2024 Construction Projects in the Lake Street Corridor
The Lake Street Council is tracking the various 2024 construction projects in the Lake Street corridor. During this time, we will support impacted businesses through in-person outreach, updates via our email newsletter, advocating to stakeholders for clear and consistent engagement, and marketing to customers.
The map below shows each project title, website with plans, expected timeline, and contact information. If you have questions about a specific project, we encourage you to use the contact information listed.
Get in touch with the Lake Street Council by emailing business@visitlakestreet.com
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Past Meeting Presentations & Recordings | Project Locations & Timeline | Project Summaries | FAQs | Future Projects
”Lake Street is Open” Campaign | Marketing Tips
Project Locations & Timeline
Excludes: Green Line station construction; E Line station construction
Project Summaries
B Line Groundbreaking Ceremony, May 2023
Reconstruction of intersections for ADA compliance, construction of bus shelters, repaving of Lake Street, and restriping for new street design.
To be completed in 4 sections:
Uptown (Knox to Blaisdell): Early April to late fall
Midtown (5th Ave to 21st Ave): Late April to mid-fall
West of the Lakes (Chowen to Bde Maka Ska Blvd): Late June to early fall
35W (Blaisdell to 5th): Late fall - (restriping only)
Impacts:
Temporary closures to travel lanes and street parking on one side of the street at a time.
Temporary closures at certain intersections for underground utility work and/or intersection redesign.
Concrete removals and replacements of curbs at most intersections.
Construction of bus shelters at key transit intersections.
Current Phase: Under construction
Hotline: 651-356-6995
Contact: Cody Olson, BLine@MetroTransit.org, 612-248-0642
Subscribe to B Line email updates
B Line Construction & Lake Street Improvements, E Lake St, June 2023
Complete reconstruction of Hiawatha-Lake intersection and surrounding
Expected Timeline: April 15 to late fall
Current Phase: Under construction
Contact: Jesse Johnson, jesse.johnson@state.mn.us, 612-246-5624
Complete reconstruction of Hennepin Avenue (Lake Street to 26th Street)
Expected Timeline: April 1 - late fall
Current Phase: Under construction
Contact: Adam Hayow, adam.hayow@minneapolismn.gov, 612-673-2172
Weekly Stakeholder Meeting: Every Friday at 10:00 am via Microsoft Teams
Subscribe to Hennepin Ave Reconstruction email updates
Reconstruction of 1st Ave S: Phase 1 (Lake St to 27th St)
Impacts:
Full street closure during reconstruction of 1st Ave from Lake to 27th St, including underground utility work, construction of new sidewalks, curbs, and street surface
Demolition and reconstruction of 1st Ave bridge over Midtown Greenway
Temporary impacts on Lake to 31st St for bike lane construction and restriping
Expected Timeline: May 15 - late fall
Current Phase: Under construction
Contact: Tracy Lindgren, tracy.lindgren@minneapolismn.gov, 612-290-5898
Subscribe to 1st Ave Reconstruction email updates
View map of areas impacted by construction in 2024 and 2025
Creation of woonerf, Midtown Greenway bikeway connection to Hennepin, and green space
Expected Timeline: Fall - Winter 2024
Current Phase: Input & Design
Contact: Colleen O’Dell, codell@minneapolisparks.org, 612-230-6469
Track installation and construction of the new West Lake Street Station
Current Phase: Under construction
Hotline: 612-373-3933
Contact: Kaydee Kirk, kaydee.kirk@metrotransit.org, 612-373-3941
Frequently Asked Questions
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The B Line & Lake Street Improvements project will shift around travel lanes but will not change the parking lanes significantly. The parking along most blocks will stay the same as it was before. In some places, like in Uptown, new intersection “bump-outs” designed to decrease pedestrian crossing distances will remove approximately one parking space. Overall, we anticipate a loss of 5% or less of parking throughout the corridor.
The Hennepin Avenue and 1st Avenue reconstruction projects will more significantly impact parking along those corridors. Hennepin Avenue will have part-time bus lanes that reduce parking on one side of the street during rush hours, as was the case for the past few years in that district.
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It depends on where you are and what project is underway. For most of the Lake Street corridor, the main project in 2024 is the B Line & Lake Street Improvements project, which has varied impacts throughout the corridor. Most areas will have traffic impacts and parking disruptions all year long, but actual construction outside of your door will usually only last for 1-2 months at a time.
If you are in a reconstruction project (Hennepin Ave, 1st Ave, or Hi-Lake), it’s likely that intense construction will be directly in front of your business for nearly all of 2024.
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Most projects impacting the Lake Street area will be completed in November or December of this year. Some parts of certain projects may extend into 2025, but that isn’t currently expected.
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Unfortunately, the budgets and financing sources for these construction projects do not include any source of financial support for small businesses. We hope that the city, county, or state will someday find a way to incorporate business impact mitigation funding into project budgets, but we do not currently anticipate that will happen soon.
