Episcopal Homes Loring Park

[MNdible]

I saw that, but you can't really get to those doors without climbing over somebody else's car. If they're really going to use this parking like we think they are, that connection will need to be more prominent and accessible.

[seanrichardryan]

Huh? Its a door with a direct connection to the parking steps from the church. I don't see any 'climbing' that needs to be done as cars don't usually fill their allotted space edge to edge. Replaces a currently treacherous old staircase to the current lot making this parking far more accessible.

[MSPtoMKE]

No, he is right, I am thinking there might be a mistake with the striping plan? They are compact spots, and there is a column in between the two spots set at 90 degrees from each other. You may be able to squeeze between the cars and the column, but there is no way that could meet egress code requirements.

[MNdible]

I can't believe I'm going to throw down the gauntlet on this, but...

No, the plan as they're showing it just doesn't work. It's bad planning. Yes, people could often scoot between the parked cars and the column, as long as people park decently (and we all know senior citizens going to church always park well). But you can't count on that as your primary means of access. The solution is probably as simple as losing one of the parking stalls that flank the door, but if providing this parking access is the raison d'etre for the whole building, the designers need to clearly demonstrate this access.

Especially since the variance to provide excess parking will be the biggest hurdle this project faces at the Planning Commission.

[MSPtoMKE]

I actually counted the spots in the lower level, to see if one of the spots was supposed to be hatched off to show it not being a parking space, but there are 84 spaces as stated. They should turn the 3 compact spaces along the west wall into 2 standard spaces (unless they need to be compact for turning radius reasons).

On the subject of parking... How much use will these spaces get outside of Sunday services? The offices will only need a small fraction of the spaces, I assume. They will be used for weddings, I'm sure, but will they sit mostly empty throughout the week? The parking is well screened by being mostly below-grade, but it would be a shame to have under-utilized parking in a neighborhood with such a parking crunch.

[grant1simons2]

http://minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/pub ... 172334.pdf

This was on the agenda at Planning Commission today, and passed. I think this is a very Loring Park project. A nice use of brick and stone.

Episcopal by grant.simons, on Flickr

[Nathan]

Done. Build it.

[Dallas201]

Hate to see those trees go but if it's for progress chop em down. Does anybody know what type of trees they are? The ones next to the sidewalk by eastern side between the parking lot and Clifton Place? They seem to branch off right from out of the ground with no big trunk, they look pretty cool.

[talindsay]

Hate to see those trees go but if it's for progress chop em down. Does anybody know what type of trees they are? The ones next to the sidewalk by eastern side between the parking lot and Clifton Place? They seem to branch off right from out of the ground with no big trunk, they look pretty cool.

Heh. The Inexorable March of Progress. How twentieth century.

The Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota (or St. Mark's Cathedral, I guess) sent out a letter explaining the project and asking for funding commitments to support it among its members. It didn't really contain any information that isn't already available in this thread, but I thought it interesting that they're tying it quite that closely to the diocese.

[seanrichardryan]

I received said letter yesterday. $24m project, 7m will be raised from diocese/ parishioners (half of which is already committed), 17m as mortgage debt by Episcopal Homes. The Church, ECMN, and Episcopal Homes are all partners. ECMN owns the land and will get new offices in the first floor, which is adjacent to the Co-Cathedral. They'll receive 33%of excess revenues generated from the property. St. Mark's is the fundraiser, guaranteed parking, also receives 33% of excess profits. Episcopal Homes builds, maintains, and borrows to complete the funding.

[Dallas201]

Hate to see those trees go but if it's for progress chop em down. Does anybody know what type of trees they are? The ones next to the sidewalk by eastern side between the parking lot and Clifton Place? They seem to branch off right from out of the ground with no big trunk, they look pretty cool.

Heh. The Inexorable March of Progress. How twentieth century.

The Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota (or St. Mark's Cathedral, I guess) sent out a letter explaining the project and asking for funding commitments to support it among its members. It didn't really contain any information that isn't already available in this thread, but I thought it interesting that they're tying it quite that closely to the diocese.

oook... so I'mma mark you down as a IDK in regards to the type of trees lol.

[seanrichardryan]

The trees along the parking lot on Clifton are Amur Maple. Pretty trees, but they self seed everywhere.

[Nathan]

Am I remembering correctly? Isn't there even a city resource that tells you what all the types of trees are on every block?

[seanrichardryan]

MPRB did an Ash Tree survey to combat EAB. Not sure if they denoted other species for that,

[seanrichardryan]

Ruh roh... I don't think commitments from the congregation went as well as we'd hoped.

19 April 2016

Dear Saint Markans,

Your Episcopal Commons Steering Team is grateful for this opportunity to update you on the real estate development project known as 'The Episcopal Commons.' As many of you know well, this project has consumed much energy and time over the past months. Those of us who have been especially closely connected to the project deeply appreciate the interest - and, indeed, the considerable support - of the Cathedral congregation. That support assumed the form of very substantial financial commitments, among other forms, and we are, again, profoundly grateful.

As Senior Warden, Jim Huber, indicated within his announcement this past Sunday morning, the project is now at what is known in the business as a "pivot." As many of you know, "pivots" represent points in projects' development when strategies and tactics evolve significantly - sometimes somewhat rapidly, and very frequently by absolute necessity. Indeed, our current "pivot" is characterized by such rapidity and by such necessity.

This is so because the Episcopal Commons project will not move forward in the way it was initially envisioned. Certain financial dynamics specific to that project rendered the project unworkable, and last week, the Joint Steering Committee elected to terminate the project as currently configured.

Even as we recognize this reality, though, new opportunity presents itself. And, although Cathedral leadership believed deeply in the positive prospects for the Episcopal Commons project, we are happy to report that we are actively exploring new possibilities to address the very Cathedral needs that underlied our interest in the original Episcopal Commons project - those being parking, mission opportunity, and increased revenue.

This is the "pivot" of which we speak: Your leadership hopes to have a specific reimagining of the Commons project to report in the coming days and weeks, allowing proper vetting and endorsement by both the project Steering Team and the Cathedral Council. Our further hope is that those who committed financial support to the original Episcopal Commons project will find the new Commons project sufficiently compelling to warrant an immediate and direct recommittal of financial support.

Through all of these efforts, we have been reminded of the value in thinking creatively and courageously about how best to protect St. Mark's financial interests and strengthen St. Mark's mission and ministry into the future. Such efforts will - almost inescapably - endure ebbs and flows, and this is one such occasion. We will persist, heartened by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our efforts. We hope you will keep the Cathedral in your prayers.

In hope and gratitude,

The Cathedral Commons Steering Team

[talindsay]

It always seemed a tough sell, to convince a bunch of liberal Episcopalians that they should cough up huge donations not for some great social cause but to ensure that there's *parking* at the Cathedral. It seems so outdated, I can't imagine any member of the cathedral under 60 thinks this should be a high priority for their donations. Heck, there are Episcopal churches in the *suburbs* (St. Stephen's in Edina comes to mind) that don't have a single parking space, and most in the city have no parking. The Cathedral has a big surface lot and wastes so much time and energy worrying about where people can park. I can't imagine that in 20 years it will seem like it was a good tradeoff to tap out the congregation's donation capabilities on something as meaningless as parking.
[/rant]

[mattaudio]

On the plus side for the congregation, hopefully they realize they can lease it out as a contract parking facility sooner rather than later especially as parking in the neighborhood becomes more constrained.

[MNdible]

I've thought that the structured parking this project contained could have allowed them to build out something on the surface lot immediately adjacent to the church.

[seanrichardryan]

1730 Clifton has been sold to the White Earth Nation.

More background on the sale and dissolution of the previous partnership and lawsuit when I've got a minute.