Major changes to Minneapolis City Council wards in the University of Minnesota area could be on the way.

The Minneapolis Charter Commission, which handles the redistricting process within the city, released new sample ward maps Tuesday. Those maps will go before several public hearings, including one Wednesday night, before being finalized.

Barry Clegg, chairman of the Charter Commission, said it’s “too early to tell” if these changes will be any closer to the finalized maps. Clegg said the commission is scheduled to vote on a final map March 26.

The new maps reflect population shifts among neighborhoods every 10 years. Each ward must be within 5 percent of the average ward population.

Ward 2 Councilman Cam Gordon, who represents the University area, would absorb part of the Longfellow neighborhood and lose a significant piece of the Seward and Cedar-Riverside areas under the proposed maps.

The University neighborhood experienced the second-largest population increase among city neighborhoods from 2000 to 2010. The surrounding neighborhoods — like Prospect Park, Southeast Como and Marcy-Holmes — also had some of the biggest population jumps in the city.

Ward 3 Councilwoman Diane Hofstede, who represents the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood, would gain the entire Downtown East neighborhood, with some of the Downtown West and North Loop areas. The North Loop gained 2,776 residents from 2000 to 2010 — the largest increase in the city.