urbanMSP

I like the look of the building from this angle, adds a more dense city-like feel to this part of nicollet. If I counted correctly, five more stories to go. I also like that the garage part of the building is not any wider than the actual apartment part.

It will be though, I'm afraid. The garage will extend the rest of the way down 5th St, but they're using the space as a staging area for now while they build the tower.

The garage will extend the rest of the way down 5th St

Isn't a lot of that going to be used as retail though, like on street level of the garage? Also where is the entrance to the garage going to be located?

The garage will extend the rest of the way down 5th St

Isn't a lot of that going to be used as retail though, like on street level of the garage? Also where is the entrance to the garage going to be located?

The parking podium will stretch down 5th to Marquette, but you are correct in that the ground floor will hopefully have some retail facing the light rail station and hopefully Marquette too.

On the way to the game the other evening I did notice that the curtain wall framing is going up on the floors now as well as the stone siding. I saw no glass , but that might have been on the north side I could not see.

The garage will extend the rest of the way down 5th St

Isn't a lot of that going to be used as retail though, like on street level of the garage? Also where is the entrance to the garage going to be located?

The parking podium will stretch down 5th to Marquette, but you are correct in that the ground floor will hopefully have some retail facing the light rail station and hopefully Marquette too.

On the way to the game the other evening I did notice that the curtain wall framing is going up on the floors now as well as the stone siding. I saw no glass , but that might have been on the north side I could not see.

Okay thank you. It would look good if the building is like the way it is in the newest picture all the way around, but by glass you mean like fully glass or just the glass windows?

Off note, do you think that they will develop all the parking lots down to Washington, or will they leave the last one, the one where the busses turn around I believe, into a park. I would like that.

I was saying glass in where window portions would be. Still not sure what they are using up the upper portion of the parking podium, but the window framing for the skyway level was in place, but no glass yet. Looked like possibly a few of the residential floors have some of their framing for the glass portion of the curtain wall.

I believe that the lot,(block), north of the Nic will eventually be developed. but not sure if it will be office or residential or a mix of both. The block due north of the library is set to be a park once they get funding and know exactly what they want to do with it. I think because when the city bought the block with federal transportation money they will have to resolve that issue first before they can build a park only as that was to be a north end transportation hub once upon a time.

Wedgeguy you were right, the parking structure is a behemoth.

That's the old parking garage across from Xcel's hq, not the Nic's garage. That's going to be demoed for Xcel's expansion in a few years.

Oh good, its absolutely awful.

More discussion of the Xcel building here. That should start next summer, since Xcel needs it to be ready when their lease at Marquette Plaza runs out in 2016.

IMG_4506 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr

Finally - a true city! (tongue in cheek sort of say)

Looks like they're getting closer to topping out. This building, the future Xcel, and an exterior remodel of Gaviidae II will make Nicollet and 5th will look nice again:

(not the greatest picture, but gives you a sense of what it was)

I loved Powers. This picture is kind of sad.

How much overlap was there between Nicollet Mall II and Powers? It must have been a fairly brief window of time.

I do sort of miss that McDonald's. It was actually a pretty fantastic little building.

How much overlap was there between Nicollet Mall II and Powers? It must have been a fairly brief window of time.

I do sort of miss that McDonald's. It was actually a pretty fantastic little building.

LOL I was just thinking about how much I missed that McD's as well.

That was the winter of the Great Halloween Snowstorm.

Powers was bought out by Donaldsons in 1985, but the signs on the building stayed up for many years afterward. It was a really cool old department store.

Found some nice renderings of Nic on Fifth from the developer's website. The crown will be lit up at night with horizontal white bands which gives it better stature and looks great.
http://www.opus-group.com/OurWork/The-Nic-on-Fifth