Search found 6368 matches

by twincitizen
May 11th, 2023, 3:20 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line LRT
Replies: 1294
Views: 88050

Re: Green Line LRT

My hot take on this area (going on 10 years now), is that this location east of the Lafayette Bridge is where the OMF should've been built in the first place. Taking that idea further, both the OMF and CHS Field could have been built about 1,000 feet further northeast, as that would've opened up the...
by twincitizen
May 11th, 2023, 2:25 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - South, Southwest, and Uptown
Topic: Lowa46 - 46th & Hiawatha Cub Foods Mixed Use
Replies: 123
Views: 125370

Re: Lowa46 - 46th & Hiawatha Cub Foods Mixed Use

There's a coffee shop now open in The Shale (apt building behind DQ / south of the old strip mall): Falls Coffee https://fallscoffee.com/ Very cool to have a year-round option so close to the park, even though IMO it would've been a better fit in the Portico condo building on Minnehaha (across from ...
by twincitizen
May 11th, 2023, 2:15 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - General Topics and Citywide Issues
Topic: Do we really have a massive housing shortage?
Replies: 7
Views: 7050

Re: Do we really have a massive housing shortage?

IMO the "80,000 units in the next 5 years" is probably somewhat building & construction trades propaganda, not a scientific number. It is true that there's been a bit of stagnation in the metro area's population since 2020, as more households than ever before are able to decouple their...
by twincitizen
May 11th, 2023, 1:07 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northern Lights Express
Replies: 510
Views: 497713

Re: Northern Lights Express

I know of some Amtrak routes that make use of a wye to reverse into stations that are on dead-end tracks, but that usually happens in pretty close proximity to the station. And in both cases I'm aware of, this is more or less in the middle of the route and is done to serve a major metro's union stat...
by twincitizen
May 4th, 2023, 2:38 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - South, Southwest, and Uptown
Topic: Midtown / Phillips Community - General Topics
Replies: 15
Views: 16818

Re: Midtown / Phillips Community - General Topics

I pulled the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage campus conversation into this smaller thread, as I figure it will be an ongoing conversation for a couple years at least. Biz Journals had an article today (locked): www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2023/05/03/wells-fargo-south-minneapolis-campus-redevelopme...
by twincitizen
May 4th, 2023, 1:12 pm
Forum: Local Politics and Governance
Topic: Minneapolis 2023 Elections - City Council
Replies: 23
Views: 25786

Re: Minneapolis 2023 Elections - City Council

As someone not particularly enthused to add another 25-year old DSA member to the City Council, I hope someone at least gives Aurin a run for her money. If she wins and conducts herself like Andrew Johnson e.g. being a swing vote between the progressive* wing and the more moderate wing, she'll be a ...
by twincitizen
May 4th, 2023, 9:52 am
Forum: Minneapolis - North, Northeast, and Southeast / University of Minnesota
Topic: Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis - General Topics
Replies: 964
Views: 340208

Re: Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis - General Topics

With the US Bank branch nearby, wasn't there something wacky where they had to open the new branch before closing the old one (to make way for Rafter), something to do with federal banking rules? If Wells Fargo is announcing the closure of this branch and we haven't heard anything about a developmen...
by twincitizen
May 4th, 2023, 8:29 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Northern Lights Express
Replies: 510
Views: 497713

Re: Northern Lights Express

So the new Great River route could eventually be Duluth to Chicago, by way of stops at Target Field Station and SPUD? And that would effectively replace one trip of the NLX (in each direction)? Or is it more likely that one trip would skip Target Field Station and head directly to SPUD? While not id...
by twincitizen
May 4th, 2023, 8:16 am
Forum: Local Politics and Governance
Topic: Minneapolis 2023 Elections - City Council
Replies: 23
Views: 25786

Re: Minneapolis 2023 Elections - City Council

It's nuts that no one in Ward 2 wants to run for Council against Wonsley. Especially crazy considering that Wonsley doesn't even seek the DFL endorsement. Anyone that had run for the DFL endorsement would have only needed to beat "no endorsement" and they'd have the party apparatus behind ...
by twincitizen
May 2nd, 2023, 2:35 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Blue Line (Hiawatha LRT)
Replies: 628
Views: 246770

