Hampton Inn & Suites - (19 8th Street North)

[mnmike]

From the downtown hotel thread:

Per the blog "Just Listed" in the Star Tribune by Janet Moore. Hotel proposed for south downtown. The block is 8th St.N.and 1st Ave So. 210 room Hampton Inn and Suites. I could go back to scan the posts but is this old news? Mortenson Development. No specifics and number of rooms could change.

Here is the thread about this...I called the brand! I was right about something for once. ha. I will be happy to see that awkward lot filled.

[mullen]

that's cool. Hampton Inn is a good brand.

[John]

that's cool. Hampton Inn is a good brand.

Hampton Inn ( in recent years) has attempted to do pretty good designs for their urban hotels, so hopefully we'll see a decent looking building here.

[TWA]

that's cool. Hampton Inn is a good brand.

Hampton Inn ( in recent years) has attempted to do pretty good designs for their urban hotels, so hopefully we'll see a decent looking building here.

I feel like they love the faux-historical brick-heavy design.

[John]

I feel like they love the faux-historical brick-heavy design.

Not necessarily. I think a lot of it depends on Mortenson and what they want it to look like. And, of course, I have no illusions they are going to build something great here (lol). Just something that looks decent that fits pretty good. Quite frankly, that's my highest expectation for them.

[Tcmetro]

Plans

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 110193.pdf

Looks quite decent, IMO

[RailBaronYarr]

Could be worse, and certainly better than what's there right now. Street frontage stinks, IMO. Section of glass entry and concrete/brick/graphics everywhere else - in a major entertainment area no less. Why wouldn't they want the breakfast area to have more windows to open the space up for light? Similarly, the corner of the building jutting out has no windows - what a waste of a perfect entrance location - instead they put the administrative office area up against it. Just odd layout choices, IMO, and continuing the trend of buildings that look good from 200'+ away but are more than bland to walk by

[sushisimo]

Why is the Saloon grayed out?

[MNdible]

I think the design is a bit meh, and the materials are concerning, but the way that it fills out that site is absolutely perfect.

[min-chi-cbus]

I agree with you about how it fills out that space.....I was hoping for something even cooler though, but I should have known better! Otherwise this is what it is: a Hampton Inn. No more, no less. It's neat that it blends in almost seemlessly with 100+ year old warehouses though. I kind of wish it offered some entertainment option on that corner on 1st since that's pretty much the main drag in Mpls.

[woofner]

I think it looks really good for the site, and I'm glad they worked in a courtyard on this somewhat cramped site. Happy to see that CPED is asking "that the applicant modify this elevation to include windows for a minimum of 30 percent of the first floor." (The design depicted in the renderings apparently only have 24% first floor window coverage.) Hopefully CPED will drop their campaign against the variance for a blank wall on the south side, since I can't imagine another building fitting into the adjacent parcel without an abutting wall. EDIT: On second thought I'm not sure I understand the purpose of the screened space on the south side, and can certainly see how it would be a CPTED concern, although even if you get rid of it there would still be a blank wall there.

Also, hopefully CPED confers with Public Works at some point, as the curb extension they proposed in the E-W Transit Spine Plan for the east half of the block renders the drop-off curb cut somewhat pointless. I actually think the lobby would make more sense on the 1st Ave N side, but it's Hampton Inn's funeral I guess.

[spearson]

I'm curious if it's going to butt up completely against Pence, or if there will be a small alley. Rendering looks like it butts up, but that side of Pence isn't flat.

[twincitizen]

See page 20 of the plans. It appears to be wall-to-wall construction with the windows on that side of Pence being filled in or covered up.

[MNdible]

Hmm. Spearson's right, I think. The shafts tacked onto the back of the Pence may give it enough room to create a light well of sorts for those existing windows and they may not need to be bricked in. They won't have any views, that's for sure...

[RailBaronYarr]

I know it's "just a Hampton Inn," but I stayed in "just a Best Western" in Annecy, France that looked like this: http://goo.gl/maps/DZzuA Obviously the portion of the structure related to the BW is a little smaller, but the street-facing glass (and what's behind it) is much better.

I'm super happy that this parcel is being developed - up to the sidewalk without any dumb mini parking lots out front. It's also really cool they were able to get some amenities like the courtyard in and butt up to existing buildings very well. Just wish they could go the last 5 yards and make it a total winner.

[mattaudio]

1264 ft "administration/computer/business center" right on the corner? They should squeeze that use in somewhere else and lease out the corner for a neighborhood amenity business. Or two or three micro-businesses like this: http://www.slcfoodradar.com/2011/12/21/ ... nd-frites/

Now THAT would activate this street level and give the hotel more cachet!

[John]

It's ok and fits the site well, but I think the exterior may look a little artificial and cheap. Of course, I never expected something great from Hampton. My biggest concern is the street level which is too introverted. It needs a street level restaurant or retail at the corner with big clear windows. If they improve the street level with the final design it will be much better.

[Nick]

Given the huge amount of vacant commercial space on Hennepin, a heavily trafficked and well-connected street, I don't really see the point in making a private developer include commercial space here, across the street from a giant parking ramp and dystopian future-looking steam vent things. They would certainly have trouble leasing it for years, at a minimum.

[twincitizen]

^Yup. My benchmark for needing more retail space on this stretch of Hennepin is we shouldn't even talk about it until the old Chevy's space is filled. I'll leave Block E alone since that seems like an intentional vacancy. But yeah, we don't need more retail on Hennepin yet.

[John]

^^^I agree with you both above in the sense that there doesn't need to be independent retailers here. It's really a matter of Hampton modifying the interior layout ( lobby space, eating areas, etc.) to be more open, especially along 8th Street and the intersection in a modest , reasonable way. It's certainly not asking a lot from a private hotel developer who's going to make money off locating in our very desirable downtown. I think this issue will be rectified somewhat with the CPED requirement.