urbanMSP

The rebounding national economy, along with the 2016 opening of the new Vikings Stadium are two of the leading forces that will likely make a Minneapolis, 50-plus-story, convention hotel tower inevitable. The new, billion-dollar stadium, is already being pitched as the site for a 2017 or 2018 Super ...

Fifty-stories-plus and a contemporary design would be enough to spark a national buzz for the Minneapolis hospitality industry which is exactly what the convention center planners want from such a hotel. The thinking behind this type of development is designed to stand out from what's available else...

If The Strib did move it's offices to Block E, it might also lure WCCO or another local television news station to move it's operation to the site, creating a synergistic print and broadcast media center. The existing brown cladding on the outer surfaces of the building, could easily be replaced by ...

Love the aerial view rendering, not selected, submitted by Populous. The streamlined, split-roof, bowl design is spectacular and anchors DTE to it's neighbors. Also, like the way it bookends the city on one end with Target Field on the opposite end of town. The interplay between the sleek, blue hued...

Yes, the updated renderings are modern and functional. The LRT stop outside the entrance at 5th and Nicollet make this a prime location for urban commuters. This is a great example of how public investment in sustainable resources can and does spur private development.

If Nasa's source is correct and we mercifully avoid construction of a Lucas-like retread, and instead Mortenson delivers another architectural gem, the years-long Dome-replacement wait will have proven to be worth it. Excited by the prospects of a retractable glass-dome and a signature architectural...

Hennepin County is due to complete it's report on whether there is enough demand to warrant the building of a 1000-plus room Convention Center hotel in Downtown Minneapolis. According to a story last summer in the Business Journal, the report should be ready by the end of the year. Proponents argue ...

http://prod.static.vikings.clubs.nfl.co ... or-big.jpg

Here's an even better pic. FANTASTIC! Drooling...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/713/vikingstensionedinterio.jpg/ What the...? Anyone know where the rendering came from? Stumbled across this link after clicking on the images for Nic at 5th. Wow. If the stadium designers are developing something like this to replace the Metrodome, the words wo...

John, you may be on to something with your vision of vertical utopian architectural development. During the next three years, thousands of housing units will come on line in the downtown core, North Loop, Mill District and south end of Nicollet Mall. Much of the demand for these units are being driv...

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/181939101.html Here's a link to the Strib story, detailing $1 Billion worth of Minneapolis housing development, much of which is underway in the downtown area. The massive investment, according to the Strib story, is the most since the condo boom earlier ...

This is a welcome plus for the downtown core. Great to hear the head of FSN reference the vibrancy of being in the heart of the entertainment district. The location will make it easier for the network to broadcast "beauty shots" of the ever expanding Minneapolis cityscape.

Yes. I read a few months ago, both platforms would be used for riders - those boarding trains bound for The U and St. Paul and those boarding trains for Hiawatha Line routes i.e. The V.A. parking and Mall of America. By maintaining two lines, game attendees would likely find shorter waits.

Before seeing these latest renderings, I too, thought we might get stuck with a hulking, barn-like structure along the lines of Lucas Oil Stadium. I've been encouraged by these latest renderings and comments by the designers that we just might end up with a sophisticated, iconic and modern stadium. ...

http://www.statesman.com/business/real-estate/luxury-brand-fairmont-to-operate-2nd-downtown-convention-2382129.html The above link connects to a story providing much more detail on the 50-story, $350 million convention hotel to be built in Austin, TX. It will be under the Fairmont Hotels brand and i...

I have to echo the general disappointment in today's gloomy retail news. There's really been a marked erosion of retail stores in downtown Minneapolis over the past 20-25 years. The failure of The Conservatory and the "Chernobyl of Minneapolis retail" City Center have proven toxic. However...

Any specific talk of designs are premature at this early stage. But if you look very closely at the renderings currently available for the downtown site, you can read the signage for a proposed multi-story hotel across from the stadium. There's also been some public references from the team about a ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWmhiNQR9No&feature=relmfu This link provides the designers' perspective on what they are attempting to accomplish with the renovation of the lobby areas. The redux, to be completed next year, will be a beautiful upgrade for the south end of Nicollet Mall and spar...

Matt's suggestion makes a lot of sense. I still believe the two biggest problems stifling ridership on the line is it's irregular schedule and it fails to reach the population center in St. Cloud. Matt's idea fixes both problems. The completion of the Central and Southwest LRT lines would also add t...

Awesome if this moves forward. Great, modern glass design a perfect contrast to the adjacent buildings. This infill project would add needed density to the area and would prove a worthy neighbor to the new-completed Neuroscience headquarters, The Guthrie and Gold Medal Park. Next it would be great t...