Root District - Farmers Market / Royalston Station

[PhilmerPhil]

I don't think this has been discussed yet here, but I saw some work going on at 620 Olson Memorial Highway today. New windows going in, etc. Looks like it's going to be a couple of charter schools. Remember when an "entertainment complex" was proposed there back in 2011?

LOCKED: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... o-two.html

[twincitizen]

Some new info on this area. The group of north loop business interests formerly known as "2020 Partners" has recently rebranded as "NuLoop Partners": https://www.nulooppartners.org/

And one of first initiatives is rebranding the "West Loop / Farmers Market / Royalston Station" area as the Root District. Here's a presentation summarizing how they arrived at this name, etc: https://www.nulooppartners.org/wp-conte ... r-2019.pdf

There's an event scheduled for March 4 to introduce this work to the public: https://mailchi.mp/445d8e6ed503/present ... ViuLu6ZsVw

[alexschief]

"West Town" was already taken?

[CalMcKenney]

I like it! I think branding can go a long way. I appreciate the movement towards creating unique brands for the neighborhoods.

[Silophant]

"West Town" was already taken?

Wouldn't want to cause confusion with WeDo.

[luigipaladio]

In the material on the panel that studied the A,B,C ramps, I see that there is a suggestion that workforce housing could top the B ramp and that the structural framing of the three ramps makes this kind of modification possible. They envision some urban farm space and solar arrays as possibilities alongside the housing. The recommendations also point the way forward for gradually transforming the ramps into other uses - but initially as integrated parts of a transit hub. Would that MN Dot and the city could actually pull something like this off. The overall NuLoop project could become an interesting stimulus for some wonderful development around the farmer’s market and the Royalston station. It probably won’t all happen in this current boom cycle, but it perhaps the base of a future boom could be developing in this area.

[Qhaberl]

Curious if anyone can tell me a little bit more about the area I highlighted in the picture. It’s the area just to the west of the future Roslyn Avenue station. What exactly are these buildings, and what will it take to get them re-developed? Anyone think we could start to see these buildings re-developed before the completion of Southwest?
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[SurlyLHT]

Target has their photo studio there according to Google. There is also what appears to be maybe a financial services business. I'm not sure Target is going to want to really give this up. Then there are some misc small businesses and the city's traffic control division. I noticed this week that the outlet on Glenwood and E Lyndale N is moving due to the construction

[DTSB]

This is also the site they were trying to get for an MLS stadium. https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... arket.html

[Qhaberl]

If it’s a photo studio, I don’t see why that couldn’t be incorporated into a new development. I would imagine that the price of the land has skyrocketed since Southwest light rail is going through.

It seems like such an awful use of land that is extremely close to the light rail station.


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[SurlyLHT]

If it’s a photo studio, I don’t see why that couldn’t be incorporated into a new development. I would imagine that the price of the land has skyrocketed since Southwest light rail is going through.

It seems like such an awful use of land that is extremely close to the light rail station.


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I presume they want something near their Downtown HQ, not a lot of space like that around. But they should be able to find something, perhaps across 94 in the Southern part of North. I wonder if there is any chance Target would have a hand in the development? Maybe put one of their small stores? However, this isn't North Loop so I doubt that.

[grrdanko]

If it’s a photo studio, I don’t see why that couldn’t be incorporated into a new development. I would imagine that the price of the land has skyrocketed since Southwest light rail is going through.

It seems like such an awful use of land that is extremely close to the light rail station.


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I presume they want something near their Downtown HQ, not a lot of space like that around. But they should be able to find something, perhaps across 94 in the Southern part of North. I wonder if there is any chance Target would have a hand in the development? Maybe put one of their small stores? However, this isn't North Loop so I doubt that.

I doubt Target would want to put another store less than 1/2 a mile from an existing store.

[twincitizen]

"Root District" is certainly less bad than WeDo or East Town or Old Town (currently being pushed on the East Bank / Old St. Anthony area), but it's still...obviously worse than just going with "Farmers Market District". But I guess when you pay a consultant 50 grand or whatever, they aren't going to suggest calling something what it's already called (even if informally).

[Tyler]

I don't think anyone says "Farmers Market District." It's more like "by the farmers market." So I actually like this.

[Tyler]

Also makes for some great potential business names. Root Coffee. Root Yoga. Root Labs. Root Cycle. Rooted.

[mattaudio]

But I guess when you pay a consultant 50 grand or whatever, they aren't going to suggest calling something what it's already called (even if informally).

Folks, https://www.postbulletin.com/news/local ... e6da2.html

[talindsay]

So I'm struggling to understand this "district". When I think of the Warehouse District and the Mill District, both former industrial areas turned urban neighborhoods, the revitalization started with conversions of existing old, interesting industrial buildings into lofts and creative commercial spaces. As the areas began to grow they took on identities, got more and more infill projects, and eventually came to be known the way we think of them now. They stand in contrast to revitalized near-downtown areas that were traditionally residential, such as Elliot Park and Loring Park.

But I'm looking at Google Maps and I don't even understand who would be pushing for the creation of this "district" right now - it's low-slung light industrial uses and social services facilities, on one of downtown's most disconnected street grids. It seems like their marketing is so far ahead of any potential actual reuse as to be absurd. Sure a light rail station will connect it easily with downtown but there's nothing there yet. Am I missing something or is this just pure speculative marketing?

[Nathan]

I'd imagine it's because it's about to have a light rail stop, it's very close to north loop, has the farmers market and is literally nothing but potential.

[Anondson]

It would be a heckuva thing if the mushroom grower found a new spot in this district.

[dajazz]

But I'm looking at Google Maps and I don't even understand who would be pushing for the creation of this "district" right now - it's low-slung light industrial uses and social services facilities, on one of downtown's most disconnected street grids. It seems like their marketing is so far ahead of any potential actual reuse as to be absurd. Sure a light rail station will connect it easily with downtown but there's nothing there yet. Am I missing something or is this just pure speculative marketing?

Jackson Schwartz/Hennepin Made is the driver behind the Root District creation. His hope is to make this area the next big redevelopment downtown, especially with the lrt station coming in. He wants residential in this area, something it sorely lacks. He wants massive density and to push the height envelope. He’s been in conversations with many at the farmers market hoping to redevelop the entire site and incorporate a ‘new’ farmers market into a mixed use development. We’ll see how it plays out. The expansive boom of the North Loop core is going to near an end in the next few years as it runs out of surface lots to redevelop so this area could take off if the market doesn’t cool off.