South Loop District Plan Update

UPDATE 07-30-2025

The City of Bloomington is proud to release a draft of the South Loop District Plan Update. Please click on the file name under "Project Files." This document is a product of all the work that has occurred since July 2024 when the project kicked off. During that time, staff has performed extensive research on the South Loop and its development, met with both internal and external stakeholders, and presented numerous times in front of the Bloomington City Council and the City's various commissions.

Staff would appreciate your review of the document and any comments or questions you may have related to its content or the planning process for the project. You are also invited to attend the public hearings and provide public testimony considering the adoption of this update. The first public hearing will be held on Thursday August 14, 2025 during the Planning Commission Meeting, which begins at 6:00pm. The second public hearing is tentatively scheduled for the September 8, 2025 City Council Meeting. Both are hearings will occur in the Council Chambers at Bloomington Civic Plaza (1800 West Old Shakopee Road, Bloomington, MN 55431).

UPDATE 03-04-2025

On March 3, 2025, City Council approved staff's proposed outline for the update to the South Loop District Plan. Staff is currently fleshing out the content for the draft using the outline as guidance. Since the project qualifies as an amendment to the Forward 2040 Comprehensive Plan, affected jurisdictions will be receiving official notification of the proposed Comprehensive Plan amendment and be given 60 days to review and comment prior to submitting the amendment for review by the Metropolitan Council. During that review period, public hearings to consider the final draft of the update will be held in front of the Planning Commission and City Council on Thursday August 14, 2025, and Monday September 8, 2025, respectively. A copy of the draft will be made available prior to the Planning Commission meeting. The public is encouraged to read the draft and offer comments throughout the remainder of the project.

UPDATE 11-12-2024

Staff has completed the first group of study sessions, all held within October. City bodies engaged during this phase of the update project include the following:

• Creative Placemaking Commission (Wednesday October 2, 2024)
• Planning Commission (Thursday October 10, 2024)
• Port Authority (Tuesday October 15,2024)
• Sustainability (Tuesday October 15, 2024)
• City Council (Monday October 28, 2024)

The staff report and exhibits presented at each commission meeting can be found within the October 28, 2024, City Council agenda packet. Skip to page 210 of the linked PDF. The October 28, 2024, City Council can be viewed by clicking here.

At these meetings, staff proposed an approach to drafting the updates. Recognizing the available resources and time to complete the project, staff developed a framework for prioritizing updates that would make the most positive impact. Those priority update areas are the following:

1. Updating Parks and Open Space Framework
2. Transportation updates (street design, bike facility expansion, etc.)
3. Updated/clarified development goals/guidance by area
4. Streetscapes, plazas, and other public spaces (amend or remove)
5. Sustainability

You can read more detail of each priority area in the staff report found in the October 24 City Council agenda packet. Each commission affirmed this framework and provided feedback that will guide updates to policy-related matters.

Next steps for the project are to begin drafting those updates and present them at another group of study sessions tentatively scheduled to occur December and January 2025.

This project is an update to the original South Loop District Plan adopted in 2012. The 2012 Plan established the future vision of the district, direction of development, and the infrastructure and other public improvements necessary to support this vision.

The original Plan recognized the importance of the district in the growth of Bloomington and the success of the region. It identified the South Loop as a center for business and employment with its connection to the Twin Cities metropolitan area by adjacent freeways and convenient transit, and to global centers via direct flights from the nearby Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Another feature of the South Loop District highlighted in the 2012 Plan is the area’s proximity to natural resources and easy access to recreational amenities. Combined with growing residential opportunities and dining and entertainment options, the South Loop has all the ingredients for a thriving live-work-play environment for thousands of additional new residents.

The 2024 Update will build off the momentum of the original plan and continue the success of the District. The Update will account for the many changes over the previous 12 years, which includes examining and accounting for the most up-to-date demographics of residents, shifts in the development and real estate markets, and completed and future infrastructure and utility investments. With this data, the update will reconsider the district vision and planned land uses and other public investments.