Dinky "tower" - McDonalds redevelopment

Northeast, Near North, Camden, Old St. Anthony, University and surrounding neighborhoods
Silophant
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Dinky "tower" - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby Silophant » August 7th, 2019, 5:57 pm

Joey Senkyr
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twincitizen
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby twincitizen » August 7th, 2019, 6:37 pm

I’d be (half) shocked if McDonalds just straight up walked away from this lucrative market. Like, they could totally open a location in the former CVS spot kitty corner from here. But they won’t, because no drive thru, in MN. If they won’t bother to open one downtown, it probably won’t meet corporate muster here either

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby Anondson » August 7th, 2019, 6:52 pm

This would work.

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jtoemke
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby jtoemke » August 7th, 2019, 6:54 pm

WOW I'm actually shocked.

Anondson
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Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby Anondson » August 7th, 2019, 6:59 pm

I favor the 25-story though. Less blocky.

Plus, the idea of turning the 5th and 15th Green triangle into a more public space with the park fees is pleasing.

twincitizen
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby twincitizen » August 7th, 2019, 8:34 pm

Remember when it was like pretty dicey if the Venue project was gonna get approved back in ‘13, and it ultimately did pass like 9-4 with Barb Johnson’s support? This would probably go 13-0 or 11-2 at absolute worst, even at 25 stories. It goes unsaid how huge that council turnover in the 2013 election was for development. At the absolute perfect time too. A couple things had been approved around the U and Uptown, but nothing wildly controversial yet. And the massive development boom had really just begun

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby alexschief » August 8th, 2019, 7:56 am

The height I have no problem with, but the proposed building is absolutely huge in bulk. While it's nice to develop a whole area all at once, it's often not great for the urban design of the area to have one megabuilding instead of many smaller ones. Architecturally, I hope they can at least split the tower and the mid-rise portion so that they have different characters and read as different volumes.

From what Chet Wedgely was reporting, they do seem attentive to the urban design, so I'm hopeful.

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby COLSLAW5 » August 8th, 2019, 11:05 am

I’d be (half) shocked if McDonalds just straight up walked away from this lucrative market. Like, they could totally open a location in the former CVS spot kitty corner from here. But they won’t, because no drive thru, in MN. If they won’t bother to open one downtown, it probably won’t meet corporate muster here either
there is actually a "food court" going in where the CVS was. My feeling is that McDonalds will have one of retail spaces in the new building and I would think same goes for the liquor store as well.

CalMcKenney
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby CalMcKenney » August 8th, 2019, 1:33 pm

Um, was not expecting this. My dad is the attorney representing one of the owners of the stores they would be redeveloping, but he said he's not remotely interested in selling. Looks like maybe they got to a deal with him? Anyways, as someone moving out of dinkytown next week after 4 years it's been extremely fascinating to watch the development of the U and I don't think it's stopping anytime soon.

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby bapster2006 » August 15th, 2019, 4:50 pm


Bob Stinson's Ghost
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby Bob Stinson's Ghost » August 15th, 2019, 5:50 pm

The 10 O'clock Scholar (where Bob Dylan arguably launched his career) was right across the alley. Perhaps they could incorporate a small exhibit.

talindsay
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby talindsay » August 26th, 2019, 7:38 am

It goes unsaid how huge that council turnover in the 2013 election was for development.
Of course, it doesn't go unsaid because you said it. I guess we'll see if that holds true though; Dinkytown has weird specific politics.

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby SurlyLHT » August 26th, 2019, 8:58 am

This is a really important set of lots. I really hope they put something of quality in there. The access to the Greenway would be terrific..but expensive. I hope they put something original in. The commercial spaces for artists is interesting, but would need to engage and draw people in.

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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby bapster2006 » October 31st, 2019, 2:22 pm

10 floors at the McDonald’s site proposed.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 221488.pdf

talindsay
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby talindsay » October 31st, 2019, 2:37 pm

My favorite part is the picture on page 11 with the dude sitting on the bench holding out a can, and the dude digging in his pocket in front of him. Shows what the architects think of Dinkytown, eh?

Snark aside, nobody could accuse it of being an attractive building. I understand this is college housing but it would be nice if they could put a little more effort into not making it look like a hulking box.

Are those "4 BR" and "5 BR" units honest-to-god four and five bedroom apartments? I like seeing some bigger units but even for this demographic they seem to have a lot of huge units.
Last edited by talindsay on October 31st, 2019, 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MattW
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby MattW » October 31st, 2019, 2:40 pm

I’d be (half) shocked if McDonalds just straight up walked away from this lucrative market. Like, they could totally open a location in the former CVS spot kitty corner from here. But they won’t, because no drive thru, in MN. If they won’t bother to open one downtown, it probably won’t meet corporate muster here either
there is actually a "food court" going in where the CVS was. My feeling is that McDonalds will have one of retail spaces in the new building and I would think same goes for the liquor store as well.
One of the renderings includes McDonalds signage. Hopefully this is the case and provides a useful template for the McD's on Lagoon.

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby HiawathaGuy » October 31st, 2019, 2:44 pm

10 floors at the McDonald’s site proposed.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 221488.pdf
Well that's a change...

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VacantLuxuries
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby VacantLuxuries » October 31st, 2019, 3:14 pm

I'd take this over the McDonalds with a drive through.

Silophant
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby Silophant » October 31st, 2019, 6:10 pm

Me too. Is it aesthetically less pleasing than the 25-story tower? For sure. But, it's 300 units of sorely needed student housing right next to campus, on a site with no housing whatsoever, so it's not displacing anyone, and they're getting rid of the drive-though, and they're getting rid of three curb cuts, and they're adding an actual protected bike lane to their side of 15th... this is univocally a win.
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amiller92
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Re: Dinkytower - McDonalds redevelopment

Postby amiller92 » November 1st, 2019, 9:22 am

I mean, I'll take it but I agree with the staff feedback on massing. Do something to break it up a bit so it doesn't look like a giant box.


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