Excelsior and Grand Area - St. Louis Park

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Anondson
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Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » June 12th, 2015, 8:28 am

How tall is the Lang-Nelson across the street from Excelsior and Grand? It's a five-story commercial building. Behind it are homes. Virtually Huston-in-the-North. A five-story commercial is about a six-story mixed-use in height.

The city and neighborhood sabotaged itself when it wrecked the street network by allowing Park Nicollet to cut off the street that ran parallel to Excelsior (it became today's Autoclub Way and Park Common) in a SLP version of "That Fucking Kmart" on Nicollet and Lake, ruining the viability of Quentin as a route, and other missed opportunities to build out the surrounding network of streets over the years. Now traffic is funneled on arteries, and people are surprised that it sucks.

FWIW, there is a shelved plan that proposed building a link from Quentin and Excelsior (more or less) along Park Nicollet's east side, behind Byerlys to Park Center Blvd. It was seen as making little difference thirty years ago, Park Nicollet didn't like losing spaces for employee parking then either. But maybe there could be new momentum for it today.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » October 2nd, 2015, 12:34 pm

Sam Black reports Excelsior and Grand up for sale.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/p ... -sale.html

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » November 14th, 2015, 2:10 am

4900 Excelsior (former Bally's site) will have its final plat presented at the upcoming TIF public hearing on the 16th. The area is covered in the Park Common's TIF, but to cover costs specific to this site (such as asbestos cleanup and disposal) the Bally's site is being cleaved off the Park Common's TIF district and a new max-25-year TIF will be created. The new TIF will also be used to create 18 below market rate units.

Here are updated drawings for the 5–6 story multi-use Fresh Thyme proposal by Oppidan that are presented in the agenda packet.
Image4900 Excelsior perspective from Excelsior and Quentin by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
Image4900 Excelsior perspective from Park Commons and Princeton by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
Image4900 Excelsior profile from Princeton by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
Image4900 Excelsior townhome close up by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
ImageGround level sire plan by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
ImageUpper Level site plan by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

Wedgeguy
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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Wedgeguy » November 14th, 2015, 1:27 pm

Other than it looks a bit generic, I'd be fine with the design. I want to see that Bally's gone. It is an eyesore on that section of Excelsior.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby bapster2006 » November 15th, 2015, 9:51 pm

Thanks for posting this new info. Quite a coincidence, since I was just remarking a few days ago that I wonder what is going on with the Bridgewater site too. So if you happen to dig up any info on that site too, that would be great to see.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » November 15th, 2015, 10:18 pm

Last I've been reading about Bridgewater is the city has been tangled up in traffic studies around it, specifically what to do at Monterey and Park Commons but also impacts on some surrounding streets. It sounded like the proposal itself is pretty much going to happen, it's whittling down options for the Monterey and Park Commons traffic mess.

Anondson
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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » November 15th, 2015, 11:35 pm

Regarding the traffic study on Monterey and Park Commons, the following snaps came from a recent October city council agenda showing the two preferred alternatives. One concern was how any of these would impact the plan to put in a bike route on Monterey. Staff mentioned the sidewalk on the Trader Joe's side was made intentionally wide to fit future uses, plus Bridgewater is being asked to step back from the curb enough to also make a bike route possible.

First, here is a sketch showing vague detail about the Bridgewater layout.

ImageMonterey traffic options by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

The design that follows is considered Alternative 3 (alternative 1 is the no build alternative). Alternative 3 cost range was $25,000–$50,000.
ImageMonterey traffic options by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

The following design is Alternative 2, and is the city staff recommended option. I think the cost was around $50,000–70,000, assuming no significant right of way takings.
ImageMonterey traffic options by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

The full signal intersection would cost $250,000–$300,000.

City staff offered for future consideration opening up a new access from Wolfe Parkway to Monterey on city owned ROW, prediction would have it carry up to 1,500 cars that would avoid the Monterey and Park Commons intersection. No study was done on a design for this, but since there is ROW for a future street available it was mentioned. Here are some routes it could take if pursued by the city council.
ImageWolfe Parkway extension by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

I really am fond of Alternative 3 plus a Wolfe Parkway extension.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Drizzay » November 16th, 2015, 3:53 pm

They need to do something to cue traffic. Taking a left from Park Commons to southbound Monterrey is a nightmare sometimes.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby twincitizen » November 16th, 2015, 4:22 pm

Serious/stupid question: How much would opening a Trader Joe's in Uptown help?

