The James Avenue City Homes project has its approvals. On Oct. 12 the City Council voted 5-2 to rezone 9025 and 9033 James Ave. S. from R-1 to R-3. It also voted 5-2 to approve the final site and building plans and a plat that splits the 2 single-family lots into 9 detached townhome lots and an outlot.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNThe council voted 5-2 to rezone 9025 and 9033 James Avenue South from R1 to R3 and to approve final site and building plans and the plat, which subdivides two single-family lots into nine detached townhome lots and an outlot.10/12
The council took the item up as the continuation of a public hearing it had already held and closed. Members had sent staff off with more questions before a final vote.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNThe council reopens the James Avenue item, the meeting where the 5-2 approval vote came.10/12
The idea goes back more than a year. In June 2025 the developer briefed council members on the project. That August a nearby resident told the council they wanted to know when work would start and when the weedy empty space on the site would be replaced.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNA council member reports that the developer presented the James Avenue City Homes infill project to start the conversation.06/30
The applicants are 9025 James LLC and Duane and Carol Naddy, according to the city. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval. At the council, members raised design concerns. Staff reported that the council sent the project back for redesign and postponed action to Aug. 31.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNPlanning staff explain that the council postponed the James Avenue plan over design concerns even though the commission had backed it unanimously.08/06
On Sept. 3 the city posted a new hearing notice, and the council held the hearing on Sept. 14. Neighbors pushed back hard. They brought up traffic on what they called a 2-block local street, construction crews parking on the street, setbacks, building heights, and whether 9 houses fit in among single-family homes. One resident said the plan would raise density by 140%. James Avenue carries about 200 vehicles a day now, and the project is estimated to add roughly 66 net daily trips. The council tabled the matter to Oct. 12 and asked for more information and conditions.
City of Bloomington@CityofBloomingtonMNStaff open the public hearing on James Avenue City Homes, setting off the neighborhood pushback.09/14
Staff supported approval as long as the developer follows a required construction management plan. The applicant said the goal is to create places for new homeowners to build a house. They argued that the missing-middle zoning is what makes the project pencil out: preparing the site is expensive, and spreading that cost over 9 lots keeps lot prices within reach for buyers.
Next comes construction, and with it the construction management plan staff made a condition of support. Neighbors who want to keep an eye on it can find council agendas and documents at blm.mn/meetings.
From the meetings: City Council Meeting, October 12, 2026 and Planning Commission Meeting, August 6, 2026.
