29-story apartment tower in works for Nye's Polonaise Room site

Rendering shows the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lourdes Place in Minneapolis. (Courtesy of Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission and Schafer Richardson Construction)

A plan calling for a 29-story apartment tower with thousands of square feet of retail space is in the works for what is now Nye's Polonaise Room in Northeast Minneapolis, though a nearby church is opposing the plans.

The 29-story, 189-unit apartment tower with several levels of parking and about 6,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space would require the demolition of two buildings, but two of the oldest structures, including the "Harness Shop" built in 1905, would be preserved, according to city documents.

The plans still need to move through the Minneapolis city approval process and win backing from the city's Heritage Preservation Commission, which is slated to discuss the proposal Tuesday.

The proposed plan isn't without resistance. Located on the same block as Nye's, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church issued a statement to parishioners Sunday that outlined the church's resistance to the development.

The letter said experts have advised that the church will be harmed by a construction project of the proposed scope -- a risk the church's foundation, laid in 1857, can't take. The letter also listed obstructed views of the church, a 30-foot stone wall, shadows and density concerns as reasons for the church's opposition.

A Facebook group called "Save Nye's Polonaise," formed shortly after the Minneapolis institution announced plans to close in September, has nearly 9,000 likes.

Events are in the works to celebrate Nye's 65-year history, but nothing is official yet.

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29-story apartment tower in works for Nye's Polonaise Room site