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Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 9:26 am
by lordmoke
Thought I'd get this kicked off with a couple of articles. It looks like the park board is shooting for the stars with a major overhaul of the area between these two lakes, where Lake Street passes. There have been community forums, and designers have put forth some interesting concepts. Obviously a long way off at this point, but would make for good speculation and discussion. The land bridge is probably my favorite idea here- it should really make the area more pedestrian-friendly, which it should be, as a park.

http://southwestjournal.wordpress.com/2 ... r-calhoun/

http://www.ouruptown.com/2012/10/park-b ... visioning/

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 11:07 am
by beykite
Yea this definitely needs to be posted. These are absolutely awesome ideas. I reaaaaaaally hope this gets done. It would help take away the feeling that the lakes are connected to uptown by an expressway.
Lake Street Land Bridge 1.png
Lake Street Land Bridge 2.png

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 12:06 pm
by min-chi-cbus
It's this kind of visionary that makes me miss Minneapolis all so much! I already miss the area and the Lakes, but if this were to happen I'd quit my job and get back to my stomping ground ASAP! This is the kind of thing I expect out of a city like Chicago or New York (maybe even Philly), but not Minneapolis. I have no idea where the funding would come for this but if somebody or some entity has the money, more power to 'em!

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 1:18 pm
by Avian
Great ideas! It's not explicit, but I'm assuming this is an entirely new connection located between the beach and the channel on the north side of the lake?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 1:57 pm
by Nick
It sure looks pretty but do we want Lake Street on the north side of the lake to be even more like a freeway?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 2:27 pm
by MNdible
It sure looks pretty but do we want Lake Street on the north side of the lake to be even more like a freeway?
[shrugs] If it's a nice looking freeway that accommodates better pedestrian and bike facilities, do we really care? Or are we opposed to allowing cars to move easily on principle?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 2:39 pm
by PhilmerPhil
It sure looks pretty but do we want Lake Street on the north side of the lake to be even more like a freeway?
[shrugs] If it's a nice looking freeway that accommodates better pedestrian and bike facilities, do we really care? Or are we opposed to allowing cars to move easily on principle?
I agree, I'd actually prefer the road to be hidden for a seamless park experience (a la Target Field).

It should be noted that allowing cars to move easily in one place, will make it harder for everyone to move in another. Not sure if that applies here though.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 2:49 pm
by FISHMANPET
Because of the way the lakes are there's pretty much no other way for traffic to get to points west from there, so unless we ban cars there's always going to be heavy traffic in that area. The best we can hope to do is make it not impede on the otherwise pedestrian nature of the area, and those sketches above look like they would really do that.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 3:43 pm
by Nick
Yeah works for me I was just floating the idea.

One thing I've thought about for a while that'd be super cool would be some sort of public space in the triangle where Lake and Lagoon split, as an entryway to Uptown. Maybe a statue or something?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 7:40 pm
by seanrichardryan
I think adding lane of parking during off peak on Lake, as well as adding some bollards, lighting & crosswalks mid-way between Thomas and Knox would make the street feel less threatening. It would also be significantly cheaper. Cutting a wide tunnel under the greenway path would work nicely to connect to the dogpark area on Isles instead. It was a design charette though, i.e. fantasy camp.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 23rd, 2012, 10:48 pm
by Aville_37
Love it, but aren't there other areas where a land bridge would be even more beneficial? How about the Lowry Hill Tunnel near Loring Park and the Sculpture Garden? I know there is also a plan to create a land bridge over I-94 that would connect Fairview Park(?) in North Mpls. to the Mississippi.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 24th, 2012, 1:20 am
by Le Sueur
Love it, but aren't there other areas where a land bridge would be even more beneficial? How about the Lowry Hill Tunnel near Loring Park and the Sculpture Garden? I know there is also a plan to create a land bridge over I-94 that would connect Fairview Park(?) in North Mpls. to the Mississippi.
I agree with this, although having a few proposals might mean one ore two actually get build. They might catch on, and as you suggest with 94 through dwtn there are plenty of areas we could connect.

I'm all for a project like this if the park board can find the money, and see is as a wise investment. (There's plenty to do on the riverfront too if mlps population really takes off.)

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 24th, 2012, 9:30 am
by min-chi-cbus
I don't think it's such a terrible idea though to make the Chain of Lakes (and especially this part, between Calhoun and the Isles) a more prominent feature in the Twin Cities and a bigger attraction to out-of-town visitors and possibly tourists. Combined with the resurgence of Uptown and potential Uptown hotels, I could really see this area being THE most popular place to plant yourself when you come in from out of town on a visit or business trip!

Just avoid tacky -- one of the things I love so much about these lakes is that they aren't tacky or overdone.....they look naturally urban and comfortable.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 24th, 2012, 1:51 pm
by mattaudio
So does this mean they would fill in the canal between Calhoun and Isles?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: October 24th, 2012, 1:55 pm
by seanrichardryan
So does this mean they would fill in the canal between Calhoun and Isles?
No, this idea was further west. This is only one image of many from a design charrette. Don't take it literally as a project with approvals and construction drawings.

http://www.ouruptown.com/2012/10/park-b ... visioning/

http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1398

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: July 16th, 2013, 9:00 pm
by Nick
http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... page=1&c=y
Minneapolis considers bridging Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles

Proposal would connect parkland over Lake Street at Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles, but at sizable cost.

Summertime’s busiest spot in Minneapolis has park officials considering putting a lid on it.

A Lake Street lid, that is.

That’s the name some are attaching to a bold proposal to install a costly land bridge over the six-lane street at the Lake Calhoun-Lake of the Isles nexus where every day thousands of people head to play.

The concept is to depress Lake Street slightly, then bridge it with a grassy crossing for bikers and pedestrians that would tie together adjacent Isles and Calhoun parkland, while relieving pinch points for recreational congestion at Calhoun’s northern corners.

[...]

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: July 16th, 2013, 10:07 pm
by Aville_37
I am all for it - but still a bit frustrating. Funny money can't be found to build a cap over the 94 tunnel between the sculpture garden and Loring, or to build/support a park downtown.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: July 16th, 2013, 10:07 pm
by RailBaronYarr
How would this fit in with whatever they're planning for the Midtown Corridor alternatives? Any designs on either end rule out possibilities on the other?

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: July 16th, 2013, 10:26 pm
by seanrichardryan
A land bridge is a wonderful fantasy, and that is all.

Re: Calhoun-Isles Redesign

Posted: July 16th, 2013, 10:35 pm
by seanrichardryan
...without a complex funding mechanism that relieves that park board of most financial responsibility. They have too few funds, period. There are numerous ways to reorganize the path systems, and possibly calm Lake Street, that could be cheaper.