2116 Nicollet Ave Partnership Selection
June 12, 2024
Whittier, Minneapolis
In April of 2023, Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing Inc formed a new partnership to provide creative housing solutions and broad community benefit in new Whittier development.
The Whittier Alliance (WA) neighborhood organization and Alliance Housing Inc have established a new partnership to bring low-barrier affordable housing, community meeting and event space, and new office space for both organizations to the vacant site at 2116 Nicollet Ave. The acquisition of the space by Whittier Alliance in the spring of 2021 was inspired by a long-time intention of the organization to purchase and activate property for community benefit, while striving to meet other goals along the way related to housing, community engagement, support for Whittier’s important commercial corridors, and organizational sustainability.
In the fall of 2021 after a competitive application process, WA convened a volunteer steering committee of residents both with deep knowledge of the community and subject matter expertise in development-related fields to define the vision/values/goals for the site, develop a process for community engagement, draft and release a Request for Proposals (RFP), and ultimately, to make a recommendation to the WA Board of Directors for the preferred development partner from the proposals received.
Community engagement work throughout the summer of 2022 further clarified the priorities that residents and other nearby stakeholders wanted to see most in the project, including sustainability features that reduce environmental impact and facilitate sustainable living; creative place-keeping features that create a sense of community identity within the building and reflect the Whittier community; and urban design features that enhance the characteristics of Nicollet Avenue and the Eat Street Commercial Corridor through human-centered design.
Through the RFP process, Whittier Alliance was thrilled to select Alliance Housing Inc as their partner in this important project after clear demonstration of an alignment in values, objectives, and organization mission.
Alliance Housing Inc’s work makes it possible for individuals and families to create homes for themselves, regardless of income and background by developing and managing housing that is:
• inclusive,
• affordable,
• relational, and
• flexible.
In addition, Alliance Housing challenges the environment that limits our residents’ opportunities.
Alliance Housing creates affordable, low-barrier housing that is accessible to all members of the community. The new project at 2116 Nicollet will be a mixed use building housing 54 units of affordable housing and approximately 4,200 square feet of leasable commercial space and a community meeting space, that will be shared by Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing. Single adults will occupy the mix of single room occupancy (SRO), efficiency, and one bedroom units. The first floor space will welcome neighborhood residents in for a variety of neighborhood focused events and meetings.
Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing Inc acknowledge that the Whittier neighborhood and this site are on the stolen ancestral lands of the Dakota people and recognize the resiliency of our Indigenous, Black and other marginalized community members amid centuries of ongoing, state-sanctioned violence and oppression. As we move ahead to the design phase of the project, we remain committed to facilitating avenues for robust community participation, as well as to operating within an anti-racist, anti-oppression and equity framework, prioritizing the voices of historically underrepresented people, populations, and communities.
We are still in the process of securing funds before breaking ground on 2116 Nicollet. WA and Alliance Housing will have more updates for the community in Spring of 2025.
Sign up for ongoing, project-specific communications are available at whittieralliance.org.
Anna Schmitz, Whittier Alliance Executive Director
Jessie Hendel, Alliance Housing Inc Executive Director
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Whittier, Minneapolis
In April of 2023, Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing Inc formed a new partnership to provide creative housing solutions and broad community benefit in new Whittier development.
The Whittier Alliance (WA) neighborhood organization and Alliance Housing Inc have established a new partnership to bring low-barrier affordable housing, community meeting and event space, and new office space for both organizations to the vacant site at 2116 Nicollet Ave. The acquisition of the space by Whittier Alliance in the spring of 2021 was inspired by a long-time intention of the organization to purchase and activate property for community benefit, while striving to meet other goals along the way related to housing, community engagement, support for Whittier’s important commercial corridors, and organizational sustainability.
In the fall of 2021 after a competitive application process, WA convened a volunteer steering committee of residents both with deep knowledge of the community and subject matter expertise in development-related fields to define the vision/values/goals for the site, develop a process for community engagement, draft and release a Request for Proposals (RFP), and ultimately, to make a recommendation to the WA Board of Directors for the preferred development partner from the proposals received.
Community engagement work throughout the summer of 2022 further clarified the priorities that residents and other nearby stakeholders wanted to see most in the project, including sustainability features that reduce environmental impact and facilitate sustainable living; creative place-keeping features that create a sense of community identity within the building and reflect the Whittier community; and urban design features that enhance the characteristics of Nicollet Avenue and the Eat Street Commercial Corridor through human-centered design.
Through the RFP process, Whittier Alliance was thrilled to select Alliance Housing Inc as their partner in this important project after clear demonstration of an alignment in values, objectives, and organization mission.
Alliance Housing Inc’s work makes it possible for individuals and families to create homes for themselves, regardless of income and background by developing and managing housing that is:
• inclusive,
• affordable,
• relational, and
• flexible.
In addition, Alliance Housing challenges the environment that limits our residents’ opportunities.
Alliance Housing creates affordable, low-barrier housing that is accessible to all members of the community. The new project at 2116 Nicollet will be a mixed use building housing 54 units of affordable housing and approximately 4,200 square feet of leasable commercial space and a community meeting space, that will be shared by Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing. Single adults will occupy the mix of single room occupancy (SRO), efficiency, and one bedroom units. The first floor space will welcome neighborhood residents in for a variety of neighborhood focused events and meetings.
