The Eden Prairie Planning Commission recommended two major development proposals Sept. 22 – relocating a hotel near Bryant Lake and building a 195-unit apartment complex at the former Department 56 site.

Both plans now go to the City Council for approval in October.

Residence Inn relocation proposed

The Residence Inn by Marriott, now at 7780 Flying Cloud Drive, has proposed moving to 11902 Valley View Road, on the former UNFI campus.

John Ferrier, vice president of CSM Co., the property management company for the project, said the current Residence Inn on Flying Cloud Drive has multiple buildings, a clubhouse for amenities and 16 guest houses, each with eight rooms.

Ferrier said Marriott sees the current setup as “obsolete” and needs to build a new hotel to meet current hotel standards. Because the existing hotel has multiple buildings, it is difficult to maintain.

The new hotel will be a single building with a restaurant in the parking lot, Ferrier said. Marriott has not found a vendor for the restaurant but hopes to highlight a local business.

Marriott will begin advertising the restaurant space to potential vendors following the council’s approval, Ferrier said.

He said the hotel will be five stories with 157 rooms. It will include studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, as well as amenities such as a meeting room.

Marriott wants to move locations rather than tear down the current buildings and rebuild on the same site so it can keep the hotel open during construction, said Scott Cross, the hotel’s general manager. The hotel had about 94% occupancy in July.

The current hotel site is about 30 feet from the light rail, so guests will be able to hear the trains and feel their vibrations when regular service begins in 2027, Ferrier said.

The project calls for several waivers to accommodate Marriott’s needs.

City code limits building height to 40 feet, and Marriott has requested a waiver to build up to 52 feet. The hotel will be near the SuperValu pond, where regulations require buildings and parking lots to be at least 200 feet from the shoreline. Marriott, however, wants to build within 100 feet.

The Marriott team also asked for a zoning change, since the land is currently zoned rural. Ferrier requested switching the 6.58 acres the hotel would occupy to commercial zoning, while the remaining 53 acres would stay rural.

Eric Wessels, who lives near the proposed hotel site, asked the development team if it was aware of a bald eagle nest nearby.

Mark Kronbeck of Alliant Engineering, which is assisting with the project, said the team conducted an environmental study that found the hotel would pose no environmental harm. However, they were not aware of the eagle nest.

Planning Commissioner John Kirk said the comment about the eagle nest was important and urged the Marriott team to look into whether the project would affect it before the proposal goes to the council.

“I think the developer needs to do their homework on that,” Kirk said. 

The Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act requires permits before eagle habitat may be damaged or the birds harassed, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. If Marriott builds within 660 feet of the nest, it is considered harassment and would require a permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Cross said Marriott does not have plans for the current hotel site but intends to continue operating there until the new site is complete. Marriott has not specified when the project is expected to be finished, Ferrier said.

Project at former Department 56 site

Another potential development, an apartment building planned by Twin Cities-based Roers Co., was recommended for approval by the commission. The building would be at 6436 City West Parkway, the former headquarters of Christmas décor company Department 56.

Nick Asta, a real estate developer on the project, said the building will have 195 rental units. The development is between Highway 212 and the light rail.

The apartment complex needs waivers to rezone the parcel from “industrial flex tech” multi-use to multifamily residential, Asta said.

Asta said Roers Co. held two neighborhood meetings to get feedback on the project, but no one attended. 

The design will feature rounded elements to pay homage to the office buildings on the parcel and the grain silos that once stood in the area, said Justin Merkovich, an architect on the project.

Kirk said he appreciated the historical perspective of the building’s design. 

“I love the historical perspective. I think that’s fantastic,” Kirk said. “Eden Prairie needs to have a historical perspective.” 

Merkovich said Roers is requesting density waivers to allow about 33 units per acre, compared with the current limit of roughly 17 units per acre. Because of the site’s proximity to major roads, the light rail, and the mix of commercial and residential properties in the area, he said the higher density is appropriate.

Roers also requested a front-yard setback waiver, reducing the requirement from 35 feet to 24, to make room for a path to the light rail and place the apartment closer to the highway while keeping distance from nearby residential areas, Merkovich said.

The Roers Co. apartment building is expected to open in 2027 alongside the light rail, Asta said.

Asta said Roers Co. went through an extensive approval process, as the property is in a greater condominium association. The association gave approval of the project.

“We can stand here and confidently say that the neighbors in the area are in favor of what we’ve proposed today,” Asta said. “… I think they’re excited to see some new life in the neighborhood.”