City Center

[twincitizen]

Looks like Shorenstein will be selling after just two years of ownership: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/p ... enter.html

I guess this means they won't be pouring millions into the ground level facades. And now we wait for the next owner to maybe / maybe not do something...

[John]

Sad the retail component will probably continue to languish on and on. Its a major detriment to Nicollet Mall and has contributed to its decline over the years. This is a great lesson on why our city needs to insist on better architecture with higher standards from developers from the get-go. We have to live with the impact of poor design for decades.

[MplsSteve]

Perhaps it's for the best. Hopefully a new owner will do a better job at attracting tennants. There was a recent report that City Center was one of the busiest pedestrian hubs downtown: http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 37411.html

It seems hard to believe that it's that impossible to bring retail back to City Center.

[grant1simons2]

Its a major detriment to Nicollet Mall and has contributed to its decline over the years

Has it really been declining though? I heard it was up about 25% since the green line opened

[John]

Agree with you MplsSteve it has lots of potential. But it will take 30-40 million dollars to upgrade the base of the complex decently. I suppose no one wants to put that kind of money into what is considered a stable investment. My guess is the attraction for real estate investors in buying this property is the office tower which for years has been virtually 100% leased. Its low risk financially from that standpoint and must give a predictable and consistent ROI.

[nickmgray]

I think you're over-thinking it. The base really doesn't need any work. it just needs retail that opens up to the street. The base is built so that the entire first level can open up to the street or have glass windows. Honestly, I don't know why the current owner hasn't opened it up for windows displays to promote its current tenants. I'm, sure Brooks Brothers and Marshals would love the extra space to show off some products and help drive customers into their stores.

There's also no reason why the corner entrance is still closed off. I know they wanted to get a major retailed in that space and use the corner entrance as a selling point, but it hasn't happened.

[bubzki2]

I have to agree that just getting some windows in there would get this from awful to passable. Not sure it's quite as easy as that, though.

[John]

I think you're over-thinking it. The base really doesn't need any work. it just needs retail that opens up to the street. .

No, I think the base needs major exterior upgrading on both sides (Nicollet and Hennepin) in addition to where the vacant Forum Café interior is located on 7th Street. And its going to take some money to accomplish that. The retail on the base will perpetually have problems until some major renovation work is done. There have been some good redo projects of older urban retail centers to make them more viable ( i.e Westlake Mall in downtown Seattle), however, I think it will be a great stroke of luck if Shorenstein sells the property to someone who will do that.

[5th Ave Guy]

What needs to be done on the Hennepin side? It's obviously not perfect, but as far as tenants go both Rosa and Fogo do very well there. Neither one of those projects was an overhaul similar to what you're describing.

[mattaudio]

The Hennepin side isn't bad - my only gripe is that we seriously have more than 300 feet of frontage with only two restaurants? It may not be barren blank walls, but there's still a lot of blank wall on that blockface.

The real opportunity would come from opening up storefronts on the 6th and 7th blockfaces. And doing minor things to spice up the Marriott entrance on 7th and the Multifoods entrance on 6th. It wouldn't take much - we need activation more than we need architecture. Look how decent that Starbucks makes the middle of the 6th blockface, even though it's a solitary outpost on a wall of nothingness.

[TommyT]

I was walking to my dentist appointment yesterday morning WAY too early and noticed the lit curtains in The Marriott's windows, which look awesome when it's dark but are not noticeable during the day. It's too bad being such a prominent hotel with those huge windows there's not something more they could to to make it pop during the day. Then again, who's really looking at it? The vagabonds waiting for the liquor store to open across the street? *sigh*

[xandrex]

What needs to be done on the Hennepin side? It's obviously not perfect, but as far as tenants go both Rosa and Fogo do very well there. Neither one of those projects was an overhaul similar to what you're describing.

