urbanMSP

I posted elsewhere that I might be overly wow’ed over the change to the just-opened section. It very well could have found some even better design, but I’d grown so infuriated with the old 4-lane-death road style, with super narrow sidewalks right behind the curb, that with this new 3-lane design ...

The draft concepts for Minnetonka Blvd from Vernon (TH 100) to Xylon are out for survey responses.

https://beheardhennepin.org/minnetonka-boulevard/surveys/minnetonka-boulevard-draft-concepts-survey

There are 3 draft concepts varying between how bike riders are accommodated.

Plus possible ...

I didn’t predict a new arena proposed right on top of an existing light rail station.

And on top of a lot of old existing buildings too.

https://www.startribune.com/timberwolve ... /601475588

Financial drama around the unfinished Second Ave project. Sold in a sheriffs sale.

https://tcbmag.com/west-hotel-commutato ... iffs-sale/

Just got a chance to go down the re-opened re-constructed Minnetonka Blvd in Saint Louis Park, the stretch from France to 100.

It is a phenomenal upgrade from a 4-lane death road to a 3-lane road with multi-use sidewalks on both sides. Having grown up in SLP and lived in and around it for most of ...

Well I’m disappointed that the freewayification wasn’t extended as far as 169 because I yearned for excuses to bringing Excelsior Blvd and Minnetonka Blvd and Cedar Lake Road to safer saner designs and getting grade separate for Hopkins Crossroad and 5th.

But it was probably inevitable it wouldn’t ...

Maybe St. Paul should join Hennepin county? (…hides…)

What exactly lead to this latest self-own?

The watershed district has been the property owner, not the city.

There has been a very contentious unwinding of the relationship between the developer (Alatus?) and the watershed district due to the developer having a challenges getting financing in the current environment.

The developer had ...

That may be. But hasn’t multifamily development all over the metro ground to nearly halted?

It’s seemed practically crickets over in the Hopkins/Minnetonka/SLP side since higher rates were cranked up.

Is there a part of the metro getting lots of housing outside St. Paul and Minneapolis?

Deadline missed

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis ... /601474448

I like this more than the one done during the SWLRT early design phases.

I love that they imagine the McDonalds staying long term but the Holiday gas station being redeveloped.

Certainly this is coming down to the financiers of this want such high rents it’s not “penciling”?

Would it change much if there were a municipal source of financing that didn’t have to care about giving the investors a high rate of growth? Like a municipal bank?

Yup that loads!

Getting an access denied page. Care to share a screenshot?

And the Uptown vibe is Central and Hennepin.

CPAC is an unfortunate acronym.

https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis ... /601442969

Subdividing might be a hurdle that local ordinances make into a challenge.

It might also be the terms of financing stops them.

I wonder if building owners could speak up about what holds them back.

I think about it each time I pass the vacant lot.

Did reopening so much sooner than the 2026 prediction mean that there were cost savings?