urbanMSP

How come none of the "insiders" had a scoop on this before the announcement?

They'll tell you they did!

DId they give any hints as to what kind of time line they are thinking of? Like ASAP, or in the fall?

How come none of the "insiders" had a scoop on this before the announcement?

I hd no clue and i have Mort contacts. Must be a small Architecture firm?

I'm a bit surprised that the neither the MPLS-STPL Business Journal nor Finance & Commerce have picked up this story, especially when considering it's a 30-story residential tower and there is already financing in place.

If there aren't any variance issues and financing is truly in place, then couldn't this project get underway rather quickly?

They may not be need variances, but I would suspect that a Conditional Use Permit and certainly Site Plan Review will need to be done by CPED and approved by the Planning Commission. That would take a couple months from the time they submit the proposal. Not to be pessimistic, but the chances of this breaking ground before fall are slim.

I had an free day to play around on google sketchup. A 350' whatever @ 400 Marquette is on the left. A 288' nic on 5th is on the right. A 120' Xcel Energy building is in front.

Cool. I think Nick said the architect mentioned 300 feet for this....and also I believe Xcel is to be around 160 feet, which is tall for 9 stories.

Also, wouldn't this site need to be rezoned for residential?

Mbp, that's cool, but you know Google Earth allows image exports right?

This is technically mixed-use, assuming there is retail on the first and/or skyway level. Residential is allowed as of right in the Downtown zones. Actually I think the only thing that would trigger a site plan review would be the retail use, depending on what it is.

Nice work, that block being so dense is going to be so crazy! It's definitely pushing DT up Nic

image exports? no I did not. I think i looked for that one day. That sure would have been less junky than me pulling out my camera...

*edit... wow... that was tremendously easy to do (exporting images from google earth). Next time...

*eidt again... I went back and changed them. Thanks for the info.

You can also hide existing 3d buildings if you want (i.e. that parking ramp). I'm at work right now so I don't remember exactly how, but I think you right-click and there's like a check box to hide or something.

For the sake of the mockup, I believe the tower was sited right on 4th Street.

You can also hide existing 3d buildings if you want (i.e. that parking ramp). I'm at work right now so I don't remember exactly how, but I think you right-click and there's like a check box to hide or something.

right click... the only option is "hide building"... that's new to me too. Thanks again.

For the sake of the mockup, I believe the tower was sited right on 4th Street.

You should have taken a picture. Any other details? Basically square building?

Super cool.

One caveat: 7 stories of above ground parking? Right next to the Nicollet Mall LRT Station?

Two steps forward, one back.

I'd never thought I'd see the day where two high-rises and one mid-rise would not add a THING to the skyline, and instead become "infill"!!

I had an free day to play around on google sketchup. A 350' whatever @ 400 Marquette is on the left. A 288' nic on 5th is on the right. A 120' Xcel Energy building is in front.

Would it be possible to put the nic on fifth, 400 Marquette and 1368 lasalle in one pic? Also I was thinking how cool it would be to some how put these new buildings in the apple maps app to be able to see these building from different angles and how they will add to the skyline. Probably not possible though.

Too bad this suddenly dense block sits next to a completely empty block. Hopefully something grand is envisioned for that place, as it is one of the last parcels right on the Mall.

Too bad this suddenly dense block sits next to a completely empty block. Hopefully something grand is envisioned for that place, as it is one of the last parcels right on the Mall.

I agree. A large, mixed-use development would be ideal. Hopefully it's not a park, which would be a waste for such a prime block.

Too bad this suddenly dense block sits next to a completely empty block. Hopefully something grand is envisioned for that place, as it is one of the last parcels right on the Mall.

That and the parking lot between henn and Nicollet. It would be nice to see that get filled to continue the liveliness of Hennepin towards Washington.