Resolution approving a Conditional Use Permit to allow for a mixed-use development and for a Certificate of Design Compliance to allow a new structure in the Downtown Gateway Overlay District (properties located in the 600 Block (even) of South Front Street); by request of Front Street Plaza, LLC.

Adoption of the attached resolution.

Front Street Properties, LLC, is requesting a conditional use permit (CUP) to allow redevelopment of the subject properties to include retail, office, residential uses, and shared parking spaces; to construct apartments on floors two through six of a new mixed-use building; and to establish restaurant space within the Central Business District Fringe (CBD-F) zoning district. The applicant also seeks a certificate of design compliance (CDC) to allow new construction and redevelopment within the Downtown Gateway Overlay District.

The redevelopment plans propose demolition of all existing structures within the block bordered by South Riverfront Drive, Warren Street, South Front Street, and West Liberty Street. The applicant proposes a multi-story, mixed-use development across the full extent of the properties. The proposal includes multiple office spaces, two retail spaces, a restaurant, multi-floor residential, and a shared parking facility. A total of 160 apartments—108 one-bedroom and 52 two-or-more-bedroom units—and 250 off-street parking stalls are proposed.

The applicant proposes to construct the project as a single redevelopment effort executed in two phases to accommodate onsite laydown needs. Phase I will include construction of both the five-story office building and the six-story mixed-use building, with the intervening area temporarily used for construction laydown.
Phase II will begin once exterior finishes of both buildings are substantially complete and will include construction of the parking ramp and surface parking lot. Because Phase I relies on improvements from Phase II for operational viability, occupancy of the development will not be permitted until both phases are complete.

Conditional Use Permit:

The subject property is located in the Central Business District Fringe, where the Mankato City Code requires conditional use permits for the proposed uses.

Plans submitted show demolition of all existing structures and construction of a five-story office building at the corner of South Riverfront Drive and Warren Street, and a six-story mixed-use building along South Front Street. The six-story building is organized by use as follows:

• First Floor: Two retail spaces along West Liberty Street; a café and residential lobby/storage along South Front Street; and a restaurant at the corner of Warren & South Front Streets. A covered walkway off South Front Street provides access to tenant spaces and the parking garage.
• Second Floor (mezzanine level): Residential apartment units and resident amenity spaces, as well as mezzanines serving the café and lobby spaces.
• Third Level (labeled “second floor” on plans): Residential apartment units and associated amenities, including two outdoor terrace spaces reserved for residents; the larger terrace is described below.
• Floors three through six: Primarily residential apartment units with limited resident amenity areas.

A three-story parking ramp and a surface parking lot are proposed between the two buildings. The ramp is designed as a single-threaded helix with three access points. Ramp access will be provided from Warren Street and via the surface lot off West Liberty Street. The ramp will serve as secondary access to the first three floors of the office and mixed-use buildings (including direct access to the office building, café mezzanine, residential lobby and amenity spaces, and the covered common walkway). The ramp will not provide direct access to the retail, café, or restaurant spaces.

Amenities & Common Spaces:

No public amenities or public common spaces are proposed. However, the applicant will extend the landscaping and sidewalk design consistently with the established South Front Street corridor.

Private residential amenities include two terrace spaces with dedicated features; a bicycle room/locker; pet areas; lounge spaces; and an interior trash room. The second-story rooftop terrace is identified as the primary residential amenity area and will include a fenced pet area, multiple seating areas, a shaded enclosure with an electric grill, and a mix of accessible open space and decorative rock ballast.
The applicant has indicated intent to install a fire pit in this area.

The parking garage, surface lot, and covered walkway will function as shared spaces for residents and tenants.

The proposed restaurant includes an exterior private patio, a portion of which is recessed beneath the second-floor apartment overhang; the entire patio area is covered.

Refuse:

Apartment residents and tenants of Retail Space #2 will have access to an interior trash room and compactor located on the west side of the six-story building.

All other tenants of both buildings will share an exterior refuse enclosure situated between the surface parking lot and the six-story building. Detailed enclosure plans have not yet been provided; a condition requires submittal of detailed plans with the building permit. Because the redevelopment includes restaurant use, the exterior enclosure must include grease disposal.

