Minneapolis. The first 27 homes are currently under construction. All the homes will be built on city-owned lots where homes once proudly stood, victims of foreclosure or tornado damage. The new homes will compliment the century-old Craftsmen and Tudor style homes and will be green energy efficient with open concept designs that will be affordably priced from $150,000 to $200,000. Each home will typically have three bedrooms, two to three bathrooms, unfinished basements, and two-car garages covering approximately 1,500-2,000 square feet. Funded by the Minnesota House Finance Agency, the City of Minneapolis and Family Housing Fund. Minneapolis Advantage will assist with down payment and closing costs to those who qualify. Green Homes North developers are Artspace, City of Lakes Community Land Trust (CLCLT) Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC), PRG Inc. (PRG), Project f Pride in Living (PPL), TVM Development, and Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity (Habitat), Peyser LLC (Peyser) and Urban Homeworks.
Green Homes North homes will be required to meet specific construction requirements of the Minnesota Green Communities Standards that have been established by the State of Minnesota, and in addition, they must be certified as a LEED for Home. LEED is a design concept that is committed to designing high-energy efficient homes and standards that are recognized by the non-profit US Green Building Council (USGBC). The LEED certification assures the construction has been designed to save our precious water and energy resources by installing such features as Energy Star appliances, Energy Star windows, air flow exchange, state of the art heating and cooling systems, programmable thermostats and water heaters, solar panels and landscaping that includes trees and native plants.
Unlike the homes that were built with wild abandonment in the early 1960s without much thought to individuality or the environment, homes built through Green Homes North will be distinctive and sustainable. And several specialized homes will be built to meet specific needs. Cherie Shoquist, Principal Project Coordinator for CPED said, “Green design can be modern and it can be traditional.” This observation is also reflected in the architectural designs of the Green Homes North homes that are a variety of styles; prairie, traditional, and modern. There is something for everyone.
The four ArtSpace homes are specifically designed to stimulate creativity for the working artists who will be living there. Nine foot ceilings and abundant natural lighting make these homes truly inspirational. They are conveniently located near Homewood Studios on Plymouth Ave. in the Willard-Hay neighborhood.
A net-zero home is the design assignment for students and faculty from the University of Minnesota, College of Design. This total energy constructed urban home will save one lucky homeowner from ever having to pay a single utility bill!
Across from beautiful Shingle Creek are two distinctive adaptive homes that are currently under construction by the Greater Metropolitan Housing Corporation (GMHC) for disabled veterans. Mature trees line the properties that make these homes not only special but comfortable retreats.
It may take several years but with each strike of the hammer and the whirring of the chainsaw, Green Homes North and their dedicated partners are leading the way toward reinventing North Minneapolis and making it once again an attractive and viable place to live.
If you were not able to attend the Green Homes North Building Design and Product Expo on September 22 at Wirth Park, or if you want more detailed info about the homes, go to CPED’s website www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/housing/GreenHomesNorth.