Missed connections: Nicollet Ave. and Lake Street - KMSP-TV

Missed connections: Nicollet Ave. and Lake Street

The city of Minneapolis is moving forward with plans to reconnect Nicollet Avenue at Lake Street, through the current Kmart property near Uptown.

Nicollet was closed and vacated between 29th Street and Lake Street in the late 1970s to clear a spot for a retail development. The city says reopening Nicollet Avenue would restore the street grid and "reweave a missing connection" from south Minneapolis to downtown.

Reopening Nicollet requires public and private support, and the project is still in its early stages. Potential pre-development funding for the project may be included in discussions about the 2013 city budget, and a developer is currently working to get full control of the site, which currently has multiple owners.

A city council committee heard the city's plans on Tuesday, and Mayor Rybak and the city council directed several departments to work together to move the project forward.