Construction & Phasing Details:

The applicant has submitted site logistics, phasing, and construction plans outlining redevelopment following demolition of all structures and vacation/abandonment of existing utilities.

As noted, the project will be constructed in two phases to “minimize disruption to local traffic, pedestrians, and businesses,” and will remain unoccupied until both phases are complete. Each phase will include temporary closures affecting parking, sidewalks, and travel lanes within the right-of-way.

• Phase I: Construct a five-story office building and six-story mixed-use building; use the future parking area for laydown. Temporary lane closures will occur along South Riverfront Drive, Warren Street, and South Front Street; street parking along South Front Street and West Liberty Street will be closed. To complete utility connections, the portion of South Front Street adjacent to the site will require full closure for approximately four weeks.
• Phase II: Commence after exterior finishes are largely complete; construct the parking ramp and surface lot. The applicant does not anticipate long-duration lane closures during Phase II but expects continued closures of parking along South Front Street and West Liberty Street.

Contractor parking will be accommodated within the Construction Laydown Area on site, in the public parking ramp across Warren Street, and—near project completion—in the new parking ramp.

Additional clarification provided by the applicant states: "The street closure along Front Street will be temporary for utility hook-ups. The public parking stalls along the east side of Front Street will remain open during construction except for occasional deliveries and installations that will require a short-term closing of a few stalls. These parking closings will be communicated with the local business prior to the work being done."

Parking:

The applicant proposes a shared parking model and states that the development provides more than the required number of off-street stalls with 250 stalls. Within the Central Business District-Fringe, the City Code reduces off-street parking requirements by one-half; thus, the calculated requirement of 483 stalls is reduced to 242 stalls. In lieu of required parking spaces, a payment may be made to the city parking fund or other authorized parking fund. Requests for payment in lieu must be made to the Council through the Planning Commission. The Council’s determination will consider available municipal parking within 500 feet of the building and the overall city parking system.

For shared parking, the applicant utilized the city’s shared parking schedule. These calculations justify reduced office parking parameters on weekends and reduced residential parking demand during the day, aligning peak demands across uses.

Residential parking baseline (per City Code): 120 stalls (0.5 stalls per unit for 160 units).
Applicant’s shared parking proposal:

• 1.0 stall per one-bedroom unit
• 1.5 stalls per unit with two or more bedrooms
• A total of 186 stalls during all times except the “7am–6am weekday timeframe.”

The applicant states that a bicycle storage locker will be provided as a residential amenity and, on that basis, remove required stalls for residential use from the bicycle parking calculation. Based on 122 stalls for non-residential use, a minimum of 6.1 bicycle stalls (rounded to 7) is required.

The applicant proposes the parking ramp and surface lot be available for “market-rate public parking” from 7am–5pm, with reserved residential parking between 5pm–7am, and any remaining stalls available to the public.

Loading:

Two loading areas are proposed: 

• Off-street loading dock (West Liberty Street): Serves Retail Tenant #2; screened from West Liberty Street by a six-foot-high wall topped with decorative perforated metal screening. Turning movements provided indicate feasible use, though minor modifications may be necessary to ensure movements remain within hard-surfaced drive areas. 
• On-street loading (north side of West Liberty Street): Serves Retail Tenant #1, café, restaurant, and office tenants. Based on use and floor area, this should consist of a minimum of two short-loading berths. The applicant will work with staff to ensure dimensional conformance. As an on-street facility, screening is not permitted.

Loading operations are not permitted adjacent to the site along South Front Street or along the south side of Warren Street.

Traffic:

The applicant’s Traffic Memo concludes that the development will have minimal impact on the surrounding roadway network. It estimates a daily traffic generation of 3,894 trips and up to 432 trips during the AM peak hour. The memo states that prior uses of the site were expected to generate approximately 350 AM peak-hour trips.

Based on the information provided, staff requested that the applicant provide additional details in the traffic study, including collection of existing volume counts, tabulation of queue lengths, and confirmation of new trips. The traffic study will be submitted to staff prior to Council review of the final plat, and the applicant will implement actions necessary to ensure sufficient roadway operations based on study findings and staff review.

Utilities:

The redevelopment area is currently served by public and private utilities. To construct the proposed development, the applicant must abandon or cap non-active services back to the main. New connections for each tenant space will be made to existing utilities within South Front and Warren Streets.

