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Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 1:28 pm
by ProspectPete
There was a construction crane being erected yesterday at the worksite. There is also a parade of excavation trucks coming and going throughout the day. Impressive!

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 2:27 pm
by SurlyLHT
I drove past on Sunday. I may lack imagination. but it seemed depressing to see a stadium going up between a strip mall and a highway. That intersection just isn't that desirable or exciting.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 3:05 pm
by VacantLuxuries
I'm sure people felt the same about Target Field getting built next to an empty neighborhood and a garbage incinerator.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 4:02 pm
by SurlyLHT
Midway however isn't North Loop...unless that's indeed where the area is heading?

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 10:27 pm
by VacantLuxuries
That's my point though. North Loop wasn't "North Loop" then either.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 10th, 2017, 10:39 pm
by Silophant
Man, so we're just going to push on and pretend that Snelling Station, as is, will be capable of handling MLS crowds, huh?

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 6:32 am
by Didier
Some recent developments about the construction progress

http://www.twincities.com/2017/08/10/un ... ds-remain/

and lease situations

http://fiftyfive.one/2017/08/mcguire-co ... ng-center/

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 8:22 am
by SurlyLHT
I found this in the second link,

"McGuire would then have Irgens or other developers work with him to redevelop the property. That development might be a slower process than many of the Midway neighbors would like as current tenants in the shopping center have many long-term leases that are legally binding and must be honored"

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 8:41 am
by ProspectPete
Man, so we're just going to push on and pretend that Snelling Station, as is, will be capable of handling MLS crowds, huh?
I think that before and after game time, to help with moving people on and off the platforms, they should allow diagonal crossing, something like they have on Colorado Blvd in Pasadena:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dojJFzraiOE

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 10:27 am
by MNdible
Would it be crazy to start developing an option that would relocate this segment of the Green Line to a Spruce Tree Drive alignment? Then you could develop a very generous station area to serve the stadium and the new development and not be constrained by the University Ave ROW.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 10:33 am
by VacantLuxuries
If we're throwing out ideas that will never happen anyway, we might as well just raise the Snelling station over the intersection.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 10:47 am
by MNdible
Something is going to have to be done. An elevated station doesn't really solve the problem, and would be much more disruptive to construct.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 11th, 2017, 10:55 am
by VacantLuxuries
They're also going to be aware of the extra transit time it will take for a train to leave and return to the original University Ave alignment. Not to mention you've created two new level grade crossings on University Ave, where drivers have already proven that they don't pay enough attention to the trains. Less disruptive to construct, but will be a major disruption for the route and University Ave going forward.

Also, an elevated station would let you construct a platform twice as long to accommodate more waiting passengers, potentially connect directly to the stadium via skyway after long term development, and would remove one of the busiest intersections that trains are forced to stop and wait for, which would be a net benefit for the line long term.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 18th, 2017, 3:59 pm
by Palmetto

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 19th, 2017, 1:49 pm
by seanrichardryan
Midway Bowl is closing. Blames McGuire. Uh, the writing has been on the wall for two years.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_ ... 2782175478

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 19th, 2017, 2:58 pm
by aeisenberg
Sooooo the rendering on that page shows the new stadium surrounded by a sea of parking lots.

...Is that the plan now?

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 19th, 2017, 5:16 pm
by seanrichardryan
yep.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 19th, 2017, 8:54 pm
by EOst
Do you think we should be worried about those lots? I don't think there's much upside for McGuire in leaving those as surface parking, especially since Snelling/University doesn't really have the kind of dining/nightlife/retail experience that dovetails so well with the Twins experience, and those lots are an excellent opportunity to create it.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 19th, 2017, 9:28 pm
by VacantLuxuries
Jeez those comments. If a strip mall bowling alley is "Saint Paul history" to you...
Do you think we should be worried about those lots?
No. I don't really blame McGuire for not wanting to build several mid-rise buildings without any signed tenants, but once the stadium is finished, he has a selling point to attract them and he can devote his full attention to it.

Re: Soccer Stadium and Snelling-Midway Development

Posted: August 22nd, 2017, 10:52 am
by Didier
I'm probably biased on this point, but McGuire has come off as earnestly interested in the bigger picture with regards to this stadium. Obviously at some point he'll expect this investment to pay off, but so far this doesn't feel like the typical "maximize revenue at any cost" playbook.

It should also probably be said that he (or is his investor group) is putting a lot of up front money into this, with having to buy out the leases and privately finance a stadium that isn't expected to generate crazy profits. The team has also made efforts to prepare fans for a lack of tailgating. So this is all to say, I'm pretty sure they're not intending to hold on to the surface parking for an extended period.