St. Louis Park - General Topics

Twin Cities Suburbs
Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » August 27th, 2013, 5:09 pm

City planning commission votes to move it forward. Sounds like there will be a future "phase II" that will bring improved circulation to the site.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2013/08/27/plan ... mall-plan/

I've long stared at maps of the site and imagine how to improve access around this cluster of an area, while this makes Knollwood mall better, it really isn't improving the larger problems of the area and circulation about. Seems an opportunity will be lost.

Chauncey87
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 193
Joined: August 20th, 2012, 9:53 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Chauncey87 » February 20th, 2014, 6:44 pm

For those who wish to know the end of Knollwood mall as we know it today is starting its transformation into what we have seen in the renders. The Applebee's will be having its last day in its current space on Sunday 2/23. Followed be reopening next to the Old Navy on Tuesday 2/25 if I remember right. Everything inside the mall has already closed up or will soon. With the only remaining stores left inside the mall being the swim school, Panera Bread, a cell phone place and TJ Maxx. The mall entrance from the Kohls will be sealed up to remove the cash registers and expand the mens dept. This spring/summer will start to see the new construction for Panera Bread w/ drive through and another retail space or two. As well as the transformation of the rest of the mall. Still wish they could have brought in some apts or condos into the mix above the shops, but that ship sailed long ago when the former mall manager told me it wasn't cost effective and wasn't worth it to study that option any more.

blobs
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 144
Joined: November 26th, 2012, 2:22 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby blobs » February 20th, 2014, 10:53 pm

They should replace this entire area with literally a black hole. Because that would be a huge improvement.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » February 20th, 2014, 11:31 pm

My preference was to close Aquila from 36th to TH 7. Vacate the entire middle of the mall between Kohl's and TJ Maxx. Run Blake straight through the vacated middle to 36th. Connect 37th to the new stretch of Blake. Build small boxes north of TJ Maxx, north of Kohl's, south of Kohl's (where Aquila is now), and many smaller stores in the new land opened between 37th and TH 7.

Heck, with the TCF bank moving the TCF space by Texas could fit two small box stores there too.

By having Blake run straight up to 36th it would have made it easier to put in a grade separated crossing of Blake over 7. Oh, I dream.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » February 22nd, 2014, 2:37 pm

This is pretty much my vision for what Knollwood should have done in my ultimate dream. I included my desire to grade-separate Blake over TH 7 and grade separate Texas under TH 7. I can't really make the Texas separation work all with on and off ramps because of the weird elevations on the south side, so I just imagine closing highway access there completely. Grade separating Texas and Blake would tremendously aid pedestrian crossings from the many apartments to the south and the stores to the north. Running Blake all the way through to 36th eliminates the need to Aquila, and reduces the zigzag use of TH 7 by drivers going north/south on the Texas/Blake route.

I see turning most of the Aquila ROW into park, and a chunk of the massive Kohl's northwest parking lot into a 4–5 story apartment building overlooking Minnehaha creek and quick access to North Cedar Lake Trail.

Here is my clumsy sketch of what I think should happen.

Image
Knollwood vision by xeoth, on Flickr

It's not a wholesale urbanist dream, but it's a big improvement to what's there and I believe an improvement to what is proposed.

Chauncey87
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 193
Joined: August 20th, 2012, 9:53 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Chauncey87 » February 22nd, 2014, 5:13 pm

Anondson I like your ideas of how you would have liked Knollwood to turn out. I have always thought of how cool it would be to pull the road from the creak to create more of a walking/bike trail and extra park space. with apts/condos across the newly moved street. However at least in the near term your very creative ideas will have to stay on the way back burner. :/ The hwy 7 ideas about taking out the lights are still being hashed out however.

talindsay
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1533
Joined: September 29th, 2012, 10:41 am

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby talindsay » February 24th, 2014, 1:37 pm

Anondson's idea is pretty good but I think blobs' is better. I taught my wife to drive stick in the Target parking lot here and it would be handy to still have that ridiculously oversized parking lot available when I teach my daughter to drive stick in seven years, but the rest of this area could completely implode without loss.

