urbanMSP

I keep forgetting that the Nic is that small. It seems like it should be bigger than that, but I guess it's fairly skinny. So I suppose 500 units of low rise stick construction like the developers are proposing would end up being something like the Marshall? Yuck, I hope that never happens.

I wouldn't mind seeing something similar in scale to the Falls condominiums or the Nic on Fifth. The site is certainly large enough.

There's some pretty nasty looking pools of Gatorade colored water on the site right now. As a neighbor, I'm glad that this site is finely getting cleaned up. It's long overdue.

by Minneboy » June 10th, 2014, 9:49 am Those metal panels are simply horrible. Anyone remember the old parking lot across where the new Federal Court House is? Ugh! Not saying it won't be a dog, but I think based on the few vague renderings that we have seen, it's a bit premature to start blowing t...

MNdible wrote: 95% of the teardowns in SW Minneapolis weren't because they were in poor shape -- it was because they weren't "big enough". I understand that expectations have changed, but the idea that 2 people need 2500 sf or more to live in seems, frankly, bizarre. Exactly - People have...

I've thrown away a few empty peanut butter jars rather than wash out and recycle - although I always feel extremely guilty about it.

Reading this thread has actually made me like some of you people a little more.

The new design seems a little too cluttered, too "architectural". People just want trees and greenery, comfortable places to sit - it's really not rocket science. Changing the name is really more of a marketing ploy on the part of the architect. So often architecture is more salesmanship t...

Is there any historical significance to the Baker Center or the Northstar Center where at some point they couldn't be torn down and replaced? Should they? The Baker Building itself is an absolute gem. The city would never allow it to be torn down, nor should they. The rest of the Baker Block buildi...

There are a lot of other projects I'd like to see move forward before this one. I'm not going to complain if it gets built, but I'd rather see something substantial at the Superior Plating plot first.

I agree.

Did you find anything out about how this demolition would have bypassed the HPC?

It was approved on the July 9th 2013 meeting:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/meeting ... S1P-111097

If the developers are seeking historic designation for the building (as the Strib article suggests), they will probably have to use chemicals or other less abrasive methods rather than sandblasting to remove the paint.

by MNdible » April 3rd, 2014, 9:19 am
MplsSteve wrote:
I'll save a brick for you.

Don't. The bricks are soaked in chromium and are toxic.

Sorry, that was supposed to be sarcastic...

My hopes for an adaptive reuse of this gem is about to dissolve....

I'll save a brick for you.

The areas could more accurately be called East-North and East-South instead of NE or SE. NE/SE signifies that you are on the East bank of the Mississippi. The N or S before the E just signifies which side of Hennepin you are on. In the larger context of the city it doesn't make sense that SE 4th St...

I agree the new window look bigger (and better). I do think they should have changed the spandrels as well. I'm really surprised we have seen no renderings of the finished product. They must be showing something to perspective tenants.

Not to mention that 4th St on the other side of the RR tracks is private property in the middle of a townhome development. The townhomes have actually kept part of the old 4th street bridge approach with its original brick pavers and turned it into a kind of elevated patio. It's really pretty cool.

I'd love to see the Route 11 moved to University, south of Broadway anyways. I wouldn't be opposed to that, but I think it should also involve some kind of concession to traffic calm University Ave which is truly horrendous. Like maybe rerouting trucks going out to the intermodal facility at the Sh...

I'd say midrise up to 12 stories or so makes sense here. It seems unlikely that the Surdyk's block will remain the same forever, and when that's developed something taller on the Superior Plating site won't look so out of place. Likely the neighbors would disagree though. I'm a neighbor and I would...

I'm still not completely clear if this development will just encompass the block that the Superior plating building sits on or also the mostly empty block to the east as well.

Hopefully it will lead to the redevelopment of the adjacent block across Central (Holiday Station, White Castle, et al.) That block really looks bad.