urbanMSP

Agreed, it would have been great if they could have rebuilt the eastern third of the jail block to include apartments/storefronts.

The park looks grand in the picture, but it'll occupy only two city blocks, so it's even smaller than Gold Medal Park by the Guthrie. Talking about Gold Medal Park, I still don't understand it. Can't they put a sculpture, a fountain or some interesting benches on it to make it look a little bit more interesting??

Actually, no. The park will be three city blocks - including the LRT stop running through the first block and what seems like it'll be a small, narrow development at the north end of the park. I'm guessing it'll come out to 2 1/2 blocks of park space or so, which should be a bit bigger or comparable to Gold Medal.

(And Gold Medal Park is beautiful, in my opinion. Walking up the spiral to eat lunch or chill with a gorgeous view of the city or falls? Perfect on a nice day.?)

I really wish that the apartment building wasnt there and this was a full 3 blocks

It looked like the base of a tower crane was going up on the west block this morning.

Has, uhhhh, anyone been to jail and can clue us in on the existing land use of the eastern third of the block? It looks like it's covered parking/loading of some sort. I'm sure that could be integrated into redevelopment. http://goo.gl/maps/1fhAE

It looked like the base of a tower crane was going up on the west block this morning.

They actually set two tower crane bases on the west block.

• Access: The Yard is a public space that cannot be privatized. But the Vikings and the stadium authority have some rights because the development uses one of the blocks that would have been a stadium plaza before this plan emerged.

In the original agreement, the Vikings were given use of the Yard for all 10 home games, and the stadium operators got 10 additional days. That’s a lot. Then, in February, they negotiated another agreement that shocked me and should deeply concern the public. The Vikings and the stadium operators more than doubled the time they control the Yard. That essentially gives them the right to privatize the space for much of each autumn.

The city needs to play hardball to renegotiate back to the original agreement, and it has a tool: Anticipating public access debates around the stadium, we negotiated a clause two years ago that gives the city veto power over all land-use decisions. Land decisions need four votes on the five-member authority, so the city’s two members can block this overreach that could would mean years of debate about whether the public or stadium operators own what is supposed to be a public park.

Certainly big events like the Super Bowl and Final Four should use the space — and there will be plenty of dates for other events, too. But stadium operators need to be reminded that event-related activities can be programmed on the significant open land next to the stadium itself, including a full-half block plaza where the Vikings/Twins ticket office used to be.

In the original agreement, the Vikings were given use of the Yard for all 10 home games, and the stadium operators got 10 additional days. That’s a lot. Then, in February, they negotiated another agreement that shocked me and should deeply concern the public. The Vikings and the stadium operators more than doubled the time they control the Yard. That essentially gives them the right to privatize the space for much of each autumn.

What does this actually mean? ((10 + 10) x 2) ≤ ? or what?

I continue to be geeked out by the inconsistency of the renderings posted with all Yard-related stories in the Strib, MinnPost, and elsewhere.

The bases of two tower cranes are in place on the eastern block of the wells fargo site.