Mozaic (all phases)

[John]

It would be great to see more office and commercial development in Uptown, however, to merely copy a suburban model for designing office space is the wrong approach. The awful exterior of the Mozaic building (with the monstrous parking ramp) is a disservice to the vibrant hip urban character of this community. Ackerberg can do better and needs to get a grip! I hope with their second phase , they do something much bolder with higher quality that reflects the character of this area.

[mulad]

Yeah, I hate the parking ramp, but aren't later phases supposed to have basically no parking at all? Or, at least kind of keeping things at a status quo?

[go4guy]

The ramp does not bother me as much as it does most. From most vantage points, you dont notice it all that much. From Hennepin and Lake, it is blocked by the older buildings that surround the building. From the walk way, it will have that nice green wall, plus the new building in a few years blocking it. Which only leaves the north side, which I cant even recall ever noticing. I think the building brings much needed density and height to the area. Looks GREAT from my office at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage.

[Wedgeguy]

The living wall is starting to fill out which helps. The new arts plaza is very funky too. Still don't know what is going on with the Louis business. Why it is taking so long to get done. They are missing the best season for business.

[John]

The living wall is starting to fill out which helps. The new arts plaza is very funky too. Still don't know what is going on with the Louis business. Why it is taking so long to get done. They are missing the best season for business.

The green wall is improving that side of the parking garage considerably. I like the arts plaza as well. Its really the best part of the project. When the street level restaurant goes in it will enliven the plaza dramatically, although I wish they could have put in something a little more unique than a chain. I hope Mozaic phase 2 will be better than this project with less of a suburban formula. Can't stop thinking phase 2 would be a great place for Uptown's first hotel.

[Wedgeguy]

Lowrise hotel next to greenway, Highrise office/residential next to the theater component mid block.

[min-chi-cbus]

Lowrise hotel next to greenway, Highrise office/residential next to the theater component mid block.

Well I don't think that's what they are proposing though. I believe it was (proposed as) a 100,000 SF, 10-floor office building, with the same massing and height as Mosaic 1. But yes, I WISH they would do what you suggest and connect the Greenway to Lake/Lagoon to the south through a well-designed low-rise along the Greenway frontage, and a 10-15 floor mid-rise with a hotel/condo proponent (in addition to the 100K SF of office) that abuts Lagoon. Uptown needs a (better) iconic building!

[ECtransplant]

Lowrise hotel next to greenway, Highrise office/residential next to the theater component mid block.

Well I don't think that's what they are proposing though. I believe it was (proposed as) a 100,000 SF, 10-floor office building, with the same massing and height as Mosaic 1. But yes, I WISH they would do what you suggest and connect the Greenway to Lake/Lagoon to the south through a well-designed low-rise along the Greenway frontage, and a 10-15 floor mid-rise with a hotel/condo proponent (in addition to the 100K SF of office) that abuts Lagoon. Uptown needs a (better) iconic building!

I can more than live with more office space if it's all ten floors, instead of the majority of the building being a parking ramp. Uptown could use more daytime foot traffic.

But another glorified parking ramp will be a big disappointment. I'm coming to like this building less and less the more I have to look at it. While the green wall and plaza space are cool, they're kind of tucked in behind the other buildings on Lagoon and not engaged with most of the nearby pedestrian traffic.

[John]

Lowrise hotel next to greenway, Highrise office/residential next to the theater component mid block.

Well I don't think that's what they are proposing though. I believe it was (proposed as) a 100,000 SF, 10-floor office building, with the same massing and height as Mosaic 1. But yes, I WISH they would do what you suggest and connect the Greenway to Lake/Lagoon to the south through a well-designed low-rise along the Greenway frontage, and a 10-15 floor mid-rise with a hotel/condo proponent (in addition to the 100K SF of office) that abuts Lagoon. Uptown needs a (better) iconic building!

I can more than live with more office space if it's all ten floors, instead of the majority of the building being a parking ramp. Uptown could use more daytime foot traffic.

But another glorified parking ramp will be a big disappointment. I'm coming to like this building less and less the more I have to look at it. While the green wall and plaza space are cool, they're kind of tucked in behind the other buildings on Lagoon and not engaged with most of the nearby pedestrian traffic.

It would have looked better if they would have been able to complete the colored panel scheme on the ramp as the original rendering showed. Someone here said they couldn't put all the panels in place because of ventilation problems from automobile exhaust inside the parking ramp. Completely understandable, but they should have added another decorative element to liven up the parking ramp to replace the lost panels.

[Nick]

Snapped this today as I was strolling by. It's gonna look a little sad in the winter.

[John]

Snapped this today as I was strolling by. It's gonna look a little sad in the winter.

It will need Christmas lights to cover it up! You'd swear this building was lifted up from I394 and plopped down into the middle of Uptown.

[seanrichardryan]

It looks really sad at night, with the dark hole of the ramp in the middle of the building lit up with sodium vapor lamps.

[min-chi-cbus]

Lowrise hotel next to greenway, Highrise office/residential next to the theater component mid block.

Well I don't think that's what they are proposing though. I believe it was (proposed as) a 100,000 SF, 10-floor office building, with the same massing and height as Mosaic 1. But yes, I WISH they would do what you suggest and connect the Greenway to Lake/Lagoon to the south through a well-designed low-rise along the Greenway frontage, and a 10-15 floor mid-rise with a hotel/condo proponent (in addition to the 100K SF of office) that abuts Lagoon. Uptown needs a (better) iconic building!

I can more than live with more office space if it's all ten floors, instead of the majority of the building being a parking ramp. Uptown could use more daytime foot traffic.

But another glorified parking ramp will be a big disappointment. I'm coming to like this building less and less the more I have to look at it. While the green wall and plaza space are cool, they're kind of tucked in behind the other buildings on Lagoon and not engaged with most of the nearby pedestrian traffic.

Sometimes I assume that we all share the same knowledge, and I take that for granted a lot. I thought everyone knew what Phase II of Mosaic was supposed to be: 10 floors, 100K SF, ALL office space (i.e. no parking). Same height, same massing, just juxtapositioned to be perpendicular to their Phase I building. This is what I saw, anyways. I'm sure you can search what Phase II was supposed to be fairly easily, as what I am telling you is just from visual memory.

[min-chi-cbus]

Snapped this today as I was strolling by. It's gonna look a little sad in the winter.

Good point -- they should have used Evergreens!!

[Wedgeguy]

Snapped this today as I was strolling by. It's gonna look a little sad in the winter.

Good point -- they should have used Evergreens!!

Evergreens would die too easily, Last thing you need is big brown dead spots when they start to croak. I think that they can come up with ideas to keep it lively during the winter.

[trkaiser]

They could hang big-game pelts.

[Nathan]

Bahahaha ;D

[John]

It looks really sad at night, with the dark hole of the ramp in the middle of the building lit up with sodium vapor lamps.

Yes , The addition of some kinetic decorative element that was lit up at night would be a great improvement to the ramp.

[Wedgeguy]

It looks really sad at night, with the dark hole of the ramp in the middle of the building lit up with sodium vapor lamps.

Yes , The addition of some kinetic decorative element that was lit up at night would be a great improvement to the ramp.

I thought there was a kinda light sculpture on the corner closest to the Theater. Something that wraps around the corner anyway.

[mplser]

It looks really sad at night, with the dark hole of the ramp in the middle of the building lit up with sodium vapor lamps.

Yes , The addition of some kinetic decorative element that was lit up at night would be a great improvement to the ramp.

I think some green neon lights squiggling across the plant part would be cool. I'm not sure any of you will agree, but it's an idea