urbanMSP

Does anyone know when the Powers building was torn down? A little Googling seems to turn up more information about the former Highland Park store (which was at Cleveland and Highland in Saint Paul and torn down in 1994).

I think it was around that same time actually.

According to the book Twin Cities Then and Now, the Powers building went down in 1992.

According to the book Twin Cities Then and Now, the Powers building went down in 1992.

wow...20 years. There's been numerous *rumours* I remembe ra 42 floor condo.

Yeah, and i remember, I think the most rececnt one was for an office building called 444 Marquette that was to be 24 floors I think?

On a story on KSTP last night, they showed the blueprints for this with the updated rendering. Still looked fairly bland, but it did confirm that the other sides are no more bland than the 2 that we have seen...so that is good!

Link to said KSTP story:
http://downtown.kstp.com/news/news/1773 ... lis-avenue

From the KSTP story: Nic on Fifth "will be the first luxury high-rise apartments built in nearly three decades downtown."

I keep seeing this obviously untrue sentence in different news stories. What is wrong with our local journalists? Can they Google search? Can't they see the Carlyle?

From the KSTP story: Nic on Fifth "will be the first luxury high-rise apartments built in nearly three decades downtown."

I keep seeing this obviously untrue sentence in different news stories. What is wrong with our local journalists? Can they Google search? Can't they see the Carlyle?

condos, not the same thing

From the KSTP story: Nic on Fifth "will be the first luxury high-rise apartments built in nearly three decades downtown."

I keep seeing this obviously untrue sentence in different news stories. What is wrong with our local journalists? Can they Google search? Can't they see the Carlyle?

condos, not the same thing

Ahh, got it. Fair enough.

Seems misleading though as it implies that no high-rise construction has occurred. They could equally say: "this is the 5th high-rise residential tower built in the last decade downtown."

(It is 5, right? Grant Park, Skyscape, Carlyle, & Ivy were the 4 built most recently?)

You are correct, sir.

Ahh, got it. Fair enough.

Seems misleading though as it implies that no high-rise construction has occurred. They could equally say: "this is the 5th high-rise residential tower built in the last decade downtown."

(It is 5, right? Grant Park, Skyscape, Carlyle, & Ivy were the 4 built most recently?)

That doesn't have the same zing to it, though.

From the KSTP story: Nic on Fifth "will be the first luxury high-rise apartments built in nearly three decades downtown."

I keep seeing this obviously untrue sentence in different news stories. What is wrong with our local journalists? Can they Google search? Can't they see the Carlyle?

condos, not the same thing

We have been through this argument in this thread. It's really not true...If Laurel Village isn't counting as "the core" for them, then at the very least, the (ugly) metro apartments were built at 9th and Marquette around 2000. More accurately it is "the first luxury apartment high rise over 20 stories within a block of Nicollet Mall in the past 30 years". lol

^^^ There is no such thing as research now days with the news media, Print or TV. They just want something before their dea line as long as it is 55% true, that is ok with them.


I truly doubt that a majority of the people who live in Minneapolis could give you a true and accurate definitioin of what the boundries are for the downtown. I'd venture to guess that about half the city council could answer that question without having to get back with you on that. I'm even suprised at what they consider downtown for what it is worth. We have the wrong perception that downtown means the core. While the core is in downtown it is not all of downtown as the city say it is.

The Downtown Core is best defined by zoning. Check out this map:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 261235.pdf
The area bordered by 3rd to 10th streets south, Hennepin, and 4th Ave. S. is as core as you can get. Downtown zoning gets progressively more restricted as you move out from there.

This zoning has been the primary tool for keeping the downtown business district so concentrated and, as a corollary, for creating the big dead zone east of 5th.

The Downtown Core is best defined by zoning. Check out this map:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 261235.pdf
The area bordered by 3rd to 10th streets south, Hennepin, and 4th Ave. S. is as core as you can get. Downtown zoning gets progressively more restricted as you move out from there.

This zoning has been the primary tool for keeping the downtown business district so concentrated and, as a corollary, for creating the big dead zone east of 5th.

You are very right on that assumption. I believe that zoning came in when Trammel Crow, was going to try and develope a super tall tower for IDS on the current Normandy Inn block back in the late 80's or early 90's. The city council was scared that it would take too many people off the Mall and kill the retail district. I honestly believe that it is now time to relook at the zoning codes and update them to match what is happening with the current climate of developement.

The Nic on Fifth under construction by spectre 000, on Flickr


The Nic on Fifth under construction by spectre 000, on Flickr


The Nic on Fifth under construction by spectre 000, on Flickr

Totally random question, but the first picture made me think of it, is that brown brick building at 5th and Nicolet anything? Last I saw it was still for rent, and it seems like such a prime location to be empty. Is it just the ground floor, or the whole building that's empty?

The Andrus? It was office space for Xcel for a while. It has never really had much of a retail element since it was remodeled. There was a tobaccoist for a long time on Nicollet.

Pretty sure nearly the whole building is empty. Renaissance Square. Great vintage building with the feel of an 80s rehab. Yes, Xcel used it (and a few floors of the US Bancorp Center) until they remodeled 414 and leased Marquette Plaza.
There also used to be a great diner/lunch counter on the ground floor - Hamlins Cafe.

Pretty sure nearly the whole building is empty. Renaissance Square. Great vintage building with the feel of an 80s rehab. Yes, Xcel used it (and a few floors of the US Bancorp Center) until they remodeled 414 and leased Marquette Plaza.
There also used to be a great diner/lunch counter on the ground floor - Hamlins Cafe.

The building is not empty, a design-engineering DLR Group moved into the building about 2 years ago from the suburbs. The street level haves been vacant for years. Below is a link to CBRE leasing page for the building.

http://www.cbre.us/o/minneapolis/proper ... loors.aspx