Whittier Alliance and Alliance Housing Inc acknowledge that the Whittier neighborhood and this site are on the stolen ancestral lands of the Dakota people and recognize the resiliency of our Indigenous, Black and other marginalized community members amid centuries of ongoing, state-sanctioned violence and oppression. As we move ahead to the design phase of the project, we remain committed to facilitating avenues for robust community participation, as well as to operating within an anti-racist, anti-oppression and equity framework, prioritizing the voices of historically underrepresented people, populations, and communities.
We are still in the process of securing funds before breaking ground on 2116 Nicollet. WA and Alliance Housing will have more updates for the community in Spring of 2025.
Sign up for ongoing, project-specific communications are available at whittieralliance.org.
Anna Schmitz, Whittier Alliance Executive Director
Jessie Hendel, Alliance Housing Inc Executive Director
###
Request for Proposals (RFP)
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Following the proposal submission period in the fall of 2022, our project steering committee conducted a thorough review process, evaluating each proposal on their inclusion and creativity around the priorities detailed in the Request for Proposals document. The committee ultimately made a final recommendation to the Whittier Alliance Board of Directors for the development partner they believed would be the best fit for us to carry this vision forward with. Alliance Housing Inc was selected, and we are excited to share more details about our partnership and plans for this site soon!
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Community Vision
We surveyed over 170 community members, and nearly half of them live or work within 4 blocks of the site. Respondents were asked to rank a number of priorities to shape the RFP and future development, and these are the values and design elements that rose to the top:
- Environmental sustainability - Building elements that promote environmental health, including: solar panels, bicycle parking, gas-free appliances, on-site composting, or indigenous plants/rain gardens.
- Affordability (residential) - Housing options that are below market rate, or less expensive than typical new construction.
- Creative Place-keeping - Building elements that embody the personality of Whittier and create an iconic building in the community, including: murals or public art, neighborhood signage, or unique architectural design.
- Community ownership & wealth building - Opportunities for neighbors to invest in the building, or own some part of the eventual development, including: crowd-funding investment options or cooperatively owned or condo-ized units
- Urban design - Building elements that follow urban planning best practices to promote community health & safety, including: active storefronts/street facing windows, outdoor lighting, or public outdoor community gathering space.
Project Background
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In March 2021, the Whittier Alliance finalized the purchase of 2116 Nicollet Avenue, the last remaining vacant lot on Whittier’s stretch of this important commercial corridor. The purchase of 2116 Nicollet Avenue is an opportunity for an inclusive, community-led, innovative real estate development which could have a resounding impact on the neighborhood for years to come. We hope to meet real community needs in creative ways, leading as an example of what is possible in the built environment. In September 2021, the WA Board of Directors convened a project steering committee to guide the process, and eventually develop an RFP and identify a development partner. Click here to read the full statement from the Whittier Alliance Board of Directors.
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2116 Nicollet Avenue Steering Committee
The 2116 Nicollet Avenue Steering Committee was a task force of The Whittier Alliance Board of Directors during the months of November 2021 through December 2022. The primary responsibilities of this volunteer body were to:
- Define the vision/values/goals for the site
- Develop and recommend a process for community engagement in partnership with WA staff
- Develop and recommend a 2022 project budget to WA Board of Directors
- Oversee the proposal process to identify a Real Estate Development Partner.
- Document process and communicate updates to the board on a monthly basis, in alignment with scheduled board meetings.
- Identify potential funding opportunities and support WA staff in grant application processes.
You can view the committee's meeting agendas and notes here.
Steering Committee Members
Stephanie Brown - Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota; Whittier Alliance Board of Directors
Mary Browning
Alex Burns - Chair, Land Use & Transportation Committee of Sierra Club North Star Chapter
Laura Crooks - Digital Marketing Manager, Amplifon
Ukasha Dakane - Founder and Executive Director, FRAYEO
Alex Harris
Brigid Higgins - City of Minneapolis, Dept. of Community Planning & Economic Development
Mohamud Isse - Hirey Insurance Co.
George Rishmawi - Architect at DLR Group; Chair, Whitter Alliance Housing and Land Use Committee; Whittier Alliance Board of Directors
Taylor Smirkarova - Redesign Inc.
Y Sussman
Stephanie Brown - Executive Director, Urban Land Institute Minnesota; Whittier Alliance Board of Directors
Mary Browning
Alex Burns - Chair, Land Use & Transportation Committee of Sierra Club North Star Chapter
Laura Crooks - Digital Marketing Manager, Amplifon
Ukasha Dakane - Founder and Executive Director, FRAYEO
Alex Harris
Brigid Higgins - City of Minneapolis, Dept. of Community Planning & Economic Development
Mohamud Isse - Hirey Insurance Co.
George Rishmawi - Architect at DLR Group; Chair, Whitter Alliance Housing and Land Use Committee; Whittier Alliance Board of Directors
Taylor Smirkarova - Redesign Inc.
Y Sussman