(Yes, I know due to state law that any additional TJ locations in Minneapolis proper could not sell liquor, assuming the one at Washington/Chicago happens)

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » November 24th, 2015, 11:40 am

I think an uptown location would be marginal. I think one closer to SW Minneapolis, Linden Hills would make a bigger difference.

In other news, the Bally's proposed apartments already have a buyer. Huh!

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... -park.html

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Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » January 10th, 2016, 4:34 pm

A couple days ago John Reinan wrote about the coming loss of affordable retail around Excelsior and Grand as the 4400 block will be developed into the Bridgewater Bank proposal.

http://www.startribune.com/luxury-apart ... 364610461/

New development commands higher rents. Older buildings cheaper rents. But not only will this site have higher rents, the area is losing up to 12 small businesses currently on the site and the entire stretch of Excelsior from France to TH 100 doesn't have many older spaces with vacancies left.

Maybe some of the vacancies on Excelsior west of TH100 become more attractive. Or the other dilapidated districts like Walker and Lake attract some stores seeking cheap rents but wish to stay close.

One might even think that some of the single family homes that face the busy Excelsior Blvd should become attractive as conversion to retail, but the city plan for Excelsior Blvd along Minikahda Vista is to keep the houses as is. One resident of Minikahda Vista this past year proposed converting one house on Excelsior Blvd to a coffee shop but Minikahda Vista raged that changing zoning to commercial would allow for the possibility someday anything else allowed under commercial zoning, like an adult sex toy store. In a nutshell you have the conflicts of many anti-change voices in neighborhoods. Anger at losing retail spaces and anger at creating retail spaces. The city, I think, took the lazy option and voted against converting the house to commercial because it didn't fit the all mighty plan.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby bapster2006 » January 20th, 2016, 2:53 pm

Utility work at the Bally's site has been going on.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » February 8th, 2016, 9:19 pm

The new owners want to use new materials than in the originally approved submission. Copied from the study session agenda...
Brick color: The proposed change to a gray brick color is similar to earlier renderings of the project, and similar to the brick color at Siena Apartments (former Eliot School site). This is a noticeable change from the final approved plans. The approved brown/orange brick color approved by council was included among a package of plan revisions to gain city council support for the development.
Stone substitution: The change from stone to manufactured stone may be the least noticeable of the changes; however, it results in the west and north elevations of the building falling below the minimum 60% class I material requirements. The manufactured stone could not be substituted for the natural stone unless a change was made to the architectural design ordinance. Photographs of the proposed material are attached. The honed, not textured, version of the block is proposed.
Staircases: Weidner feels concrete staircases would project a more residential and higher quality image than the decorative metal. These staircases fall within drainage and utility easements. Weidner would agree to remove and replace the staircases if needed for public use of the easements. This would be more difficult and expensive than with metal staircases. Also, this change would likely eliminate landscaping that was shown under the metal staircases.
New drawing.
Image4900 New Materials by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Architorture » February 15th, 2016, 1:04 pm

I prefer the version with the dark brick better. It makes it more unique. Many of the neighboring buildings are filled with buff and brown tone brick. Its also a stronger design running the brick to the top and not changing materials at the top level.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby bapster2006 » February 28th, 2016, 9:16 pm

Demolition of Bally's is supposed to start this week.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby matthew5080 » March 1st, 2016, 9:25 am

I prefer the lighter look, but the darker tone is more unique. Overall it looks great!

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » March 11th, 2016, 1:57 pm

Demolition pretty much done for Bally's site, excavation underway.

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » April 14th, 2016, 8:12 pm

Late to catch this, but the Starbucks in Excelsior and Grand is seeking a liquor license.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2016/03/17/st-l ... starbucks/

I didn't know this was a thing at Starbucks. :/ huh...

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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby grant1simons2 » April 14th, 2016, 8:16 pm

Suburban moms rejoice!

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Nathan
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Re: Excelsior and Grand Area Development - St. Louis Park

Postby Nathan » April 15th, 2016, 9:45 am

It's super frustrating because the store on 22nd and Hen wanted to be the first evening store in the metro, but the land under kenwood crossings is under some trust that alcohol cannot be served on that property, that was or is owned by a church. so ridic.


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