urbanMSP

Anecdotally, I was using Priceline a few weeks ago to try and find a hotel room downtown Minneapolis for a Saturday night in May. Nothing came up for under $200+ for a decent hotel room! So if hotels are lowering their prices to lure those elusive suburban hotel room seekers on the weekends... I'm ...

have they actually opened at the new location across the hall? I walked through on Friday and it didn't look like it was anywhere close to being done.

Keep in mind that you don't actually need that many people to support a development like this. The U of M graduated about 7-9 thousand students a year. If 10% of those students decide to stay in the twin cities and move into downtown, we could support three new developments like this every year. Thi...

At 290 rooms, this should be the 6th or 7th largest hotel in Minneapolis. While we've added a lot of hotels over the past 10-15 years, this one will have the largest economic impact on Minneapolis since it's double the size of most hotels that have gone in over that same time period. I'm hoping they...

I don't think there's any real need for retail on the skyway level. If you look at the core of downtown, there are maybe 10-15 buildings that have a thriving skyway level. The remaining 50+ buildings don't have much to offer. This development is be on the far edge of the system, with minimal foot tr...

Has anyone looked into an underpass/tunnel option? This option would also allow for direct access to the parking garage that's built there. I'm sure it would be more expensive than the pedestrian bridge, but it wouldn't be ugly as sin.

It looks like this will be one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Minneapolis in a number of years. can't wait to see what the proposal looks like. I hope the developer can find a way to include the parking they need without a negative effect on how the building meets the street.

I remember growing up in Rome with quite a bit of freedom. Our neighborhood was pretty safe, but really busy. I remember walking 15 blocks to school on my own when I was 9 or 10. By the time I was 14, I was allowed to go anywhere in the city by bus or metro. A few times I even went to the beach with...

Saturday's proposal.... http://ow.ly/i/aVStn I think we can all agree that there's a clear loser here. I'd be more than fine with either of the other two proposals. Pinstripes is a nice amenity to add to the neighborhood, but I get how some may not like it since it's a chain. That being said, it's ...

We're looking at a half finished building. It may not be impressive right now, but I can guarantee that it will look at lot better once the finishing touches are in place. Regardless of the finish, this building help make the neighborhood look and feel like a true extension of downtown. just remembe...

Personally, I don't like the tall lamp posts and the proposed Light Walk in front of the IDS. Why can't we hand lighting between the buildings? There's no reason to add 50-foot light poles every 30 feet. It looks hideous. I know know they are trying to be creative and provide uniform lighting. The L...

Does anyone know if there's going to be a curb cut to access the Loring Greenway from Nicollet Mall by bike? That connection is pretty frustrating right now.

It looks like there's no curb that separates the road from the sidewalk, so there's no need for a curb cut.

I get the complaints about this development, but let's not forget that a sense of place or active streets mean nothing without people. This spot has been empty for decades. Walking to the river from downtown has always been uninspiring since it's a walk through a wasteland. to say that we deserve mo...

keep in mind that the downtown hotel market is driven primarily by business travelers. If business is up, occupancy rates go up. While we like to think there is a lot of tourism draw for downtown, there really isn't. We do get state wide group events like state championships for sports and fine arts...

I'm not surprised at all that they have already reached 75%. It's not the best looking new building, but it does offer some great amenities and the location is perfect. I bet there are a few people on the development team who are kicking themsleves for not making thiss a taller building. Now all we ...

I think it's quite odd that they are looking to have so little retail. No retail o nthe skyway and minimal retail on the street front. I know that current retail demand on this side of downtown is low, but that all changes with the two developments planned at this intersection. Once everythign goes ...

When most people complain about parking to me, it's usually that they are too lazy to walk a block or two. I totally agree. If you live in large city in Europe and own a car, you often have to circle the block a few times to find a parking spot at your apartment. You often start looking for parking...

What you describe isn't much different from what my wife and I experiences at two newer apartment buildings in the early 2000s. Half the issues we experienced were based on poor communication of a new management team and misrepresentation of rule or amenities. Most the issues we had were sorted out ...

Does the tax property conversation have to be an all or nothing proposal? Can't the city/county propose a plan which would make the stadium property be tax free for only 5-10 year. After that, the owners would need to pay regular property taxes on the land and stadium.

The fact that they are pulling the plug this early seems a bit off. They have barely begun marketing the units. I'd expect it would take a good 6 months of marketing to know if the project is actually viable. To me, it sounds like they have a backup plan for the site which would feature more smaller...