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Jon Collins
St. Paul, Minn.

Edina OKs housing project for homeless youth

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The Edina City Council unanimously pushed forward with a new housing development to serve homeless youth on Tuesday night.

Council members voted 5-0 to recommend the rezoning and redevelopment of a current TCF Bank building at 3330 66th Street into 39 studio apartments for young adults.

The Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is spearheading the project, which aims to give young people who've experienced homelessness the stability they need to better themselves educationally and economically. Most of the residents are expected to be between 18 and 21-years-old.

Dr. William Davis, who runs a medical practice just two blocks from the project, said he supports it.

"We know these youth are already here in our area," Davis said. "Wouldn't we rather see them in housing, progressing in their lives, rather than struggling on the streets?"

There has been some opposition to the project from some residents, partly because it required the city to rezone the building to allow it in the city's regional medical corridor.

Edina resident Mike Nelson said he's a strong supporter of affordable housing, but argued that the building shouldn't be rezoned for this purpose.

"Emotions run high for a project like this," Nelson said. "Let's not let emotions get in the way of our leadership making intelligent decisions that would possibly interfere with what would be a very successful and thriving regional medical district."

The 39 studio apartments would contribute to Edina's goal of adding 212 affordable housing units to the city by 2020.

The project still needs final approval from the City Council and city Planning Commission.