Light rail is still months away from opening in the southwest metro, but Hopkins is already lining up what gets built next to it. The City of Hopkins, the Hopkins Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and the Metropolitan Council have opened a request for proposals for roughly 8 acres of vacant land beside the future Shady Oak Station on the Southwest light rail line.
The site sits at 11111 Excelsior Blvd., on the border of Hopkins and Minnetonka near the busy intersection of Shady Oak Road and Excelsior Boulevard. Service on the line is slated to begin June 12, 2027, and the station is a short trip from downtown Hopkins.
What Hopkins Wants Built at Shady Oak Station
The land is split into two parcels, one about 3.8 acres and one about 4.2 acres. Development teams can combine them or subdivide them, which gives builders room to propose one large project or a phased approach. The Met Council owns the property, and it is zoned for transit-oriented development with guidance for 75 to 150 residential units per acre.
That is serious density by suburban Minnesota standards. According to the city’s RFP page, buildings on the site can range from 2 to 10 stories, and permitted uses include housing, office, limited retail, and limited artisan manufacturing.
The partners describe the goal as a high-density, mixed-use, art-forward district that ties together transit, businesses, housing, recreation, and the Minnesota River Bluffs LRT Regional Trail. Their wish list includes:
- Active uses facing the trail
- Bike-friendly infrastructure
- Public art reflecting the area’s industrial history
- High-quality architecture that creates a sense of arrival
- Sustainable features like shade and possible geothermal energy
- Development accessible to people of all incomes and abilities
Why This Matters for Hopkins, Minnetonka, and the Twin Cities
This site is part of a larger area that Hopkins and Minnetonka flagged last year as needing a fresh development strategy focused on mixed-use and transit-oriented growth. In other words, this is not a one-off parcel sale. It is the opening move in reshaping a whole corridor around light rail.
For residents, that means more housing choices near transit, new places to eat and gather, and a stronger connection to the regional trail system. For nearby homeowners, it means the neighborhood around Shady Oak Road could look very different over the next several years. If you are watching the Twin Cities housing market, transit-oriented projects like this are worth tracking because they shape where new supply lands and how neighborhoods evolve. For more on how new development affects local neighborhoods, see [INTERNAL LINK: Twin Cities market update or neighborhood guide].
Key Dates to Watch
The city’s RFP page lists:
- Optional virtual pre-proposal meeting: December 2, 2026, at 2 p.m. Central
- Developer questions due: December 11
- Proposals due: January 29, 2027, by 5 p.m.
Interviews and the final selection date have not been set yet.
With trains scheduled to start rolling that June, Hopkins is positioning this corner to grow alongside the new line. It is one of the clearest local examples of how light rail could change the way people live, work, and move across the west and southwest metro.
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