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Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 20th, 2014, 9:27 pm
by go4guy
Something in the 6-10 story range would actually seem to be better here. Arent there townhomes and single family homes really close to this?

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 20th, 2014, 10:02 pm
by min-chi-cbus
Yeah there are some SFHs in the area, but nobody who lives there had any views to begin with, not over this monster of a building.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 20th, 2014, 10:19 pm
by Silophant
Something in the 6-10 story range would actually seem to be better here. Arent there townhomes and single family homes really close to this?
Yeah, but there's precedent.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 20th, 2014, 10:28 pm
by xandrex
Something in the 6-10 story range would actually seem to be better here. Arent there townhomes and single family homes really close to this?
There are townhouses just across University. The only single-family homes in the area are across the railroad tracks, past another townhouse development, and next to seven-story apartment. So something in the 6-10 story range would seem to be acceptable.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 5:56 am
by mulad
Something in the 6-10 story range would actually seem to be better here. Arent there townhomes and single family homes really close to this?
Yeah, but there's precedent.
Even closer is The Falls and Pinnacle, one block away, but I think I lean more toward the 6-10 story range myself.

There are townhouses in the area just north of the rail line, and then SFHs beyond that. I believe the area right next to the rail line used to be denser, but it was all ripped up when Interstate 335 was proposed (and later canceled). After it was canceled, relatively low-density rowhouses went in the gap.

So while a high-rise wouldn't be totally out of character for the area, a mid-rise structure is probably more fitting for now. There's a 7-story building just across 1st Ave NE from The Falls and Pinnacle, and the Cobalt condominium building (with the Lund's grocery) is just to the south at 10 stories, plus a several other examples that are a bit shorter.

I would like to reserve some space either on the north end of this site or the blocks between 5th Street and 7th Street in order to have a commuter rail station. It's a bit over a mile from Target Field.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 6:33 am
by MplsSteve
I'm still not completely clear if this development will just encompass the block that the Superior plating building sits on or also the mostly empty block to the east as well.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 7:23 am
by mulad
The Hennepin County Property Map shows all of the parcels on both blocks -- except for the auto repair shop at the corner of 1st Ave and 5th St -- as being owned by "First & University Investor".

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 8:17 am
by seanrichardryan
The old 4th st. ROW too? Damn, it's vacated on both sides of the trench.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 11:20 am
by woofner
does the zoning In the area allow for that even? zoning nerds?
There is no mid-rise zoning in Minneapolis outside of downtown (the one on the west bank). Technically, though, every zoning district except R1-R2B allows a limitless increase in height with a conditional use permit.

This site is zoned C2 but there is guidance from the comprehensive plan for C3A. That means they could fit ~650 units here as of right, so it's possible they could propose a dense mid-rise here with few variances and a CUP. I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to go for more with a PUD.

I'd say midrise up to 12 stories or so makes sense here. It seems unlikely that the Surdyk's block will remain the same forever, and when that's developed something taller on the Superior Plating site won't look so out of place. Likely the neighbors would disagree though.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 11:35 am
by Nathan
This could easily be built with room for one of the banks or some of the existing retail tenants around to make room for more development in the neighborhood. I can't wait till we see what they have in their mind.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 21st, 2014, 11:42 am
by MplsSteve
I'd say midrise up to 12 stories or so makes sense here. It seems unlikely that the Surdyk's block will remain the same forever, and when that's developed something taller on the Superior Plating site won't look so out of place. Likely the neighbors would disagree though.
I'm a neighbor and I would have no problem with 12 stories.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 10:45 am
by Didier
This area doesn't necessarily need height. I wouldn't want to see a massive, low-rise compound like the Marshall here, but anything of moderate density and good street presence would fit the area well.

Not saying that a tower would be bad, by the way. Just that it's not vital.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 11:02 am
by mister.shoes
The old 4th st. ROW too? Damn, it's vacated on both sides of the trench.
Sure would be nice if the City could take/request that back. If (when) this site ends up as mixed-use instead of industrial, a new bridge—even just a pedestrian one—across that gap would be really good.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 11:26 am
by twincitizen
EDIT: Per F&C, the developer is meeting with the neighborhood tomorrow March 25. They "plan to do more listening than talking". Still planning up to 500 units. If anyone attends, please do report back what you hear. That would be awesome if someone could go and suggest the idea of getting one of the banks (USBank or Wells Fargo) involved in the development. Each bank currently controls a half block in the area, with multiple drive up lanes. Getting them into the mixed-use development, even with a drive-up function, would be fantastic. Excellent idea, whoever suggested that.
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I'm as pro- 'restore the grid' as anyone, but that just doesn't seem necessary here. Remember that these are short blocks and there are bridges at both University and 5th. Not to mention that 4th St on the other side of the RR tracks is private property in the middle of a townhome development.

I guess I'd rather not add to the list of things the City must maintain. This is a piece of ROW I don't want back in public hands. Develop it, tax it. Just don't build a Marshall-esque superblock development!
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While we're in the area, I'd love to see the Route 11 moved to University, south of Broadway anyways. Once you get to Broadway, the streets align N-S and University Ave is too far from the river to provide proper coverage. The section of 2nd Street south of Broadway could then be traffic calmed and made into a bicycle boulevard. It's basically a residential street already with surprisingly zero commercial activity for a former streetcar route(again, only referring to the section from Hennepin to Broadway).

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 12:05 pm
by MplsSteve
I'd love to see the Route 11 moved to University, south of Broadway anyways.
I wouldn't be opposed to that, but I think it should also involve some kind of concession to traffic calm University Ave which is truly horrendous. Like maybe rerouting trucks going out to the intermodal facility at the Shoreham yards. Don't forget that University from 1st ave to Broadway is almost all residential as well.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 12:20 pm
by MNdible
I guess I'd rather not add to the list of things the City must maintain. This is a piece of ROW I don't want back in public hands. Develop it, tax it. Just don't build a Marshall-esque superblock development!

...While we're in the area, I'd love to see the Route 11 moved to University, south of Broadway anyways.
I railed against the Marshall harder than anybody, I think, but I'd tend to agree in this case that taking back this ROW probably doesn't add much to the public realm. I'd like to see them maintain a view corridor along the old ROW, but it could be private amenity space for the tenants, or even a low rise building that connects between two taller masses.

As for the 11 -- man, that bus route is all kinds of weird, especially at its extremities.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 12:23 pm
by twincitizen
F&C mentions 5 acres. That would be both blocks...as each block is 2.85 acres
EDIT: It also says the property is assessed at $1.75MM, which would just be Superior Plating. Perhaps just an error with regards to the parcel size and I jumped on it. We haven't heard anything to suggest it's both blocks, other than First & First owns both parcels.

Perhaps we should actually get someone to attend tomorrow night and see what's up. Any volunteers? I'll be at the Hennepin-Lyndale Bottleneck meeting at the same time.

Superior Plating task Group (SPTG) meeting
March 25, 2014
5:30pm to 7:30pm
La Rive Condo Cabaret Room (110 Bank St SE)

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 12:28 pm
by MplsSteve
Not to mention that 4th St on the other side of the RR tracks is private property in the middle of a townhome development.
The townhomes have actually kept part of the old 4th street bridge approach with its original brick pavers and turned it into a kind of elevated patio. It's really pretty cool.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: March 24th, 2014, 12:32 pm
by MNdible
I wonder if they're trying to acquire the missing parcel from the repair shop.

Re: Superior Plating site

Posted: April 2nd, 2014, 3:19 pm
by maxbaby