East End / Thresher Square / Trader Joes - 713 Washington Ave S

[lordmoke]

We should merge the current topic with this one, which is the same project:
https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1258

[mister.shoes]

The westside has 5 stories and the eastside has 6 and it's almost impossible to notice unless it's pointed out.

Well, I'll be... you're right! I never would have guessed and can only tell by counting. Do you know the history of that building? Was it done in two phases? I'd love to see what it's like inside: glorious, I'd bet.

[aeisenberg]

I like the design. I like the way it meets the street/sidewalk, that they're not trying to do something gimmicky with the design, and that it will be brick instead of a bunch of cheap materials. It's a solid, simple design, targeted at the low end of pricing for new apartment construction. And as a bonus, we're getting the Thresher building renovated and a skyway connection. And possibly a TJ's. Looks good to me.

[Minneboy]

We should merge the current topic with this one, which is the same project:
https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1258

I believe it's a separate building. This building is 123 units and the other will be 175.

[Nathan]

We should merge the current topic with this one, which is the same project:
https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1258

I believe it's a separate building. This building is 123 units and the other will be 175.

But they're both on the same block as the spaghetti factory? This is going to be a crowded block

[lordmoke]

The westside has 5 stories and the eastside has 6 and it's almost impossible to notice unless it's pointed out.

Well, I'll be... you're right! I never would have guessed and can only tell by counting. Do you know the history of that building? Was it done in two phases? I'd love to see what it's like inside: glorious, I'd bet.

http://lileks.com/mpls/advance/index.html

[mister.shoes]

Oh, sweet. Thanks for the link. I guess I never found that nook of his site. I've been all over his DT stuff, but missed this one.

[Southside]

The westside has 5 stories and the eastside has 6 and it's almost impossible to notice unless it's pointed out.

Well, I'll be... you're right! I never would have guessed and can only tell by counting. Do you know the history of that building? Was it done in two phases? I'd love to see what it's like inside: glorious, I'd bet.

They were built as separate buildings (4 years apart). I have no idea how combined they have become since then. The illusion is unbelievably well executed.

[David Greene]

How in the world will this cost over $100 million?

Historic renovation ain't cheap. Ask anyone with a century-or-more old house that's been tampered with over the years. I imagine the interior of the Thresher building is a mess.

[twincitizen]

We should merge the current topic with this one, which is the same project:
https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1258

Good catch.
Does the current title work for everyone? I took out "700 Washington" because it was actually incorrect. This is the "odd" side of Washington. The apartment building could very well have a Chicago Ave address and the Thresher Building is 700 & 708 3rd St.

Note to OP of Thresher topic (and anyone thinking of starting new topics), please do use the search function to see if there's an existing topic in place. That's ok if you can't find one, but at least do a quick search before posting.

[seanrichardryan]

The Thresher interior is a typical warehouse to office conversion circa late 80s early 90s (imagine Butler Square, wood beams, brick etc.)

[David Greene]

The Thresher interior is a typical warehouse to office conversion circa late 80s early 90s (imagine Butler Square, wood beams, brick etc.)

Which will probably have to be ripped out or at least reconfigured to make it a hotel. Depending on how much they want the interior to complement the exterior, it can get expensive. If there are any original interior details those will probably have to be rehabilitated.

[seanrichardryan]

It was a working warehouse so any ornamentation would have been in the first floor office areas. No grand lobby or marble corridors to worry about. It's a post & beam wood frame if I recall, which could be tricky with a hotel. I suppose it was done at the Whitney though.

Bill Klotz covered it a while back- http://finance-commerce.com/2011/07/bui ... er-square/

[min-chi-cbus]

Thresher Square might be the greatest building in either city because it is magical. The westside has 5 stories and the eastside has 6 and it's almost impossible to notice unless it's pointed out. Magic! The renovation of the neighboring building should create a 7 story building that continues the effect.

Well not 7 stories....not unless those 7 floors are of equal height, because the existing 6 being proposed fall well short of Thresher Square's 6-floor height. Maybe 8 or 9 then, and if they could make 8 or 9 floors seemlessly look like 6 across an entire square block that would truly be magical!

[David Greene]

It was a working warehouse so any ornamentation would have been in the first floor office areas. No grand lobby or marble corridors to worry about. It's a post & beam wood frame if I recall, which could be tricky with a hotel. I suppose it was done at the Whitney though.

Well, I specifically didn't say "ornamentation." Lots of these warehouses/factories have cool tidbits here and there, functional pieces that harken back to its original purpose.

[MplsSteve]

I wonder what they plan for the space between the buildings. There's a lot of potential to do something really cool - maybe an alley-like courtyard.

[MNdible]

I've always wondered how that qualifies as a connection in the skyway system, being open air, inside a noisy parking ramp, and only bollards between walking and a sea of parked cars.

This link was extended at the same time as the connection through the jail and over to the Haaf Ramp.

At the time, it was intended to be a more properly enclosed skyway section, but there was some sort of esoteric reason why this wasn't possible. The intent was also to extend a skyway to the "headhouse" of the armory. Hennepin County was the driver behind all of these projects.

[mattaudio]

My guess is that they wanted to connect the County Health building (and HCMC complex by extension) to the main part of the system by skyways via the Armory. Which isn't a bad idea now that we've built all these other skyways, but a bad idea in isolation.

Maybe if they would have done that and counted the HCMC ramps, we could have had a skyway-connected stadium with all the NFL required parking spots but with less public subsidy. At least we're getting the Ryan project to atone for that sin.

[Aville_37]

Happy for another development, but not too excited about the design or extending the skyway. I am longing for days prior to the explosion of developments when architects were really taking some chances on design - Dayton's condo's planned for the Mill District, The Wave where the original Fugia was, etc.

[Wedgeguy]

I want to say that these building have been renovated before. I have not been in them so I'm not sure. But I think that there is a "Bulter's Square" cutout in the center to provide light to the interior. I thought it was featured about 25 years ago in the Minnesota Architectual magazine. I thought that an architectual firm made it it's headquarters for awhile. I also think that the buildings are separate. and the old renovations were done at different times from each other.