urbanMSP

As far as the usefulness of the Gopher Way goes, I totally agree that it's not the fastest way to get, well, anywhere. But if I'm not running late, and the windchill hits 30 below or it's pouring rain, I'm perfectly willing to take a less direct route to stay warm and dry, even for an extra few minu...

That is nice that it's close to the engineering buildings. My complaint is that they've apparently given up on the Gopher Way. As close as it is to Ackerman, I can't imagine a skyway or tunnel connection would have been too expensive, especially since they could have prepped for it when they renovat...

What do you mean by "landscaped for actual use"? It'll be a lawn where students sit and study, or nap, or play frisbee, or whatever, just like the rest of the green spaces on campus. You're right, real cities do put buildings right up against the street, but a University campus isn't a rea...

Yep. Looks like four apartments per floor. What I was surprised about is that both the ground floor and the basement will be parking, with a car elevator. That will give them 50 stalls for 34 units. I didn't think University-area student housing had to have that much parking.

Ps the triangle between this building and the bend in Harvard is a big waste that will never be used.

What could they use it for? It's not that big of a space. I'm sure they'll turn it back into green space, which isn't a waste, in my opinion.

They have, at least for the block east of the station. Also, when I walked by on my way back from class today, they had delivered a couple hundred potted shrubs to the area. Surprised me, since I hadn't expected them to plant anything until next spring.

The crane in those images was set up today. I can't imagine why, since there's nothing there to lift, nor anywhere to lift it to.

The outside of the enclosure is is still faded and peeling, but the inside is almost done getting a new coat of paint. Hopefully they'll do the outside too, as well as replacing the rotted out panels.

Yeah. As far as I can tell, Mercil's didn't have a basement, so that second hole full of rubble is actually the house's foundation.

I walked by at about 6:30 and all three buildings were down. Hope it's not another month of nothing before they start digging the foundation.

The sidewalk around this site was barricaded off on Friday, so it looks like they'll be starting demolition this week. Finally.

As far as the Campus fare free zone goes, I hope they be sensible about it and include the Stadium Village station in it. Since the point is to make it easier to get around the Minneapolis campus, they might as well include all three stations that serve it

Gah, I can't believe I mispelled Shepherd. I even work in a lab there! No, you're right, they won't tear it down until it actually gets bad enough to get condemmed. They're actually putting in a new elevator right now (and about time, too). About Civil, the story I heard is that Minneapolis was arti...

Yes, definitely do that. The new library and offices look amazing, to the point where it's a letdown to go up to the unchanged second floor. I agree that Nanotech should have been taller. I realize that they had trouble even getting the funding they did, and that they didn't want the building toweri...

The Noodles closed down on Monday, so demolition of the existing buildings should happen within a week or two. I'm excited for another shiny new building, though I was also counting on the amount of construction between me and my classes shrinking, not growing, this semester.

So this would be behind University Village? I like that idea, it'll help renew a sketchy couple of blocks.

I like it. Amundson's always been a boring building. As far as a Keller Hall expansion, it could sure use it, but there's really nowhere to put it, except in the CSE courtyard between Keller and Lind, which I'd rather avoid. That's a nice green space to have, even more so now that the Nanotech build...

Yep. The bookstore doesn't have the Apple Store branding, but it does sell and repair (or at least send in for repair) Apple products. A separate Apple Store in the university area wouldn't make much sense.

I went to a seminar at Xcel HQ a couple days ago, and there's a couple boards set up in the SE corner of the lobby detailing the new HQ building plans, including a footprint drawing. (I tried to get a picture, but my phone crashed instead) So, I can confirm that they're definitely planning to includ...

I hope it goes north of the three apartments. Last summer, I sublet a room in the attic of the house next door to them (on 15th Ave) and it was a deathtrap. Not just un-airconditioned in the 100 degree heat, but infested with mice and rewired shoddily besides. The sooner it gets pulled down, the bet...