Downtown Riverfront - Mill Ruins Park - Waterworks

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
User avatar
mister.shoes
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1294
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:22 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mister.shoes » August 20th, 2014, 1:17 pm

But what have we preserved? And for what? Very little in DT MPLS depends on water power any more, and that which does could easily (er, hypothetically?) use pipes/tunnels from farther upstream to maintain the vertical drop necessary for the power.
Apparently that wasn't a cost-effective option in late 19th-century Minneapolis. Without the apron Minneapolis would be a neighborhood of St. Paul today.
Ah, yes. My bad. In a historical context we are extremely lucky. Going forward, allowing the falls to turn into rapids wouldn't be a huge deal—and might even be a positive. But 100 years ago, MPLS would have been f'ed.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

User avatar
woofner
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1242
Joined: June 1st, 2012, 10:04 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby woofner » August 20th, 2014, 1:43 pm

You're talking about Sharon Sayles Belton's project of building West River Road, right?
Based on my incomplete knowledge of this area, most of the work on this stretch of West River Road was completed by the late 1980's, before SSB's time.
Gah! You're right, I was thinking of Mill Ruins Park.
"Who rescued whom!"

mullen
Foshay Tower
Posts: 961
Joined: June 4th, 2012, 7:02 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mullen » August 20th, 2014, 1:50 pm

the parkway connection of central riverfront to the bohemian flats area was completed in the 90's.

User avatar
mister.shoes
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1294
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:22 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mister.shoes » August 29th, 2014, 1:18 pm

How Fuji-Ya went down:

The Park Board took a portion of their parking lot, through eminent domain, to allow for the construction of West River Road. Fuji-Ya claimed that they couldn't operate without the parking lot, and so demanded that the Park Board purchase all of their land, not just the parking lot. This went to court, and Fuji-Ya "won" -- the Park Board was forced to purchase all of their land.

In retrospect, one can imagine that Fuji-Ya (or any restaurant) at that location would be a license to print money right now, with or without a parking lot, but the area was very very very different thirty years ago, and there would have been a lot of lean years for them.

From the greater-public-good perspective, building West River Road seems to be an obvious win.
So, lordmoke sent me down the rabbit hole of RR pictures with the link over in the Downtown History thread. In the process, I came across this one by accident. Incredible picture of Fuji-Ya. What a location!
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1211248
Also helps to see how West River Parkway was implemented.
https://maps.google.com/?ll=44.981631,- ... g=180&z=19
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

Minneboy
US Bank Plaza
Posts: 669
Joined: January 15th, 2013, 1:18 pm

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby Minneboy » August 29th, 2014, 1:21 pm

I didn't realize Basset Creek ran to that side of Hennepin.

User avatar
mister.shoes
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1294
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:22 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mister.shoes » August 29th, 2014, 2:03 pm

I didn't realize Basset Creek ran to that side of Hennepin.
It doesn't. That's the intake for the water tunnels that powered the flour mills.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

Wedgeguy
Capella Tower
Posts: 3404
Joined: June 1st, 2012, 6:59 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby Wedgeguy » August 29th, 2014, 3:28 pm

I didn't realize Basset Creek ran to that side of Hennepin.
It doesn't. That's the intake for the water tunnels that powered the flour mills.
Basset Creek is west of Hennepin and basically under what is now 8th Avenue N for part of it's journey. It also goes under the street in front of the Star Trib Printing Building and squeezes past part of the Itasca Building before it exit into the river about 3-4 blocks north of the Northstar's rail bridge over the river.

Minneboy
US Bank Plaza
Posts: 669
Joined: January 15th, 2013, 1:18 pm

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby Minneboy » August 29th, 2014, 7:18 pm

Well that's what I thought but that second picture has it going under the Ceresota Mill.

