urbanMSP

Stillwater getting two new hotels: http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/18/do ... 1484746692

Huge upgrade over the current state: https://www.google.com/maps/@45.0581579 ... 312!8i6656

I think especially this north side hotel is a very big deal, as the city really peters out as you get past commerce street, at present. I really wish something could happen with the Maple Island Brewery parking lot as well, but that may take some time.

Looks like bad soil was found. Whether this was an astute bargaining chip by the developer or a legitimate concern to viability, it looks like the city coughed up a couple million to push it forward. Why there's a perception of a lack of parking downtown Stillwater, I'll never understand. Huge quantities of lightly populated street grid and vast surface lots in the area. Oh well. I'm glad it's moving forward, and the amenities should really help extend and improve the north end of Main street.

http://www.presspubs.com/st_croix/news/ ... 40611.html

The Crosby hotel is now utilizing a 2-parking level layout. Lower level for Crosby private parking and upper level as a pay lot for public use. Some discussion of addition of EVSEs, as well. Now only one restaurant, as I think there were originally two, but there will be a roof deck on the hotel still.

The St. Croix bridge is helping farmland turn into a hospital.

http://finance-commerce.com/2017/07/hos ... tillwater/

Kinda like what grew up in Maple Grove?

Article is locked, though if it's of sufficient density, it could help justify a hwy 36 BRT ending in Stillwater instead of Oakdale.

Moving a hospital from the walkable grid https://goo.gl/maps/XKDDa1cf8is to the unwalkable sprawlscape is regress, not progress.

Supposedly there was talk of a new grade-separated overpass at Manning as well. Stillwater is highly walkable, at least in the core, but I work there and from what I can tell virtually no one actually seems to walk or bike there, possible due to the perception of the hills. The major exception is exercise.

Stillwater, a town of some 19,000 has its own downtown parking commission. On busy days and during festivals, frustration often boils over when workers or tourists have to walk a block to two to abundant street parking throughout the city's substantial and proximate grid. Millions are slated to be spent on yet another structured municipal parking garage. Truly a strange, if charming, town.

Is this replacing the existing hospital, or is it an additional hospital?

The article didn't say, it only referred to the proposal as a "new" hospital. Though this section leads me to believe this is in addition to the existing hospital:

Turnblad said the project has the potential to become an “east metro trauma center or regional health facility” serving Washington County and western Wisconsin.
A site plan shows an L-shaped hospital built around a pond on the northern half of the property. A wellness and senior housing building is designated on the opposite side of the pond. More senior housing is shown in the northeast corner of the site. The plan also includes a grocery store co-located with unspecified housing, two medical office buildings, and four retail and office buildings.

The development seems to focus on medical office, senior housing, and other housing as much as the new hospital itself, and the reference to focusing on being a trauma center (helipad on the roof!) says to me it's expanding their care reach and focus. Maybe there will be a more detailed narrative when the packet is available on Stillwater's website prior to the planning commission meeting on Aug 2 (https://public.ci.stillwater.mn.us/webl ... tid=175393).

My hot take is that the current hospital's location isn't really all that walkable anyway - it's not in the downtown, is surrounded by a pond, wetland, and junior high school that make walk routes circuitous, and there isn't even a sidewalk on its side of the street going south.

Fences are up today around the Crosby site, including the municipal parking lot at 2nd and Mulberry. No machinery visible yet.

How have things been over in Stillwater since the new bridge? I haven't had the chance to get over there since it opened, has traffic downtown been fantastic?

Good question. Frankly, it's not as much "improved" on Main Street as I would have thought/liked. Street geometry appears to be a major culprit, as it's still strenuous to cross even at the major crosswalks. Semi traffic is down and there aren't huge queues at rush hour anymore. Feels pretty much the same except at/around Chestnut/Main.

The St. Croix bridge is helping farmland turn into a hospital.

http://finance-commerce.com/2017/07/hos ... tillwater/

Kinda like what grew up in Maple Grove?

A good project....

"Hy-Vee eyes land near Stillwater for a grocery store and more"

http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/19/hy ... velopment/

Proposal is to annex a 30-acre site at SOUTHEAST corner of Manning and 36. Across 36 from hospital proposal and presumably in line with new interchange in coming years.

Personally, I would love to hear if this might involve an improved Manning connection/regridding to the south of 36. The site's surroundings are mostly empty or residential.

Ahhh, sprawl.

232 N Main Street coming down!

A nice mid century building coming down to build something "hip" and generic that looks like it belongs in Uptown. Sad.

And Hy-Vee, gross. That whole area on 36 is an ugly Sprawlmart.

It (was) a nicely styled building, but it had been really left to decay lately.

More to the point, it had zero street presence and didn't really fit the area. In many places even in Stillwtaer that building would have been very nice. Stillwater's core is shifting slightly north, as there isn't really much ability to grow Main Street south. Lots and lots of surface ... lots ... everywhere.

Lift Bridge Brewing is building a new $10M HQ in Stillwater. (Locked)

Apparently it will be about 30,000 square feet and include a taproom, event space, and brewhouse. The article doesn't specify where they'd be building, but they expect construction to begin this summer, so they must have a site picked out. Wonder if there's any chance it's in or near downtown instead of the big box suburban sprawlscape?