Lakes At Lyndale Project In Richfield Nearing Completion With Opening Of Condominiums

Press release from the City of Richfield:

August 7, 2020

Ten years ago, the corner of 64th Street and Lyndale Avenue was a tired and overlooked part of the city. The once-iconic Lyndale Gardens Center had closed in 2006, and sat vacant for years while developers attempted to design a project that would work for the site and fit the needs of the community, all while contending with the Great Recession.

The site, and the area around it, has always been an important focal point for the City of Richfield and, as such, was part of the Lakes at Lyndale Plan that was adopted in 1999. The plan called for a mix of housing and commercial development on the site, while at the same time highlighting the interconnectedness of nature, housing, transit and the “downtown” identity of the area.

The Richfield Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) began entertaining developer proposals in the early 2000s and its staff began working with The Cornerstone Group, as the lead developer, in 2009. The HRA committed financial resources to the area in 2011, agreeing to provide tax increment financing to the project.

The final piece of the nine-acre project site, Lakeside at Lyndale Gardens, is nearing completion. Now, the decades-long development vision for the area can be seen by all.

“The vision for the Lakes at Lyndale area is one of a vibrant, mixed-use, walkable area that takes advantage of the proximity to natural areas,” explained Assistant Community Development Director Melissa Poehlman. “The completion of this last phase of the project truly reflects our original vision for the area: residents can enjoy beautiful views and easy access to Richfield Lake, walk to Lakewinds Food Co-op for groceries, and hopefully in the near future enjoy food and entertainment at the amphitheater.”

The first stage of the project was the construction of Lakewinds Food Co-op, built on the south end of the site. The store was built in 2013, and also included the construction of public amenities for the greater community on the site, as well.

“One of the important aspects of the project was finding a way for the general public to access the space and take advantage of Richfield Lake,” remarked HRA Chair Mary Supple. “Features such as the amphitheater and new bridge to connect the site to the city’s walking path were incorporated in the project to make that possible.”

In 2018, the HRA approved changes to the original plan, with a final plan that included 30 for-sale condos, eight rental townhomes, and 66 apartments, and retail space.

Last winter, the apartment component of the project, the Henley, opened with 66 units of apartments, with seven of the apartments being reserved for moderate-income tenants. The eight two-story townhomes opened around the same time, and were quickly rented.

The final component of the project, the Lakeside at Lyndale Gardens, is now completed, with owners of the 30-unit project moving in this month.

The units, which range in bedroom count and square footage, all feature high-end finishes, floor to ceiling windows facing the lake, hardwood flooring and outdoor decks.

“This last phase of housing added to the Lakes at Lyndale project is a much different product than the city has seen previously,” remarked Poehlman. “Looking at the completed project, it feels really great to be creating an area with such a variety of housing options that is near to a variety of transportation options, services, and recreational amenities.”

In the future, when restrictions on public gatherings have been lifted, the Lakes at Lyndale site will be home to live music, community events, farm stands and pedestrian access to Richfield Lake.

All in all, it took a lot of work from a lot of committed people to see this project to its conclusion.

“The staff, elected officials and the community always knew that this was a spectacular site with access to Richfield Lake and Lyndale Avenue. Collectively, we were more interested in getting the level of development the community deserves at this location, even if it meant it would take some time to get it done,” beamed Community Development Director John Stark. “Now at the end of the project, it is very exciting to see the vision that the community had established through the Lakes at Lyndale Plan twenty years ago accomplished in almost every way.”

This press release was produced by the City of Richfield. The views expressed here are the author’s own.