Two affordable apartment developments with nearly 500 units in total are advancing in Woodbury, including one project that failed to move forward in a previous iteration as a market-rate building and another with a rare “difficult-to-develop” designation.

Developers are pitching two projects that would bring nearly 500 apartment units to Woodbury.

LS Black is building an $88 million rental community north of Austin, in Round Rock. None of the units are market rate apartments. The Preserve at Mustang Creek, will consist entirely of apartments priced for households that make 30% to 60% of the area median income.

Deeply affordable housing is headed to the northern reaches of the State Highway 130 corridor.

Minnesota-based LS Black Development will develop the project that is expected to bring 252 badly-needed affordable apartments to the metro, according to an August announcement. In recent years, homebuyers’ purchasing power across the metro has been drastically reduced as Austin struggles with rising interest rates, an influx of people and a dearth of available supply.

Commercial-industrial building permit activity in St. Paul was up sharply last month thanks in large part to a $65 million project that will bring more affordable housing and new office space to the Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood.

Three years ago partners Mike Hudson, Willy Boulay and Sterling Black launched LS Black Development in leased space in St. Paul. Now they’re getting ready to break ground on The Balsam on Broadway, a $65 million, mixed-use project that includes 128 units of affordable housing and 5,500 square feet of space where they can grow their company in the heart of the city.

By unanimous vote, city officials authorized Round Rock Mayor Craig Morgan at a July 14 meeting to execute a development agreement with property owner LSBD Inc. regarding a future affordable housing option near SH 130.

Construction is underway in northeast Minneapolis on Canvas Apartments, a $71 million, 160-unit affordable housing complex of up to three-bedroom units.

MINNEAPOLIS — LS Black Development recently broke ground on the $71 million Canvas Apartments affordable housing development in Northeast Minneapolis.

Willy Boulay and Mike Hudson were friends for close to five years beforethey became vice presidents in St. Paul-based LS Black Development..

As part of an estimated $45 million project, LS Black Development hopes to bring nearly 130 new homes near St. Paul’s Lowertown neighborhood..

The COVID 19 crisis was just heating up in April when LS Black Development was officially launched.

Beyond the Skyline is a podcast about economic development, commercial real estate and construction in Minnesota. Above all, it’s a show about what’s next..

A one-time grain elevator location in northeast Minneapolis could be the launching point for a $40 million affordable housing development geared toward art studio tenants.

A new development company spawned from St. Paul-based LS Black Constructors has pitched its first project, a 164-unit affordable housing building in Northeast Minneapolis.