Re: Blue Line (Hiawatha LRT)

https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetings/Committees/Transportation-Accessibility-Advisory-Committee/2023/TAAC-Meeting-5-03-23/2023-05-03-Blue-Line-Lake-update-TAAC.aspx Renovation of Blue Line Lake St/Midtown Station going in front of TAAC on 5/3/23. Improve customer experience: cleanliness, comfo...
by twincitizen
April 26th, 2023, 1:01 pm
Forum: Suburbs
Topic: Southdale Area - Edina
Replies: 798
Views: 243375

Re: Southdale Area - Edina

Following the news of P.F. Chang's closing, it appears there are more moves happening on that side of the mall:
by twincitizen
April 12th, 2023, 10:09 am
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Latest Census Estimates and Met Council Projections
Replies: 221
Views: 79478

Re: Latest Census Estimates and Met Council Projections

If not for generous state/regional support over the years, particularly LGA payments from the state and Fiscal Disparities tax base sharing within the 7-county metro, I think it is likely some mergers would have already happened out of economic necessity. Without those programs (both of which are go...
by twincitizen
April 11th, 2023, 2:08 pm
Forum: Anything Goes
Topic: Latest Census Estimates and Met Council Projections
Replies: 221
Views: 79478

Re: Latest Census Estimates and Met Council Projections

A recent presentation to Met Council on updating the regional long-range population forecasts: https://metrocouncil.org/Council-Meetings/Committees/Committee-of-the-Whole/2023/04-05-23/4-5-23-Regional-Forecast-PPT.aspx Earlier this year, Met Council released revised forecasts for 2030 and 2040, but ...
by twincitizen
April 4th, 2023, 1:49 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)
Replies: 2909
Views: 702268

Re: Public Transit News / Current Events (MN only)

Would the current 0.5% sales tax levied by Hennepin & Ramsey counties (for LRT & highway/guideway BRT) remain under county control, or would Met Council get control of those purse strings too? If we get an elected Met Council (and honestly, even if we don't), I think I'd favor Met Council ta...
by twincitizen
April 4th, 2023, 1:18 pm
Forum: Minneapolis - Downtown
Topic: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market
Replies: 1291
Views: 813948

Re: Downtown Minneapolis Office Market

Moving to the heart of the 494 strip just as a 4-year reconstruction project breaks ground is certainly a choice. Reports said 494 & Xerxes, so I assume that means Wells Fargo Plaza. Prediction, assuming the location is 7900 Xerxes: AT&T will take over the naming rights on Wells Fargo Plaza,...
by twincitizen
March 28th, 2023, 8:49 am
Forum: Saint Paul
Topic: Highland Bridge: Ford Site Redevelopment
Replies: 199
Views: 163868

Re: Highland Bridge: Ford Site Redevelopment

The new medical office building managed to be both kinda ugly and completely underwhelming as a gateway to the project. A small wart on what is otherwise a masterfully planned and designed development. The building basically turns its back to the river and has ugly internally-lit box signs mucking i...
by twincitizen
March 24th, 2023, 12:27 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT
Replies: 1749
Views: 976485

Re: Blue Line Extension - Bottineau LRT

I’d choose the east of 94 alignment and 21st Ave transitway options. There’s so much more development potential between 94 and the river than along that particular stretch of Lyndale, not to mention serving a higher number of jobs that exist today. That and the neighborhoods along Lyndale not wantin...
by twincitizen
March 8th, 2023, 3:57 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT
Replies: 5265
Views: 1247597

Re: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT

I'll attempt to rank the possible alternatives to the tunnel, in terms of cost-benefit ratio. Hindsight being 20/20, I'd maybe have gone with: 1. Put everything at grade and call the bluff of Minneapolis (Hodges administration, c. 2014-15) to deny municipal consent. In this scenario, Met Council / G...
by twincitizen
March 8th, 2023, 2:25 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT
Replies: 5265
Views: 1247597

Re: Green Line Extension - Southwest LRT

As time goes on, it gets more obscured how the current mess is the result of a series of 3 (or more) bad decisions. But specifically, the final bad decision alone is the one that resulted in the massive cost-overruns related to the tunnel. Bad decisions #1 & 2 certainly led to the dumb tunnel ne...
by twincitizen
February 27th, 2023, 4:23 pm
Forum: Suburbs
Topic: St. Louis Park - General Topics
Replies: 557
Views: 227538

Re: St. Louis Park - General Topics

Just spitballing ideas, but the 600 Metropoint building (20-story tower) would seem, unlike most office buildings, to be a decent candidate for residential conversion. Using the measurement tool on the Hennepin County property map, it looks like the building is just 80' wide. So maybe? http://metrop...