urbanMSP

I'm not able to nitpick architecture, I don't think I'm informed enough, but I don't see anything to bother me from this. But I'm all ears if any of the forum's architecture-mind care to opine.

You don't need to be informed...it is just a matter of opinions of the aesthetic. You like it or you don't, you like something about it or you don't. I too think it looks like it is wearing a hat, and I don't care for that at all.

Cornices are good, except when they're bad, apparently.

Cornices are good, except when they're bad, apparently.

That was my first reaction upon reading others' reactions. We're tired of naked building tops until we aren't? I think that sun shade of sorts is kind of quirky.

Pretty good discussion on the SLP Reilly Superfund site and the other groundwater plumes.

http://www.startribune.com/cancer-fears ... 378526645/

The city, state agencies, and EPA held a meeting for residents a few months ago pretty much because this Facebook "cancer cluster" group has brought the issue up again in people's minds. The data talked about in the article was presented there, that there isn't any statistical difference from the population at large.

Love this from the article, "(Alan Bender, chief of the chronic disease and environmental epidemiology section at the Minnesota Department of Health) added that he’s puzzled by the “disconnect” between what science shows and what people believe."

The Beek's Pizza building, SE corner of Dakota Ave. and Minnetonka Blvd. is listed for sale.

http://www.st-louis-park-real-estate.co ... LS-4706862

"Home of the iconic Beek's Pizza! A true St Louis Park landmark. Over 3,000 FSF with full basement. Great location, great traffic, great opportunity. Sale includes land and building. Business can be purchased separately.

Jebus. That has been vacant forever. Hopefully something walkable comes in. That section of MTKA blvd is nice.

And Super America is finally taking over the vacant gas station across the street.

A couple restaurant spaces that have stayed unfilled for a few years are to be replaced for a Lincoln auto dealership along 394, just west of West End.

http://finance-commerce.com/2016/06/mor ... -west-end/

The Marriott hotel addition at 394 and Shelard Parkway, referenced further up the thread, is moving forward.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2016/06/08/marr ... ouis-park/

Thought about placing this in Transportation, but it looks like this stretch considered is entirely wishing SLP, while Blake Road affects three cities.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2016/06/16/st-l ... e-section/

Anyway, the city is considering turning Texas from a mostly two lane configuration to a 3-lane, plus maybe room for bike lanes. The Connect The Parks plan for Texas Avenue is to put bike lanes on it from Minnetonka Blvd to the Cedar Lake Trail to the south.

There will be loss of parking, and people forced to clean out garages.

The converted Novartis plant just south of West End got a tech company, Delaget, to move from Eden Prairie for larger space.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... j=74971292

How many relatively dense job/residential/retail clusters in the suburbs are going to continue to develop as car-first nodes (Southdale, West End, Excelsior/Grand, etc) without the Met Council at least tossing a transit line on some map in a study? (yes, I do realize this company's old location was just barely outside the planned 10 minute walkshed of an SWLRT stop).

How can there still not be at least preliminary plans for BRT on 394 to West End?

RBY, Like our fantasy "Beltline BRT line"?

394 was considered to be one of the better candidates for BRT in the Highway Transitway Study (or some similar name). No word on that for the past couple years. A 169 BRT line is under study by MnDot right now, and I believe the idea is to use 394 to access downtown.

Metro Transit will be changing the 675 into a limited stop route, which basically means local from Mound to Park Place, then a couple miles on the highway. That hardly counts as decent transit that a community can grow around.

The former Mercedes dealership-turned Kevin Kee's car repair at Xenwood and Excelsior Blvd will have a new fusion car repair/restaurant/co-working offices called Auto Surf Cafe.

http://autosurfcafe.com/

Fascinating.

The last city Visioning happened in 2005 (disclosure: I sat on five of the various visioning committees back then), the next one is getting ramped up.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2016/08/25/st-l ... g-process/

A consultant has been hired to come up with ways to ensure the broadest possible cross section of the city participates.

Back in 2005, it was universally older white adults. I was in my early thirties back then and among the youngest adults participating. There was some teen outreach but only remember a single teen on the Gathering Places committee. Demographics have changed since then.

It was mostly residents though a few non residents were participating because they were business owners in the city. Since I now live in Hopkins I doubt I'd be able to participate, I'm sad that I wouldn't be able to be involved ... unless they be good with me since my kids both go to SLP schools still. I sense that the Connect the Parks that is building sidewalks and trails all through the city, which came out of the 2005 vision process, is going to get all numbers of angry anti-sidewalk folks coming out.

Update to Arlington Row from a couple weeks back.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2016/09/15/sola ... partments/

Proposal to place solar panels above the car parking.

Galaxy Drive In no longer for sale, will reopen next year.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ml?ana=twt

Former Nestlé plant sold after renovation.

http://finance-commerce.com/2016/11/hil ... for-22-5m/