St. Cloud Considers Allowing Apartment Buildings Downtown and Along Commercial Corridors

(KNSI) – St. Cloud is moving to make it easier to build apartments downtown and along the city’s busiest commercial roads.

The St. Cloud Planning Commission will take its first look Tuesday at a zoning change that would allow stand-alone apartment buildings in three commercial districts. Right now, apartments are only allowed on the second floor and above in those areas.

Community Development Director Matt Glaesman says the change follows the city’s new Comprehensive Plan, which calls for filling underused lots with housing to ease a shortage. With fewer people shopping in stores and working in offices, the city sees new apartments as a way to bring customers closer to local businesses.

The change would cover the downtown core, the edges of downtown along East and West St. Germain Street, and highway corridors including Division Street, Highway 10, Roosevelt Road and 2nd Street South.

New projects would have to meet design standards borrowed from the 5th Avenue corridor near St. Cloud State University, including minimum building heights and a ban on parking in front of buildings.

The Planning Commission could make a recommendation during its meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday inside city hall, or hold off for more discussion. The St. Cloud City Council would then need to hold a public hearing and vote before the changes take effect.

___