urbanMSP

Damn, so this is dead? This was the best project in the North Loop yet.

That is really bizarre... Bassett Creek runs under a number of buildings... even under the old Itasca building... This seems really odd. It hasn't really been an issue for 100 years.

Just delayed for review by the Planning Commission for one month.

'CONTINUANCE. The project was originally scheduled for a public hearing at the December 7, 2015,
Planning Commission meeting. However, in continued conversations with Public Works there are still
issues to be resolved in order to gain Public Works approval for the project design as it relates to the
Bassett Creek Tunnel.'

Bassett Creek in the North Loop keeps popping up in conversations, but when you dig a little (pun intended) there's really no need, since in the North Loop the Creek no longer exists, even below ground.

A couple of years ago, I had a conversation with a Council Member about whether Bassett Creek might someday be daylighted. I was told that years ago the Creek was diverted northwest of downtown, and there's not enough flow to divert anything back. Some people are under the impression that if we could only dig away and do some landscaping, a beautiful, little stream would reappear in the North Loop. Unfortunately, not true.

This leaves me puzzled about why Bassett Creek should be an issue for 729. Is it the tunnel structure itself that must be preserved, even though at best it functions as a storm water connection?

Actually "The tunnel empties into the Mississippi River just south (downstream) of St. Anthony Falls."

http://www.bassettcreekwmo.org/Commissi ... Tunnel.pdf

It's still used as a storm sewer for much of the area and creek overflow during large rain events.

Does anybody have any idea how far the "estuary" of the Mississippi backs up into the tunnel before there's a major elevation change?

I actually think that the creek passes under the Itasca building next to the Startribune printing plant... if you walk along the pedestrian path on river road in front of the Itasca there is a creek outlet into the Mississippi with a pedestrian bridge over it. I haven't been there in about 6 years but I thought that was the creek outlet.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. You can see from this image how the Mississippi is 'backflowing' up the tunnel -- I'm just curious how for that lasts before there's a significant elevation change in the tunnel.

It still is a "miracle" that we can just find the right picture on the internet and poof! There it is!

Did anyone click on the link for tunnel above?
It has a map and shows that the creek was diverted into some pretty deep tunnels (like 80ft below the surface under 2nd through the Mill District). The tunnel that empties north of downtown looks to be something else (shown in green on the Bassett Creek Conduit image).

Great research! Maybe that upper creek is really just storm run off. I've never seen how much work went into Bassett!

So we CANbuild affordable tunnels under downtown streets.

The flood control tunnels were built between 1987-1996, I did a quick scan to look for the flood that did damage to the basement of the Itasca Building back about the time I moved up here. There was a major summer rain during the August of 86' and flooded even the basement of Southdale at the time. It did damage to the Acme Comedy Club,that was in the basement, that was pretty new to the building. The Itasca was one of the first buildings to get fixed up back in the 80's in the NL. THose that bought in there were the NL pioneers to renovating old warehouses and to looking at repurposing old buildings.

looks like Nimby opposition is going to further delay this project. Pulled from the Jan 11th meeting:

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... oject.html

The project was recommended for approval by both the neighborhood group and the HPC. Why would they care what a few rogue neighbors think? The project is being tabled due to the above issues with the tunnel.

Take it up with Sam Black then for writing an article that more than suggests it was because of NIMBY opposition.

Supposedly the petition has over 700 neighborhood signatures which is more than "a few rogue neighbors"...just sayin'

Well that royally pisses me off. Where did they get these 700 signatures? From every person I have talked to related to this project the only reason this was pulled was to discuss the Bassett Creek problem.

If this project is killed... I just wouldn't even know what to say. I'd be in shock and would want to immediately talk to the North Loop neighborhood association and business about how a downtown is supposed to work.

headline should read "700 nearby residents of recently built condos oppose new development" because that's seriously what's happening