An underground stormwater treatment basin, with associated storm services, is proposed on the western portion of the property.

Snow will be hauled off-site; temporary storage areas are identified within the surface parking area and at the corner of the upper deck of the parking ramp.

Massing, Floor Area Ratio, and Lot Coverage:

The redevelopment will front four streets: South Riverfront Drive, Warren Street, South Front Street, and West Liberty Street.

No minimum setbacks apply, and the proposed buildings do not encroach onto the required pedestrian sight triangles. The applicant states that encroachments will maintain a minimum clear height of 18 feet.
The CBD-F district permits a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 3.0. The applicant proposes a FAR of 2.83 (308,802 GSF of a maximum 327,108 GSF), which conforms to the City Code.

The applicant proposes lot coverage of 74.9% (81,708 sq. ft.). An exhibit re lot coverage was provided, identifying structural areas contributing to coverage. Uncovered surface parking areas and walkways are not included in lot coverage; covered walkways and parking areas (including the ramp) are included.

Encroachments:

The applicant proposes multiple encroachments into the public right-of-way (ROW).

The building at the corner of West Liberty Street and South Front Street will encroach into the sight triangle on floors two through six; a minimum clear height of 18 feet will be maintained for pedestrian and vehicle sight lines. Storefront canopies will encroach along South Front Street with a minimum clear height of 15 feet. A residential terrace will encroach along South Front Street, also maintaining an 18-foot clear height. The building at the corner of South Riverfront Drive and Warren Street will encroach into the ROW on floors two through six, with an 18-foot clear height.

Building footings will encroach into the ROW by approximately three feet. A footing encroachment exhibit shows encroachments ranging from two inches to three and a half feet along all frontages. A simplified exhibit details the installation of either 25" x 25" columns or 120-ton driven piles as encroachments into the ROW. 

As part of the project, the applicant proposes removal of 11 boulevard trees. Per the City Code, these must be replaced at a 2-to-1 ratio. The applicant proposes to plant 22 new boulevard trees and preserve three trees at the intersection of West Liberty Street and South Riverfront Drive. The Boulevard trees will be planted in a manner consistent with the current South Front Street pattern, including pairing trees with limestone block installations. The landscaping plan shows 18 new boulevard trees within the ROW and five new trees on private property. The applicant will coordinate with the City Forester to ensure conformance with city planting standards.

An on-street loading area is proposed along West Liberty Street within the public ROW, intended to function similarly to the on-street loading area along the south side of the 100 block of West Cherry Street (adjacent to Pub 500). The loading area will be designated and signed for loading during the delivery window and used for public on-street parking outside the morning/daytime delivery window.

All doors along the ROW will be recessed into the building; no at-grade door encroachments into the ROW will occur.
The applicant will be required to apply for, obtain, and maintain an encroachment permit for the full duration of all encroachments.

Certificate of Design Compliance:

The subject property lies within the Downtown Gateway Overlay District, requiring a certificate of design compliance. To ensure development enhances the visual and aesthetic character of the gateway district consistent with the Urban Design Guidelines, demolition and new construction must be reviewed by the Planning Commission and Council.

The Downtown Gateway Overlay District’s purpose is to promote high-quality downtown design and effectively implement principles established in the Urban Design Framework Manual. The Manual is the reference for determining conformance.

Exterior Finishes:

Within the Downtown Gateway District, exterior wall finishes must be composed of permitted materials, including face brick; natural stone; stone or brick-textured precast concrete panels integrally treated with color; naturally colored and textured concrete block (not exceeding 20% of any wall area); glass; stucco or similar; and materials approved by the Council. Building elevations must conform to the Urban Design Guidelines.

The applicant provided an architectural design narrative and material storyboard detailing design intent relative to adjacent structures, local themes, materials, and Urban Design Framework conformance. The narrative identifies frame detailing; base material changes; mid-level horizontal and upper-level cornices; horizontal banding; native stone surrounds; inset storefronts; and canopy signage as key strategies. A summary follows.

The applicant proposes exterior elevations finished with extensive limestone panels; neutral-toned architectural metal panels; fiber cement; brick accents; and precast concrete.

