urbanMSP

I'd wish they put an ice cream cone on at least one of the giant blank walls. Kind of like the mural on the Malt Shop at 50th & Bryant.

http://www.muralmontage.com/MURAL_ARTIST_malt_shop.html

Somehow I don't think that's in their minimalist agenda

oh nice i like that new paint. it's amazing how this one little builidng has transformed gold medal park.

Agree. It's these smaller, offbeat urban projects that frequently have such a large impact. Adds character and personality to the city. We need more of this.

I can't foresee this location doing poorly. I can't wait for tours of the actual factory to start either.

After visting, the location is great, the ice cream is great, the interior space is cool. The scale and exterior design are a major disappointment to me. I have been impressed by a lot of DS's work but this one falls short. The scale is wrong for the area, 1.5 stories feels out of place. I don't care for the paint job or the geometry. But since it's by DS give it an AIA honor award.

Additional Thought - If he just would have gone Richard Meier on it and left it all white, I probably be ok with it. The checker pattern is brutal.

I like it. It's small scale is refreshing,as is the repetitive paint and fenestration. More awards!

I like it. It's small scale is refreshing,as is the repetitive paint and fenestration. More awards!

It's too small, especially the amount of seating. I feel bad for whoever is working there on the 4th of July or Aquatennial Fireworks night.

the circulation didnt seem to be thought out well. its a busy little place and maybe that's unavoidable. when ive been there its been quite busy with a line nearly out the door. i like the sidewalk seating. i think they're trying to hire extra staff to handle the demand.

The only problem for me is the circulation. The line is often at least to the door but there isn't a natural or obvious way to weave so it turns into a mess. Even a rope barrier leading people to the left of the counter would do a lot.

It's worth remembering that the retail aspect of this project seemed to be largely an afterthought -- that is, it was something that the design was forced to absorb fairly late in the game. For better or worse, the design of this project was driven by the production requirements of an Ice Cream Factory.

It's worth remembering that the retail aspect of this project seemed to be largely an afterthought -- that is, it was something that the design was forced to absorb fairly late in the game. For better or worse, the design of this project was driven by the production requirements of an Ice Cream Factory.

Zooming out a bit there are two points that are emerging:

1. It is good to be so successful that you have lines out the door - it has been pointed out that this was primarily meant to be a production facility, not retail; hopefully they can mitigate this a bit better as the retail stays strong.

2. The bigger point is that this shows major pent up demand for food/drink/entertainment in Downtown East. Can't wait until this area takes off.

Since ice cream is by nature perhaps the most fair-weather of retail items, it seems like the ideal type of retail to have lines out the door*. And to have a very high ratio of outdoor to indoor seating. Should Izzy's really be expected to size their retail space the way Wal-Mart sizes their parking lots-i.e. to have plenty of capacity for peak demand?

*Did the architect make the retail space too small, or is the ice cream just too tasty? More first-hand research needed.

also considering that izzys makes this block a mixed use block is amazing and good regardless of what you think of the building,I highly doubt Stanton would have put retail on this corner and we know what the street frontage is behind izzys... blah.

also, it kind of reminds me of the visual experience of seeing Mickeys dinner... little retail stuck in front of a big blank space, makes for good contrast and kitsch, which we don't usually get with modern full block developments.

It's quirky and a nice contrast to the more corporate looking Stonebridge condos. I do agree with the statements that the retail space is too small. I'm not sure the owner realized how successful it would be. Maybe if we are lucky they will open up a larger ice cream parlor facing the Yard!

The line out the door is sort of Izzy's thing- it's the same at their Marshall Ave store. They've been trying different circulations with the varying doors the few times I've been there. (Also to note, they're POS is slow and their employees are too, IMO.)

If you're in a hurry to get ice cream in Minneapolis... in the summer... and you're upset about a line... look inwards people... and maybe to your local grocer.

It's not the line itself. The line in St. Paul is almost always longer, but it's set up in a way that makes sense and adds to the charm of the experience. In Minneapolis, there's not really any organization (and I agree the service is slow), so it's kind of a mess. Eating ice cream at Gold Medal Park makes up for it, though.

Izzy's has put their building up for sale.

Steve Fletcher had some background to share with the DMNA - it sounds like this is a debt loading issue, not so much a "they're about to go under" issue. They'd apparently be happy to stay on as a tenant, if the new owner is amenable.

Well, they did close their St Paul shop too.

Do you think someone would pay $2.5m to keep a 1.5 story building here? Doesn't seem worth it to me. A nice building to be sure, but limited in its use for so much money.