urbanMSP

Some concerning news for downtown hotel occupancy: https://www.axios.com/are-minneapolis-hotels-missing-out-on-the-tourism-rebound-abacd462-a766-4aa0-8d92-5055f69c73ac.html Naturally, hotel occupancy is down region-wide (and nationwide), but the Minneapolis submarket is lagging well behind the recov...

Strib story on how the lumber price spike is affecting apartment projects, both currently underway and in the pipeline. Quotes from Doran and others.

https://www.startribune.com/sticker-sho ... fresh=true

I mean, the reason for me starting this thread didn't come out of thin air...they are literally moving >25% of their Mpls workforce (at least 225 jobs) to this new facility in Dayton, which will have room for further expansion should they need it. They also have facilities in Anoka and Rogers. While...

Any idea when the Blue Line might go back to normal schedule? It's still running 15-minute headways in the morning, and doesn't increase frequency to 10-minute headways until around 10am, which it maintains through PM rush hour. Keeping 15-minute headways during the AM rush hour is a frustrating cho...

I kinda suspected this might happen, pretty much since the day it was announced the line would run on Bottineau Blvd. Hard to believe adding LRT could “tear Robbinsdale in two” any more than the wide ass road already does. The Green Line certainly didn’t tear St. Paul in two. If anything, it’s helpi...

Preventing displacement of "production" jobs was a theme in the 2040 Plan process, and from what I could tell was a strong priority of CPED staff (my impression was that staff cared more about it than policymakers did). If you look at the Future Land Use map (not the 'Built Form' map), you can see t...

MVTA said Metro Transit couldn't use AVTS in their threat letter to the Met Council in November https://www.mvta.com/cms-files/mvta_response_to_chair_zelle_11_12_20.pdf Letter E "The Metropolitan Council Does Not Control MVTA Facilities" "For this reason, MVTA respectfully denies the Metropolitan C...

Back in February, Graco announced that they would relocate 225 jobs to a new facility in Dayton MN. What does that mean for the future of their ~40 acre compound of buildings and parking lots along the Northeast riverfront? https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2021/02/05/graco-says-dayton-exp...

There's a topic for that: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=4596&start=20

Really wish they'd acquire those two little properties cut out of the SE corner of the image, so the "Gateway" building could be built to the corner. 3130 Excelsior and 3400 List Pl. 3400 List is an attractive little 5-unit building, which would be kind of a shame to tear down, but probably worth it...

Sort of tangential to this topic, but do any of you longtime Kingfielders have any recollection of why 42nd doesn't continue as an arterial road between Nicollet and Lyndale? 42nd Street is a major through route from West River Parkway all the way to Nicollet, but then abruptly becomes a local stree...

That was mostly in reference to all the young white people I see there. The ones turning away journalists, getting in people's faces, etc.

People can take whatever position they want on allowing private cars through the intersection, but the suggestion that we're going to detour Metro Transit buses FOREVER (specifically the busiest route in the system) is so ****ing wrongheaded and juvenile that I don't even know how to respond to it. ...

If there was sufficient demand, one would hope Valley Fair would run their own free weekend shuttle from the MOA area (similar to casino shuttle buses). That seems more appropriate than a heavily subsidized public service. I'm not opposed to MVTA trying it out, but it's such a specific origin/destin...

A phased reopening of 38th and Chicago began at dawn today: https://www.startribune.com/city-workers-begin-clearing-george-floyd-square-at-38th-and-chicago-in-south-minneapolis/600064121/ The fist will stay, surrounded by bump-outs (plastic posts I'm guessing?), but the concrete barriers closing the...

I missed this story from a month back, related to what kellonathan posted upthread about the MN Senate pushing a bill to make metro counties pay for more transitway operating costs. Facing a severe budget shortfall, Metro Transit needs Hennepin and Ramsey counties to make up 31 percent of the Green ...

Better yet, there ought to be an official app for the skyway system that includes a map like that, plus a directory of all current retail/restaurant businesses and their hours of operation. Anyone have Steve Cramer’s number? Because the Downtown Council / DID should absolutely spend their money on t...

Uhaul’s original plan a couple years back was to renovate the old gas station building and use it for their retail store, with the multi-story storage building located to the south. They have essentially reversed that plan now, with the storage building pulled up right to 42nd and a new smaller buil...

Upper Harbor Terminal
George Floyd Square

I think you're right on that, but Metro Transit probably screwed the pooch by taking over operations from MVTA (for reasons still unclear to me). No takebacksies, as they say. IMO the Red Line should have been branded as the "Blue Line link" bus from day one, making it clear that it was never meant ...