Five-story office building: 

• Warren Street and South Riverfront Drive frontages: metal and glass curtain wall system; varied grey-toned metal paneling; larger expanses of grey-toned precast along the Warren elevation.
• South Riverfront Drive elevation: predominantly honed full-depth limestone panel veneer.
• Upper terraces: fifth- and sixth-floor terrace spaces at the Riverfront/Warren corner.

Six-story mixed-use building:

• Residential elevations: alternating fiber cement, limestone, architectural metal panels, windows, and large mechanical louvers; prefabricated metal residential balconies along interior-facing elevations.

 

• South Front Street elevation: prominent projecting terrace framed with copper-toned metal panels.
• Street-level elevations: multiple storefronts; prefabricated metal canopies; horizontal/running-bond corbelled brick accents; coarse limestone paneling at alternating heights; rectangular honed limestone panels; “buff” -toned precast concrete; a precast loading dock wall with perforated metal screening; and an enclosed outdoor patio area.
• South Riverfront Drive frontage includes a metal overhead door and other features associated with commercial loading.

Parking ramp:

• Warren Street elevation: varied, grey-toned precast concrete with pre-finished metal coping.
• Riverfront Drive elevations: “buff” -toned precast concrete with areas of coarse full-depth limestone veneer.

The redevelopment is located within the Downtown Lighting District. The applicant proposes fully cutoff exterior lighting fixtures. Any future lighting additions, including artistic lighting, must be permitted and conform to the City Code.

Mechanical units are located on rooftops or properly screened. A rooftop mechanical area is shown within the western corner of the second-floor terrace, screened by an eight-foot-tall fence. Screening must conform to the City Code, consisting of a parapet wall or other structure constructed of the same or similar materials as the principal building façade.

The applicant states that the redevelopment will front South Front Street to the east, Warren Street to the north, West Liberty Street to the south, and South Riverfront Drive to the west. Façades along Warren and South Front Streets continue the retail corridor with inset storefronts and canopies for signage and pedestrian cover. The development holds the street edge and includes a private “urban plaza” at South Front Street and Warren Street, as well as an elevated second-level terrace for private residential use. The primary pedestrian garage entrance at mid-block on South Front Street will also serve the café and the retail bay at Liberty & South Front. Finishes are prioritized along South Front and Warren Streets, with a mix of limestone, architectural metal and fiber cement panels, retail storefronts, and larger glazing at building breaks.

The Liberty Street and South Riverfront Drive frontages will continue the architectural language but will be primarily clad in architectural fiber cement and metal panels with limited limestone accents at the base and accent walls. Street-perspective renderings provided by the applicant illustrate how the site will be viewed from adjacent right-of-way areas, offering enhanced understanding of pedestrian-level features and finishes.
Signage:

A signage exhibit identifies potential sign locations and provides an estimate table summarizing sign areas under the City Code. Because the property is shared, signage will be reviewed on a property-wide basis. Specific sign designs are not proposed at this time and must be approved via sign permits prior to fabrication and installation. A condition requires the applicant to draft and maintain a development-wide signage plan. All signage must conform to the City Code and be reviewed and approved through the sign permit process prior to installation.

Conformance with Urban Design Guidelines:

The applicant submitted a Site Plan Comment Response Letter describing conformance with Downtown Gateway Overlay principles as reflected in the Urban Design Guidelines. The following statements were provided by the applicant:

Principle 3: Integrate traffic movement with pedestrian safety and street scape aesthetics

“Site access has been removed from Front Street providing a continuous pedestrian corridor from Liberty to Warren Street. Landscaping will screen the parking lot along Riverfront Drive. The parking ramp is designed in the center of the development to allow the buildings to screen it. There is a dedicated pedestrian breezeway connecting the screened parking deck to South Front Street to facilitate direct and convenient access, thus enhancing future walkability for residents and visitors in the Central Business District. Short- and long-term bike parking will be provided to encourage alternative forms of transportation with a minimum of 75 bike stalls provided as a residential amenity.”

