Construction of The Ellie apartments begins

Construction has begun on another major apartment complex in Eden Prairie: The Ellie, a four-story development off County Road 4, north of Smith Coffee & Cafe.

At 239 studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, the United Properties project is one of Eden Prairie’s largest multi-family residential developments in recent years. It is surpassed only by the seven-story, 246-unit Paravel project that Timberland Partners is building along Prairie Center Drive, west of Flying Cloud Drive, and rivaled by the 225-unit Elevate at SouthWest Station apartment complex built in 2019.

Twenty-five percent of the apartments in The Ellie will have rents that meet affordable-housing guidelines.

“Purchasing the land was complex; it included the acquisition of seven off-market homes, as well as rezoning, relocating major utilities, right-of-way changes, and a tax increment financing (TIF) agreement,” Scott Peterson, vice president of hospitality and office development at United Properties, said in a Sept. 21 news release. “We arrive at today’s groundbreaking thanks to close coordination with the city council, city and county staff, and the Metropolitan Council’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority.”

Named after Elizabeth Fries Ellet, a writer who visited the area in the mid-1800s and is credited with naming Eden Prairie, The Ellie will have an outdoor courtyard area, plus shared indoor spaces such as a fitness center, a community lounge and fireplace, bike storage rooms, storage spaces to rent, and underground and surface parking.

The central courtyard area will have an outdoor pool, a children’s play area, a culinary garden to grow food, an outdoor kitchen and fire pit area, and a lawn area for games.

“The Ellie is a great example of an infill development opportunity that benefits the overall community,” said Carrie Eggleston, senior development manager, United Properties. “We worked closely with the City of Eden Prairie to vacate the existing road (Lincoln Lane) and replace seven homes with 239 units of new construction — all in close proximity to area amenities.

“We’re proud we were able to preserve four of the original homes and physically move them to new locations in Minnesota,” she added.

The Ellie was designed by DLR Group and is being constructed by Eagle Building Company. Construction on The Ellie is anticipated to be complete by the spring of 2024.