urbanMSP

So basically the current thinking is that tourism is great so long it isn't encouraged and nothing is spent on facilities specially for them? I would argue if the Eiffel Tower was proposed today would be opposed by the good part of this forum, yet it's undoubtedly the signature attraction of Paris. ...

Over the years I've been following this site and other urbanist websites I've noticed opposition to any project that would primarily serve tourists, hotels being the exception, things like Convention space, meeting space, tourist attractions and other general "fun" stuff to over simplify t...

I'm surprised they had that many responses to the RFP, I figured the city was going to be lucky 1 mediocre response and it sounds like they have multiple very solid options to pick from. It will be interesting to see site plans, layouts and renderings when they come out

Ouch, that height reduction caused the project to lose almost all it's elegance in that picture. Still a great project

I definitely agree that the city needs to work with Bader to add some vertical circulation to Building D through some means at both the Lake and 31st Street ends. I understand why a developer might have some security concerns around that although those should be reasonable to overcome. It would also...

Buying out the Lourdes Square townhomes and rebuilding a version of the Industrial Exposition Building that was on the site until 1940 has been a dream of mine for a while. The acquisition costs are going to be prohibitive when the get in the door price is $700k+ not mention they don't come on the m...

Damn this really sucks, this has long been one my favorite proposal in MSP. As alluded to by someone else I would guess that Alatus is worried about demand for the expensive units top were the margin is and not the cheaper units towards the base of the building. Right now there is still plenty of de...

So Opus turned the most developable and valuable surface parking lot between the coast not in Texas or Chicago into 50 stories of apartments, a metric ton of parking, zero good street frontages, a parking ramp that looms over Nicollet and 4th, and about minimal amount of retail. All on block that ze...

I went to a meeting about the River Balcony project when it was first announced and I remember someone saying the heating planted didn't want pedestrians walking along to back side of their building for liability reasons. I would assuming that would also apply here but I would guess they can build i...

Elegant isn't word I would use to describe that proposal but it isn't terrible. Like everyone else I just hope some of these more ambitious proposals hurry up and get started

I realize for many the fact that Union Depot is in St. Paul is disqualifying by its self but is there any good reason why UD couldn't be the intercity rail of the Twin Cities?

According to MSP Business Journal a law suit has been filed saying that Rudolph's building is in rough shape and it will take 6 figures to bring it up to code including roof and foundation work. Is the plot of land large enough to make the numbers work on a tear down and apartment building replacing...

I love the idea that Hines is thinking about developing those parcels shouldn't the city/county make a massive push to tear down those god awful viaducts first? I feel like there is a possibility if those the lots are developed before the viaducts come down we could be stuck with them for damn near ...

Wow this is super disappointing to say the least, from the HPC being foxes watching the hen house to Doran not fighting for bigger to the city not pushing for more affordable housing. Seriously we have 3 full city blocks in one of the hottest areas of the Twin Cities and this is best we can do. I do...

Would it be possible if they were to tear down the 1 story retail and rebuild a 6 story stick built with ground floor retail with the parking garage underneath?

As O&M said this is just lipstick on a pig and realistically we are never going to get rid if this pig of a tower. What I'm wondering is if would be possible to tear down the podium part of the building between the office tower and Nicollet and the ramp between the tower and Hennepin then replac...

I am crazy for thinking that an LRT line running down the middle of a rebuilt 94 makes a lot of sense? Especially sense we are going to be rebuilding the interstate anyways. Use the Green Line/Riverview tracks in DT STP, then use the 5th street on/off ramp to slide into the middle 94 after the X sto...

I drove past last night while they were testing, something that stood out to me is that cool colors did a much better job illuminating the skin that warm colors did. I wonder why that is and if there is anything they can do to correct it?

I know that this is going to be the least popular idea ever tossed out on this board but wouldn't it make some sense to use TIF or some other form of public financing to build a large convention center hotel on the outside and above a new parking ramp that ends up replacing the River Center Ramp?

But what place for a large parking ramp than below street level facing a retaining wall and covered by housing, hotel, retail and office space. I get the urbanist ideal of zero parking lots and garages but realistically this is as good as space as any to have a large ramp.