Stadium LRT Station, Ped Bridge & Plaza (MSFA block)

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
mnmike
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby mnmike » May 9th, 2016, 1:07 pm

One thing about this bridge...it will have nice views coming down into the park and of the skyline. So it'll be a good spot to take a pic if nothing else:) ha.

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FISHMANPET
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby FISHMANPET » May 9th, 2016, 1:13 pm

I like the way it frames the station, but it provides no benefit to anybody (other than the few people heading deeper downtown from the stadium after a game), and very likely prevents widening the station to put in a center platform.

HiawathaGuy
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby HiawathaGuy » May 9th, 2016, 2:25 pm

This bridge is so ugly. What was the whole point of making it again? Besides most people won't be crossing over the tracks. Most of them will be getting on the train. I guess I'm confused as to the whole reasoning behind the bridge.
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EOst
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby EOst » May 9th, 2016, 2:36 pm

The arches are great, just in the wrong place. Move or extend them to the vacated part of 5th Street, so that they gain some distance from the pedestrian bridge and serve as a human-scale terminating vista on 5th. Plus, you can run the new trail through one of the arches.

Didier
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby Didier » May 9th, 2016, 4:10 pm

I always thought the arches were supposed to look like an aqueduct.

VikingFaninMaryland
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby VikingFaninMaryland » May 9th, 2016, 4:29 pm

I guess the arches are "art" in the same way Peavy Plaza is (a poured win place monstrosity), and if it sticks around long enough, it too will become a registered landmark. It's just plain ugly and out of place (even when in front of the Metrodome). No matter what city you are in, government sponsored urban landscape art (almost) always hits the ground with a thud and a "ugh".

Also, not for nothing, the Vikings ownership was in the process of buying the underground parking ramp when they deferred to the MSFA. In that regard, they also procured and turned over the land that is becoming the park.

mullen
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby mullen » May 9th, 2016, 6:24 pm

this threat is such a bitch fest. we're getting two narrowed streets, wide sidewalks, a nice park space.

arches are ugly eh? local artist designed them. i think the're nice. guess everybody's a critic.

karlshea
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby karlshea » May 9th, 2016, 6:42 pm

...it provides no benefit to anybody (other than the few people heading deeper downtown from the stadium after a game)...
It would benefit anyone heading to the SW suburbs on the SWLRT when that gets built.

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FISHMANPET
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby FISHMANPET » May 9th, 2016, 6:44 pm

Yes, when that gets built, in many many years. So let's build it then. It serves no practical purpose right now.

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karlshea
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby karlshea » May 9th, 2016, 6:46 pm

There are plenty of hotels and entertainment west of the stadium that people will be using the LRT to get to after games. Why are you assuming that the only direction anyone would head after a game is east?

Qhaberl
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby Qhaberl » May 9th, 2016, 6:49 pm

...it provides no benefit to anybody (other than the few people heading deeper downtown from the stadium after a game)...
It would benefit anyone heading to the SW suburbs on the SWLRT when that gets built.
I didn't think about that. Once the south west line gets built there will be many more people crossing over the light rail tracks. You raise a very good point

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FISHMANPET
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby FISHMANPET » May 9th, 2016, 7:23 pm

Who is gonna pay 1.75 to ride a few blocks further into downtown? Most people will walk, the handful of people using the train in that direction still don't justify the huge expense.

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VikingFaninMaryland
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby VikingFaninMaryland » May 9th, 2016, 7:24 pm

this threat is such a bitch fest. we're getting two narrowed streets, wide sidewalks, a nice park space.

arches are ugly eh? local artist designed them. i think the're nice. guess everybody's a critic.
LOL - not an issue I'd fall on my sword for, just an observation. As its already built, its not going anywhere. But not all local artists are equal.

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MN Fats
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby MN Fats » May 9th, 2016, 8:04 pm

...it provides no benefit to anybody (other than the few people heading deeper downtown from the stadium after a game)...
It would benefit anyone heading to the SW suburbs on the SWLRT when that gets built.
Also it would benefit people utilizing the commons park for game related events.
Who is gonna pay 1.75 to ride a few blocks further into downtown?
Downtown zone is $0.50, no?

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FISHMANPET
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby FISHMANPET » May 9th, 2016, 8:25 pm

Yeah that's right, just 50 cents for downtown zone.

Access to the park I can sort of buy, but then it's not a transportation project. It was never sold as access to the Commons park or other parts of the downtown. And most importantly, it was sold on an imagined need. Why couldn't they have held off a year or two to see how the area is actually used before we put millions of dollars into a bridge.

Archiapolis
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby Archiapolis » May 10th, 2016, 7:17 am

People. It's art.
Subjective opinion alert: Horrid

mattaudio
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby mattaudio » May 10th, 2016, 8:58 am

Again, let's remember that the original "plan" was a skyway link across 4th Street from the MSFA Ramp to the DTE Ramp (vertical circulation) which would have also provided a grade-separated pedestrian access from the Vikings stadium to the eastbound LRT platforms, without any crossing of streets or LRT tracks...

BigIdeasGuy
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby BigIdeasGuy » May 13th, 2016, 8:53 am

This is more of an LRT question but how long and how much would it take to convert the station from side platforms to a center platform?

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mister.shoes
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby mister.shoes » May 13th, 2016, 9:28 am

General consensus around these parts is "a whole hell of a lot of $" due to the presence of a parking ramp underneath and all the structural consequences such a change would necessitate.
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Carson Dyle
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Re: The Commons - Downtown East Park

Postby Carson Dyle » May 15th, 2016, 11:19 pm

Center platform? They should bury the whole damned station underground. The station (and those godawful ugly arches) break up the illusion of the park being a plaza for the stadium. It was a good idea, but this is only a half-effort.

How many spaces are in that underground parking garage? I doubt their loss would be noticed.


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