User avatar
mister.shoes
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1294
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:22 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mister.shoes » August 29th, 2014, 8:46 pm

Well that's what I thought but that second picture has it going under the Ceresota Mill.
That's the intake for the water tunnels that powered the flour mills.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

David Greene
IDS Center
Posts: 4617
Joined: December 4th, 2012, 11:41 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby David Greene » August 29th, 2014, 8:52 pm

Well that's what I thought but that second picture has it going under the Ceresota Mill.
That's the intake for the water tunnels that powered the flour mills.
I think he's referring to the (mis-)label "Bassett Creek (New Tunnel)" west of the tailraces.

EDIT: Not a mis-label. The Creek was diverted to St. Anthony Falls:

http://www.mninter.net/~stack/bassett/descript.htm

Minneboy
US Bank Plaza
Posts: 669
Joined: January 15th, 2013, 1:18 pm

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby Minneboy » August 30th, 2014, 4:12 am

Correct.

hoffm83n
Metrodome
Posts: 63
Joined: April 22nd, 2013, 3:19 pm

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby hoffm83n » October 26th, 2014, 6:15 pm

new video for water works/ west side of stone arch bridge, looks pretty cool

http://vimeo.com/109756763

Online
mamundsen
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1195
Joined: November 15th, 2012, 10:01 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mamundsen » October 26th, 2014, 7:22 pm

Nice video. Something new to me, the new Kayak launch. To me it is VERY close to the falls. How do they think that is safe? I did notice some separation... But I don't know. Seems scary.

User avatar
TommyT
Target Field
Posts: 511
Joined: August 13th, 2013, 9:21 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby TommyT » October 27th, 2014, 7:40 am

This is pretty amazing! Is this a for sure project or just a proposal at this point? Any sort of timeline for when this would get started? finished?

grant1simons2
IDS Center
Posts: 4371
Joined: February 8th, 2014, 11:33 pm
Location: Marcy-Holmes

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby grant1simons2 » October 27th, 2014, 7:50 am

I've heard as soon as next year

nickmgray
Union Depot
Posts: 319
Joined: July 3rd, 2012, 10:40 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby nickmgray » October 27th, 2014, 7:59 am

Looks like a skateboarding paradise! I'm really excited for this. You can click through the full 67 page presentation which has a tone of old images of the area which show the inspiration for the new park design.

http://www.slideshare.net/MplsParksFoun ... -waterfall

Didier
Capella Tower
Posts: 2511
Joined: June 3rd, 2012, 10:11 am
Location: MSP

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby Didier » October 27th, 2014, 10:14 am

Nice video. Something new to me, the new Kayak launch. To me it is VERY close to the falls. How do they think that is safe? I did notice some separation... But I don't know. Seems scary.
It looks like the launch would be into the upper part of the lock, which is separated from the current.

User avatar
mister.shoes
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1294
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 10:22 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mister.shoes » October 27th, 2014, 11:31 am

One of the absolute best features of this park idea is the rehab of the historic Milwaukee Road ROW. When the Mill City Quarter apartments are done and the woonerf between them is finished, there will be a great natural flow along the old ROW down to the river. It won't *literally* suck people to the waterfront, but it'll be a great green inviting gateway.
The problem with being an introvert online is that no one knows you're just hanging out and listening.

Online
mamundsen
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1195
Joined: November 15th, 2012, 10:01 am

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby mamundsen » October 27th, 2014, 1:27 pm

Nice video. Something new to me, the new Kayak launch. To me it is VERY close to the falls. How do they think that is safe? I did notice some separation... But I don't know. Seems scary.
It looks like the launch would be into the upper part of the lock, which is separated from the current.
Then if the kayaker paddles up stream they'll join the current and end up over the falls. Right? The lock is not a big space to paddle around.

User avatar
nBode
Union Depot
Posts: 348
Joined: August 20th, 2013, 3:25 pm
Location: University of Minnesota

Re: Minneapolis Riverfront

Postby nBode » October 27th, 2014, 3:14 pm

There's a wall. Just look on Google Maps.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 55 guests