urbanMSP

Note that the rendering shown in the article is quite a bit different that the one from the leasing brochure above.

Leasing Brochure:


MSP Biz Journals article:


I'd guess the leasing brochure version was done purely for artistic/promotional purposes. The caption on the second image is "This is one of several "aspirational" options that City Center's management is considering for the downtown building."

So basically, both should be taken with a massive grain of salt. I've said it before, but I would absolutely support some tax abatement or TIF or whatever it takes to get the Nicollet frontage of this building right. If we can spend $50MM on Nicollet Mall, we can spend a couple million more (via abatement or whatever) to ensure that this renovation is done right, and isn't just a coat of paint.

Is one... better?

A couple snippets from the MSP Business Journal article:

*Renovation is definitely happening, possibly as soon as this summer/fall
*The images above are "really aspirational at this point"
*owner (Samsung) has yet to approve a set budget for improvements

So let's hope that Ryan Cos (who is the property manager and presumably would be the contractor for improvements) comes up with something great and is able to sell it to Samsung.

to me it looks like lipstick on a pig... better still but not by much. I guess I'd be more excited if that lipstick covered the full face. Yes, paint the concrete tower a darker gray, have floors where it's lighter gray like how the IDS center has it's black "belt". Or a modern mix colors that helps soften the impact. I'm no expert but surely somebody can create a paint scheme that could make it a touch less depressing? Then a bit more substance on a low budget of course. Maybe a few lighting elements or building enhancements like touches of more glass, maybe a new top like what Marq 4 was planned to have had. Not sure but would like to see some renderings...

Also if any of ya are any good at those walking on water and performing miracles in design if you want to create a color scheme to make City Center tower less offensive as it is now it would be really neat see.

As O&M said this is just lipstick on a pig and realistically we are never going to get rid if this pig of a tower. What I'm wondering is if would be possible to tear down the podium part of the building between the office tower and Nicollet and the ramp between the tower and Hennepin then replace them with something about 500x better? Clearly you would have to work something out with the Marriott I'm not sure how doable that is. It would reduce the terrible street frontage down to the roughly 200 feet of the tower lobby that faces 6th, which is probably the best frontage currently.

Wait, they're renovating the tower? Or the shopping center (for lack of a better descriptor)?

Don't care at all about the tower. I care about the terrible, inward-facing shorter structure and parking ramp.

C'mon, the tower just needs some RGB LED lighting.

The tower is just fine as is.

C'mon, the tower just needs some RGB LED lighting.

I've mentioned this on the Skyscrapercity forum, but for the last few weeks there has clearly been a lighting test going on the west side of the tower. Color-changing LEDs are tucked into the narrow strip just below the parapet along two of the window bays.

Word is renovations will commence this month and wrap up by October.

Official announcement of the renovation, with a teaser that they'll be announcing three new tenants for that corner in the coming weeks.

Official announcement of the renovation, with a teaser that they'll be announcing three new tenants for that corner in the coming weeks.

Disappointed to see it's only the corner, not the whole Nicollet side. While the rendering of the corner looks promising, it sure mismatches the rest of the facade.

Maaaaaybe, if they do the facade remodel in chunks, it'll end up looking less monolithic?

If they spruced up all the entrances that might work. It would be nice if the midblock Nicollet one didn't look like you were entering a cave.

Any predictions for the three new tenants?

TJ Maxx, Burlington, and Ross.

TJ Maxx, Burlington, and Ross.

lol! I'd be just fine with that!

I'm hoping they're all on the ground floor, and they're breaking that spot into three rather than continuing to hope for a downsized big box to come in and not fail right away.

I'm wondering what the plan is with the patio on the second floor. It's a cool idea, but isn't that whole corner filled with Brooks Brothers? Can't see what they'd want with a patio, or even windows, really.

It’s hard to imagine anything short of a minor nuclear detonation really helping this sad monument to architectural bad taste. I can understand the heavy landing of the tower on sixth street - the entry is consistent with the weighty but highly textured face of the tower. The tower is uninspired, but not nearly as offensive as the massive, super block podium, the worst part of that being the dismal, dirty pink Mall side. I’m not sure that this face of the podium could be redeemed even if they stripped the entire existing facade and started over. I suspect the heavy support structure would still have a negative effect on the outcome. The teaser drawings further back up this thread don’t give me much hope. Lipstick on a very dirty pig comes to mind.