Massive New Megaprojects Coming to Minneapolis in 2026
About this video
Minneapolis is in the middle of its biggest construction boom ever — and it's about to change where you should buy. In this video, we're breaking down 9 major megaprojects hitting the Twin Cities by 2026, including a $2.9 billion light rail extension, a $430 million water park at the Mall of America, a $350 million riverfront district in North Minneapolis, and more.
Whether you're buying, selling, or investing in the Minneapolis metro, knowing where billions of dollars are being spent is the difference between getting ahead of the market and chasing it.
Key takeaways
- North Commons Park in North Minneapolis, built in 1907 on about 27 acres, is getting a $45 million rebuild, the park board's largest single investment, with a much larger field house planned to finish by 2027.
- Chanhassen's new community center is planned at more than 180,000 square feet with two hockey rinks, a field house, a fitness center and a walking track; construction was scheduled to start in May 2026, with completion in 2028.
- Saint Paul's Central Station project, about $130 million on the Green Line, plans a 20-story tower and a six-story building with about 300 apartments and ground-floor retail.
- The Metro E Line, a 13-mile bus rapid transit route, connects Westgate Station in Saint Paul with Southdale in Edina along University, Hennepin and France Avenues; more than $1.3 billion of development has been built along it since 2014.
- Blaine is building a $750 million, 70-acre town center next to the National Sports Center, with a hotel, food hall, a 3,000-seat stadium and housing.
- Upper Harbor Terminal turns 48 acres of Mississippi riverfront in North Minneapolis into a $350 million district with about 520 homes, 20 acres of park and an 8,000-seat amphitheater targeted for the 2027 season.
- Highland Bridge, on the former Ford plant site in Saint Paul, is a more than $1 billion neighborhood on 122 acres with about 3,800 homes and 55 acres of parks, built out over 10 to 15 years.
- The $2.9 billion Green Line Extension adds 14.5 miles of light rail and 16 stations from downtown Minneapolis through St. Louis Park, Hopkins and Minnetonka to Eden Prairie, with opening planned for 2027.
Questions this video answers
When does the Green Line Extension open?
Opening was planned for 2027 as of the video, after testing. The line adds 14.5 miles and 16 stations between downtown Minneapolis and Eden Prairie, through St. Louis Park, Hopkins and Minnetonka.
What is Highland Bridge in Saint Paul?
A new neighborhood on the 122-acre former Ford plant site in Highland Park: about 3,800 homes, retail, offices and more than 55 acres of parks, built in phases over 10 to 15 years.
Where does the Metro E Line run?
About 13 miles from Westgate Station on the Green Line in Saint Paul to Southdale Transit Center in Edina, along University, Hennepin and France Avenues.
Read more: Highland Park neighborhood · Eden Prairie vs. Minnetonka
Notes written by Huerkamp Home Group from this video. Figures are as stated in the video on March 18, 2026; check the current numbers in our market reports.
