urbanMSP

Agreed, I was just thinking about that again... it wasn't just a hardware store. Woodworkers from all around the country knew about 7 Corners Hardware. I remember my dad getting the "Tools On Sale" catalog, and going there in the fall for their annual power tool sale (complete with food tents, events, etc... and this was when I was a young pup back in the 90s).

Hardware stores seem to be one of those important institutions in a neighborhood or a small town, alongside the grocery, pharmacy, and a lowbrow greasy spoon. Does Downtown St. Paul even have a hardware store anymore? Over on the Mpls side, North Loop has Gardner's and Loring has Welna. But now that DT St. Paul has a good walkable grocery, I'd like to see some neighborhood leaders try to recruit a neighborhood hardware store.

Down the road, I could see potential conflict between this development and the large (slated for expansion) homeless shelter across the street.
This is especially true since there will be a public plaza within the development, and some residents might be upset with homeless folks loitering within thier field of view. I'm not picking sides here, I'm just saying that there could be tension between two groups of people with comletely different experiences/ priorities/ tolerances...etc.

this really sucks. and that circular thing on the corner. i could see this anywhere in uptown, along the greenway, selby, whatever. it's nothing and opus is hitting a single here. on a site that calls for a homerun. and it's so urbane because there will be wide sidwalks? who gives a rip.

our developers need to look up modern, midrise projects from europe, australia and new zealand and copy that template.

You guys know you can take action right? We can sign a statement saying we dislike the design and think that it doesn't work for this sight. It's right across from one of the best arenas in hockey! We can't have some 80s design come in and take over this site

Meh, it's better than a parking lot. I wish them well. St. Paul can't be choosy until things heat up more.

Exactly. New Zealand and Europe may have better designs, but they also have a hell of a lot more demand and cushion for the increased cost of those designs. We're lucky something is getting built here at all, even if it isn't perfect.

Overall it's a rather unimpressive building but at the end of the day a six story stick built is exactly what I expected so I can't complain too much. The one change that needs to be made is to ditch the circle thing at the corner of 7th and Kellogg. It's going to be a huge physical and more importantly mental barrier from W 7th to the plaza. Having that ugly circle thing there is going to destroy that connection that is really really needed for both W 7th and the plaza to reach their full potential.

Also I would like to see the exterior color to have a little more energy and excitement to them. Right down with the earth tones (tans, browns, chocolates, etc.) isn't going to add any energy or excitement to an area that should be full of both.

In the boom of the last few years, has there been any noticeable correlation between quality of rendering and quality of finished product? This rendering is lazy and leaves me with zero confidence that Opus has any real aspirations for this site.

In the boom of the last few years, has there been any noticeable correlation between quality of rendering and quality of finished product? This rendering is lazy and leaves me with zero confidence that Opus has any real aspirations for this site.

Opus sees it as a paycheck and not as a project to show what great work that they can do. I'm now less inclined to say that Opus is a quality developer with some of their most recent project. I see them as lower middle tier developer that just does a project to keep their payroll working and not to help make the city a better place to live and enjoy. St. Paul will look back on this project and wish they had waited or found a better developer.

I have a coworker whose ex-sister-in-law went to college for architecture. She had some *very* strong opinions on Opus and their work. Short version: ugly and miserable.

I'm an architect, with the full meat grinder of high-design education. I understand that oftentimes good design takes a back seat when it meets the ugly reality of construction costs - and supply and demand. I understand that St Paul is not booming, and should be excited to add density and additional residents to a strange side of downtown.

But really, this proposal is so dull that it almost makes me want this to remain a parking lot for a few more years, until the market matures and something better can come along.

it looks like a best western motor lodge. squat and dull and with some exterior frills to mask. they can, and should do better by this "gateway" site. coming down into that area from 94 can be thrilling and these blocks need to fill out this picture. it's important to the urban fabric.

maybe we need an architectural review of some sort. planning commissions can only influence around the edges.

the saints ballpark is an example of quality coming to the city.
the ordway expansion is seamless and wonderful.
modern but timeless, a nod to tradition.
the xcel is a big arena but it's scale is muted by it's curved front of glass.

take cues from what is happening elsewhere downtown.
we have to live with these buildings.

Any chance of removing some turn lane pork chops while they're at it? Terrible pedestrian experience currently.

This. The site could be significantly expanded by removing the free right turns and porkchops at both 7th/Kellogg and 7th/5th (south and east corners of the site, respectively). Based on the rendering, it looks like they're both still there...so it obviously wasn't proposed by the City through their RFP. It'll definitely be something for the Planning Commission to discuss though.

I mean... it's just St. Paul, right?

The original Opus proposal for this site was pretty bad. Does selecting Radisson Red as the hotel component improve the odds of getting a better site design?

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... -paul.html

Yeah that lackluster aesthetic really doesn't fit their brand positioning at all...

http://bringmethenews.com/2015/07/27/ra ... gy-center/

Didn't see this coming

I haven't heard of anything planned for this parcel but today I noticed that all of the light poles have been removed from this site, and there is a large pile of jersey barriers neatly arranged in the middle.

There were jersey barriers corralled in the middle of the parking lot this morning and no cars on site. Hoping this gets underway!