INCREASING MAXIMUM HEIGHT

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances tit. 20, ch. 540, art. VI

in effect

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.500 Purpose.

540.500. - Purpose. These regulations are established to identify where an increase of the maximum height requirements of a principal structure may be considered administratively. In order to be approved, the proposal must be consistent with the spirit and intent of the comprehensive plan and must further achieve the goals of the comprehensive plan.

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.510 Application for increasing maximum height.

540.510. - Application for increasing maximum height. (a) In general. Any person having a legal or equitable interest in land, subject to the requirements of this section, may file an application to increase the height of a principal structure on a form approved by the zoning administrator, as specified in Chapter 525, Administration and Procedures. (b) Ineligible uses and locations. The following uses and property locations shall not be eligible for an application to administratively increase the height of a principal structure: (1) Any property located in an interior built form overlay district. (2) A single-, two-, or three-family dwelling or cluster development located in any built form overlay district.

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.520 Administrative review of applications.

540.520. - Administrative review of applications. (a) In general. The zoning administrator, in consultation with the planning director, shall approve or deny such application. The zoning administrator may impose such conditions and require such guarantees deemed reasonable and necessary to protect the public interest and to ensure compliance with the standards and purposes of this zoning ordinance and policies of the comprehensive plan. If proposed as part of a project that includes a separate land use application, the height increase shall be reviewed concurrently with said application. Unless a site plan review application is not required, the decision date shall coincide with the city planning commission action on the site plan review application. (b) Appeals. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 525, Administration and Procedures, decisions of the zoning administrator regarding the administrative review of height increases shall be subject to appeal to the city council.

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.530 Maximum allowed height increase.

540.530. - Maximum allowed height increase. Where allowed, the maximum height requirements of principal structures may be increased up to the limits identified in Table 540-9, Maximum Allowed Height Increase, provided all applicable sections of this article are met. Table 540-9 Maximum Allowed Height Increase Built Form Overlay District | Height May Be Increased Up To, but Not Exceed a Total of Corridor 3 | 4 stories, 56 feet Corridor 4 | 6 stories, 84 feet Corridor 6 | 10 stories, 140 feet Transit 10 | 15 stories, 210 feet Transit 15 | 20 stories, 280 feet Transit 20 | 30 stories, 420 feet Transit 30A | 50 stories, 700 feet Transit 30B | 50 stories, 700 feet Parks | 6 stories, 84 feet Production | 20 stories, 280 feet (Ord. No. 2025-057, § 8, 12-11-2025)

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.540 Required premiums.

540.540. - Required premiums. (a) In general. Adequate premiums shall be provided as identified in Table 540-10, Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Corridor and Parks Built Form Overlay Districts or Table 540-11, Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Transit and Production Built Form Overlay Districts, as applicable, in order to be eligible to achieve the intended height increase. Premiums provided shall comply with the standards of section 540.640, Height Increase Premiums. For specific use premiums, the use must be allowed by the zoning district or districts in which the property is located for a development to be eligible for the premium. (b) Existing buildings. Where projects within these districts already exceed the applicable height limits or an addition is too small to trigger site plan review, one (1) of the following may be provided in lieu of the premiums in Table 540-10, Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Corridor and Parks Built Form Overlay Districts or Table 540-11, Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Transit and Production Built Form Overlay Districts, provided the additional floor area does not exceed two thousand five hundred (2,500) square feet and such exception occurs only one (1) time in any five-year period: (1) Green roof, subject to the following standards: Installation of an extensive, intensive, semi-intensive, modular, or integrated green roof system that covers the roof area of the addition or an equivalent area elsewhere on the building. (2) Living wall system, subject to the following standards: Provide a living wall system on at least one (1) building elevation. The living wall shall be composed of panels that total a minimum of sixty (60) percent of the wall area on the building elevation, or five hundred (500) square feet, whichever is greater. Window area is included in the calculation of the wall area, but in no case shall the living wall cover windows. Not less than twenty (20) percent of the plantings shall provide greenery year-round. (3) Enhanced stormwater management and native landscaping, subject to the following standards: Not less than fifty (50) percent of the site not occupied by buildings including all required landscaped yards shall be landscaped per the standards in Chapter 550, Article V, Site Plan Review Standards. Provide capacity for infiltrating stormwater generated onsite with artful rain garden design, or subterranean stormwater collection and filtration system, that serves as a visible and/or visually appealing amenity. Rain garden designs shall be visually compatible with the form and function of the space and shall include for long-term maintenance of the design. Native species plantings shall be prioritized on the landscaping plan, including plantings that support pollinators. (4) Art feature, subject to the following standards: Provision of art that shall strive to promote quality design, enhance a sense of place, contribute to a sense of vitality, show value for artist and artistic processes, and use resources wisely. The art shall be maintained in good order for the life of the principal structure. The art shall be located where it is highly visible to the public. If located indoors, such space shall be clearly visible and easily accessible from adjacent sidewalks or streets. The art shall be valued at not less than one-fourth (¼) of one (1) percent of the capital cost of the principal structure. (5) Shared bicycles and electric vehicle chargers, subject to the following standards: Public access to shared bicycles available for short-term use as defined in section 555.230 of the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances. Applies to mixed-use and nonresidential uses only. A minimum of ten (10) shared bicycles and four (4) electric vehicle chargers per one (1) commercial use must be provided to qualify as an amenity. Bicycle parking spaces and racks shall be located in an area that is convenient and visible from the principal entrance of the building. Table 540-10 Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Corridor and Parks Built Form Overlay Districts Premium | Built Form Overlay District and Premium Value Corridor 3 | Corridor 4 | Corridor 6 | Parks Affordable housing | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Child care center | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Environmental sustainability | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Grocery store | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Historic preservation | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Mixed-use building | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Outdoor open space | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Through-block connections | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet | 1 story, 14 feet Table 540-11 Allowed Height Increase per Premium in the Transit and Production Built Form Overlay Districts Premium | Built Form Overlay District and Premium Value Transit 10 | Transit 15 | Transit 20, Transit 30A and Transit 30B | Production Affordable housing | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Child care center | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Environmental sustainability | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Grocery store | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Historic preservation | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Mixed-use building | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Outdoor open space | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet Through-block connections | 2 stories, 28 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet | 3 stories, 42 feet | 2 stories, 28 feet (Ord. No. 2025-057, § 9, 12-11-2025)

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 540.550 Required findings.

540.550. - Required findings. Before approval of an administrative height increase, and in addition to providing the required premium or premiums, the zoning administrator shall find: (1) The building furthers principles of human scale design and massing, particularly facing the public realm in the lower floors of the building. (2) The portion of the building receiving the height increase responds to a change in built form on adjacent properties in less intense built form overlay districts with a gradual transition in height and scale. (3) The building form and massing is distributed and oriented in a manner appropriate to the scale and proportion of the built surroundings to reasonably address the impact of shadowing on adjacent properties, the public realm, and existing solar energy systems, and to allow access to light and air of adjacent properties. (4) Exterior materials are consistent and compatible on all sides of the building.

Source: City of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Code of Ordinances, City Charter and Park and Recreation Board Code of Ordinances (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/mn/minneapolis/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=MICOOR_TIT20ZOCO_CH540BUFOOVDI_ARTVIINMAHEFetched: 11/2/2026