If you're anything like me, you walk your pair of disobedient huskies along Minnehaha Creek every single day. And, almost weekly, you and the dogs stroll past an alleyway curiosity tucked away in trees behind Minnehaha Parkway: a private, seemingly abandoned full-sized tennis court.
For years I suspected it belonged to one of the homeowners across the alley, but when I saw that 316½ E. Minnehaha Parkway had hit the market Thursday morning, I became less certain. Here's what we know: The .56-acre parcel is being sold for $249,000, and the many aerial drone photos that accompany the property listing reveal just how massive that lot is for the posh creekside area. Shaggy trees extend their branches over the fencing, lending a semi-spooky quality, though the court itself appears smooth and level. Over on the adjacent lot, which is also marooned amid alleyways, you'll find weed-covered remnants of an old concrete structures.
The listing description offers some additional clues...
Step into a piece of Minneapolis history with this one-of-a-kind property-an original clay tennis court from the 1940’s, now ready for its next chapter. This rare lot offers endless possibilities for redevelopment, a private recreational space, or investment. Opportunities like this are incredibly hard to find! Prime location close to the parkway trails, park system, local restaurants, and easy access to downtown. Bring your vision and buyer to verify all uses with the city.
When you pull up the ol' country records, you find that the owner of the hidden court is... an on-the-nose company called Hidden Court LLC. The address linked to it belongs to a gentleman located one mile to east.
At this point you might be asking yourself: Hey, Mr. Reporter, did you call the freaking listing agent? First of all, calm the hell down! I don't like your tone. Secondly, of course, we sure did—Cody Anderson of RE/MAX Results was an informative delight. Here's what he had to say minutes before we hit "publish" on this Wanna Buy:
On the lot…
It's a pretty sweet area, a lot of value there. The lot would be worth double what I have it listed for [if future building was a zoning certainty].
On future uses…
The struggle is going to be: One person from the city told me it's not buildable because it's only accessible by alley. I find that interesting because ADUs, which are just huge in Minneapolis, well, those are only accessible by alley. So help me understand that, Mr. Zoning Person that sounded pretty young. [Laughs.] I didn't push back against him, because he's not the person to push back against, but I like to help people fight for their rights. I think [a buyer who wants to build] would need to have building plans, and maybe have a purchase agreement contingent on those plans getting approved by the city. If they're not approved, you get your earnest money back.
On the seller…
The seller doesn't have building plans. He's a big tennis person, but he doesn't play as much as he used to. I think I can tell you he's getting up there in the years, bought it from a friend in 2008, and did the LLC thing to make sure if someone snuck on there and got hurt he was protected from getting sued. Everything has been good in that department over all these years.
On the history...
The seller is hoping someone keeps it as a tennis court, to be honest. He tells me this is the oldest clay tennis court in Minneapolis; whoever lived around there, in 1940, built the clay court that's below that asphalt.
Mystery (mostly) solved!
With all that cleared up, enjoy a lil photo tour below courtesy of RE/MAX Results and Up North Media. And if you really wanna enter my previous headspace? Pretend two 65-pounds dogs are yanking you in opposite directions as you wonder: What the hell's up with that hidden tennis court?