I get off the bus at the 5th/6th stop on Hennepin and begin my journey through the skyways by entering at City Center, so I've been thinking about this a bit. Despite activation from restaurants, the Hennepin side feels really neglected. It's really not even a second thought. This despite the fact that there are a huge number of people that enter from there every day. At the very least, I feel like they could open up the entrance a bit. It feels dark and unwelcoming, which is rather different from the interior. Despite City Center's ugly exterior, I've always found the inside fairly pleasant.

[John]

Despite City Center's ugly exterior, I've always found the inside fairly pleasant.

Agree , the interior atrium between the officer tower and hotel was renovated some years back and looks decent. The Hennepin Ave side is mostly a parking ramp with retail on the first level and that won't change. However, the exterior could use some new facing with more visual excitement to connect with the entertainment district.

[xandrex]

Despite City Center's ugly exterior, I've always found the inside fairly pleasant.

Agree , the interior atrium between the officer tower and hotel was renovated some years back and looks decent. The Hennepin Ave side is mostly a parking ramp with retail on the first level and that won't change. However, the exterior could use some new facing with more visual excitement to connect with the entertainment district.

Yes, even some cosmetics to the exterior and the hallway leading to the atrium would be nice. I realize the parking ramp is there, but a connection to Hennepin seems quite important since this is the only public entrance (and entry to the skyway) on the entire blockface.

[MplsSteve]

It's a shame that the old Forum space doesn't have a better facade; something that both makes it stand out more and is sympathetic with the interior. I think that's one of the main reasons why no restaurant has ever been very successful there.

[Wedgeguy]

Despite City Center's ugly exterior, I've always found the inside fairly pleasant.

Agree , the interior atrium between the officer tower and hotel was renovated some years back and looks decent. The Hennepin Ave side is mostly a parking ramp with retail on the first level and that won't change. However, the exterior could use some new facing with more visual excitement to connect with the entertainment district.

The cast concrete exterior on the podium has to go. There should be at least display windows on the second level that can be seen from the street and while crossing a skyway. Brooks Brothers has these, but are such an afterthought that they just look tacky. 6th, Nicollet,and 7th all need more doors and windows facing out to the street. Even if many if them are for displays. We need and exterior that says shopping district and not Cold War Bunker. The Hennepin side needs some TLC on the parking levels. Before the skyway, there was a very energetic facade with the lights and canopy which were taken down. Some form of LED Lighting would give those upper floors at night would compliment the Theater district down the street.

[John]

It's a shame that the old Forum space doesn't have a better facade; something that both makes it stand out more and is sympathetic with the interior. I think that's one of the main reasons why no restaurant has ever been very successful there.

You are 100% right. The Forum is considered on of the best preserved art deco interiors in the world. It needs to stand out more and be given an exterior that does justice to it.

[TommyT]

The cast concrete exterior on the podium has to go. There should be at least display windows on the second level that can be seen from the street and while crossing a skyway.

I would agree with you there, it's sad what other stores have done though with not utilizing their window space and instead covering it in some translucent or opaque film and using them for storage. I noticed the other day that the windows for Banana were translucent and you could see something that had fallen against the window and was just leaning there. Looks tacky IMHO. I don't understand why downtown Minneapolis just doesn't get it like other cities? Maybe it's because I've lived here for 8 years but I just don't get the urban city feel here like I do when I visit elsewhere and it seems like even the new buildings don't try to improve that.

[Wedgeguy]

Those display windows are your signage to the fact you are on the second floor. That is your advertising to come in and up to see us. The store's name can go across the top portion of the window.

[5th Ave Guy]

It's a shame that the old Forum space doesn't have a better facade; something that both makes it stand out more and is sympathetic with the interior. I think that's one of the main reasons why no restaurant has ever been very successful there.

You are 100% right. The Forum is considered on of the best preserved art deco interiors in the world. It needs to stand out more and be given an exterior that does justice to it.

That stretch of 7th might be the most uninviting city block in all of downtown Minneapolis. It'd be tough for any restaurant to survive there.