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In terms of funding, there are a few resources available that are not directly related to construction but may be able to assist. We would recommend that you research the following opportunities to see if they may apply to you:
Lake Street Council staff are available to assist however we can. We do not have funding to offer specifically for supporting businesses through construction, but we can help you with marketing or other methods for maintaining revenue during construction.
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While several of these projects do incorporate bus lanes or bike lanes as part of the changes being made, infrastructure for transit and safe bicycling is only one of several reasons these projects are happening, but not the key reason for the change.
The B Line and Lake Street Improvements project is driven by multiple factors, including:
The B Line Bus Rapid Transit system was finally fully funded after over a decade of planning, bringing investment and improvements to one of the most used bus routes in the Twin Cities.
When the City of Minneapolis launched its Vision Zero program, Lake Street was identified as a high injury corridor, with one of the highest rates of crashes, injuries, and deaths of any street in the city. After studying the corridor, the City and County identified a set of potential changes that would help reduce speed rates and points of conflict, including changing the layout of the street. Space for the bus lane was created as a result of reducing travel lanes, but it was safety concerns that really led to the change.
Hennepin County secured $12 million in federal funding to improve safety issues along the corridor, including creating better ADA access by upgrading curbs that were unsafe for people with disabilities.
Lake Street was approaching 20 years of age since reconstruction, and was due for an asphalt repaving - a good time to make other changes.
For some of these projects, including Hennepin Ave and 1st Ave, construction was necessary for maintenance and usability of the street and could not be delayed further. When it was determined that the streets would be reconstructed, the designs were selected based on agency policy and community feedback. Inclusion of bike lanes and bus lanes were a result of that process, but not the driver for the project.
The Hi-Lake project came as the result of community advocacy by neighborhood residents and businesses (including Lake Street Council) to make the intersection safer and easier to use. Hi-Lake was notorious as a confusing intersection for cars, bikers, and pedestrians alike.
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It sure feels like that, doesn’t it?
Most of Lake Street was reconstructed in the 2000s, but they skipped over the part around 35W in anticipation of the 35W reconstruction that finally occurred in 2020-2022 - which was a significant and deep construction project.
Last year’s work in the Longfellow neighborhood was the first year of the B Line and Lake Street Improvements project. That work is continuing this year. As a part of that project, they are doing an asphalt repaving (“mill and overlay”) for the top layer, which is recommended to occur every 15-20 years to maintain good conditions.
More broadly, public infrastructure in Minneapolis has suffered from decades of kicking the can down the road. Many of the streets in Minneapolis are reaching the end of their useful life and will require full reconstruction at some point. While it is possible to extend the life of those streets with repaving, those repairs can only go so far. Minneapolis residents and businesses should anticipate a higher level of street construction in the coming decades as the city works to address deferred maintenance.
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The projects on 1st Avenue and Hennepin Avenue will continue into 2025, but the main portion of work will occur between 26th and Franklin, further away from Lake Street.
In 2025, we expect the City of Minneapolis to construct the New Nicollet project, reconstructing a block of Nicollet Avenue over the site of the former K-Mart. Additionally, two bridges over the Midtown Greenway will be reconstructed in 2025 or 2026: Pillsbury Avenue and 10th Avenue S.
In 2026, MnDOT will begin the Cedar Ave Reconstruction project from Lake Street to Franklin Ave.
In 2027, Hennepin County will begin the Lyndale Ave Reconstruction project from 31st St to Franklin Ave
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Each of these projects have contacts listed on this website where you can find additional detail beyond what we are able to provide. If you’re having trouble finding the right person to answer your questions, reach out to us and we’ll try to help you find an answer.
Future Projects
Nicollet Ave Reconstruction (2025)
Cedar Ave Reconstruction (2026)
Lyndale Ave Reconstruction (2027)
Park & Portland (2027 - 2028)
“Lake Street is Open” Campaign
Lake Street Council commissioned local artist, Samantha Oulette to create a "Lake Street is Open" illustration in English, Spanish, and Somali. The illustration is available for businesses to download and use in their marketing. Visit Lake Street (an initiative of the Lake Street Council) will utilize the illustration in marketing businesses to the corridor through social media, direct-mail advertising, and other advertisements.
Marketing Tips
Include information on your website and social media on how to access your business including where to park vehicles or bicycles. This is important to do year-round without active construction.
If you schedule appointments or reservations, add this to confirmation emails and reminders.
Both written instructions and visual guides are helpful.
Consider including a phone number customers can call with questions.
Creativity can help! Is there a way to utilize construction to your benefit? Can you use it to market any products or services you offer? Below are links to some examples from small businesses in Minneapolis for inspiration!
Outside resource: Elevate Hennepin
If you’d like any assistance brainstorming marketing initiatives for your business reach out to us at socialmedia@visitlakestreet.com