Principle 4: Respect the traditional urban development pattern

“The facade along South Front Street supports the urban fabric and retail corridor by holding the building to the right-of-way line for at least 82% of the street frontage, with the remaining setbacks serving as an urban plaza at the intersection of South Front Street and Warren Street, site triangles, and a pedestrian garage entrance along the mid-block of Warren Street. On Warren Street, the parking deck will be shielded from view with architectural paneling, and the vehicular entrance will be visually minimized by the office building above. Along South Front Street, retail bays will help to activate and extend the shopping corridor, with inset storefronts and canopies for future retail signage and pedestrian cover. An elevated terrace at the second level will provide further engagement between the private residential development and the public sidewalk below. The primary pedestrian garage entrance along the mid-block of South Front Street will also serve as a point of entry for the café and the retail bay at the corner of Liberty and South Front Street.”

Principle 5: New or renovated buildings should complement adjacent buildings

“Width: The existing architecture along South Front Street demonstrates a mix of storefront typologies that range in widths from ~21ft, ~24ft, ~40ft, and ~60ft. Our design employs a variety of architectural moves to create a varying rhythm to complement the context via architectural pilasters, inset storefronts, building entrances, and strong vertical piers to interrupt and break down the facades at a pedestrian scale comparable to the surrounding two-story shopfronts.”

“Horizontal Rhythms: The overarching commonality of the retail corridor would be a horizontal capstone or limestone ribbon that delineates ground floor retail with upper-level private uses, masonry and cast stone accents, as well as tall glass storefronts with a variety of mullion patterns or large glazing with no mullions. Our development incorporates a strong horizontal ribbon establishing the datum that separates the ground level storefront activity with the private uses above (as articulated with smaller, punched openings). The storefronts will have vertical and horizontal mullions to reduce large expanses of glazing and provide more texture and depth in layers.”

“Entrances: The entrances all face the street, but are all set back such that the swing of the door does not overlap the right-of-way, while enforcing the sidewalk pattern as well as defining entrance points.”

Principle 6: Architecture should stimulate interest at the street level

“Display Windows: The retail bays with a high level of transparency due to a high ratio of glazing to solid walls all contribute to the interest at the street level. Additional architectural features such as pilasters, canopies, future retail signage and awnings, and the residential overlook all contribute to the stimulation of activity at the street level. Outdoor Space: Along with the plaza at the corner of Warren and South Front, the retail bays all have storefronts set back to encourage additional outdoor seating and retail activity along South Front Street while maintaining the sidewalk usability and pattern.”

Principle 7: Mankato's traditional character should be reinforced through building color, texture and materials

“The design incorporates the warm, buff tones of the Mankato stone as a prominent facing material, which is consistent with the materials encouraged in the Design Guidelines. The mix of coarse ashlar limestone and honed northern buff limestone creates a contrast of textures that helps to enhance the architectural variety of materials and finishes. Along with the limestone cladding, with fiber cement panels of neutral colors as well as storefronts to balance out the architectural composition. A pop of copper-colored metal panel framing the residential entry and overlook terrace helps to bring interest using a color that is classic and timeless. Our design will implement products and design features that are consistent with Bridge Plaza, Prairie Care Medical center, Eide Bailly tower, Hotel Mankato, Profinium and Alltech, as well as phase two of the Civic Center.”

Principle 8: Signs should complement building appearance

“Future retail signage is proposed within the storefront canopies.”

Principle 10: Improve alleys, parking lots and rear building entries to create a safe, attractive and viable commercial and residential environment

“The parking along South Riverfront will have a planting buffer to create a safe and attractive separation from the sidewalk to the parking. The parking garage will have limited access points to reduce vehicle and pedestrian travel overlaps. We are not proposing any alleys as they often have limited passive surveillance, thus increasing the safety of pedestrians in and around the development.”

Planning Commission

During the Planning Commission meeting, there was extensive discussion about the design of the project. The applicant provided an overview of the design of the project. Discussion included conversation about the materials and the context of the site. In terms of materials, the conversation was about using bricks (tans, reds, browns), local stone, carvings, and unique masonry work. Additional information was provided about the context of the site and the multiple types of construction in the City Center /Downtown area and around the property. The Planning Commission, following the discussion, recommended approval of the proposal.

The public comment focused primarily on the concern regarding parking for adjacent properties. The individuals that spoke about the proposal expressed support for the project but would like to see a collaborative approach to parking evaluated.