Chauncey87
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 193
Joined: August 20th, 2012, 9:53 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Chauncey87 » March 25th, 2014, 7:26 pm

The new Applebee's has been open a month now. Been there a couple times since (Love the $5 pitchers on Mon) and now that the new paint smell is gone. I hate to report that there is still a handful of incomplete projects. The dimer switch does not work. That makes for a very bright bar atmosphere that makes everybody look so average ;). The Bartenders do not like the new layout, however that might be more of a learning curve then a design flaw. For whatever reason they also completely did a 180 in the kitchen. The cooks are still getting used to that also. While they say it can seat more people and looks large from the outside once you enter your pretty much right at the bar and seems smaller then then the old one. I also heard that the contractors might be facing legal action due to delays and incomplete work.

The new Panera Bread is all fenced in and they started the site work a week or so ago.

Chauncey87
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 193
Joined: August 20th, 2012, 9:53 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Chauncey87 » April 15th, 2014, 6:45 pm

This is a little old but gives a good insight for whats to come of Knollwood Mall. The term "Power Center" gets tossed around a bit so that sounds exciting. :)

Knollwood Mall renovation includes downgrade to 'power center'

"An upcoming renovation at Knollwood Mall will embrace the fact that the St. Louis Park shopping center is more of a neighborhood draw than a traditional regional mall.

"We're working to completely reposition that asset into what we believe will be one of the premier grocery-anchored power centers in that Greater Minneapolis area," said Benjamin Schall, chief operating officer for mall owner Rouse Properties, during the company's recent second-quarter earnings call."

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... enter.html

sad panda
Metrodome
Posts: 73
Joined: June 27th, 2013, 10:31 am

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby sad panda » April 15th, 2014, 8:24 pm

MGM's location is fenced in as well. I'm happy I walked to the mall on Sunday as the parking lot looked like a PITA with everything going on.

mamundsen
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1195
Joined: November 15th, 2012, 10:01 am

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby mamundsen » April 15th, 2014, 8:45 pm

Where was there a MGM in Knollwood?

When I was there last weekend I saw that the old Party City store on the east end was closed, signs were down, and fences were up. I wonder what is happening on that end?

sad panda
Metrodome
Posts: 73
Joined: June 27th, 2013, 10:31 am

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby sad panda » April 15th, 2014, 9:19 pm

That's where MGM is going, where Party City was.

mamundsen
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1195
Joined: November 15th, 2012, 10:01 am

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby mamundsen » April 15th, 2014, 9:52 pm

Oh!! Thanks.

seanrichardryan
IDS Center
Posts: 4092
Joined: June 3rd, 2012, 9:33 pm
Location: Merriam Park, St. Paul

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby seanrichardryan » April 15th, 2014, 10:36 pm

I also noticed today that TCF is also moving over to Aquila. The new bank will look like a 1992 Woodbury dream home.
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » April 16th, 2014, 6:35 am

I thought it was going to be on 36th by the trail crossing? In any case the old site should be interesting to watch what goes in.

seanrichardryan
IDS Center
Posts: 4092
Joined: June 3rd, 2012, 9:33 pm
Location: Merriam Park, St. Paul

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby seanrichardryan » April 16th, 2014, 7:04 am

Oh yep, 36th and Boone.
Q. What, what? A. In da butt.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » April 30th, 2014, 8:32 pm

I hadn't heard until reading this story, but seems Smashburger and Noodles are going in. Sure, they're chains but folks love them.

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2014/04/30/knol ... ouis-park/

Still wish there was a way to vacate Aquila and run Blake through to 36th ...

bapster2006
Foshay Tower
Posts: 913
Joined: November 17th, 2012, 6:53 pm

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby bapster2006 » April 30th, 2014, 9:21 pm

I will use that Noodles for sure.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4645
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Knollwood Mall - St. Louis Park

Postby Anondson » April 30th, 2014, 9:51 pm

My wife was filled with glee at having Panera, Applebee's, LeeAnn Chin, Noodles, and Smashburger in a very short space.

dragne_SDI
Block E
Posts: 16
Joined: April 1st, 2014, 6:09 pm

Re: St. Louis Park - General Topics

Postby dragne_SDI » May 4th, 2014, 4:18 pm

Some updates on the previously-mentioned Wooddale Flats condo project on the Most Holy Trinity site:

The advertising signs for the project that had been on site for a while came down quite a while ago, but now new ones are up listing the condo prices at $350,000 and, if I remember correctly, saying that the condos are already 40% sold. They also had the words "pre-construction" on them, does anyone know exactly when demo or construction is expected to begin?

I think this will add to the neighborhood a lot, but it will be sad to see the old Most Holy Trinity building be razed. It really is a great example of an old urban-style school building, and also has some personal sentimental value to it. Nevertheless, I think I like the look of the renderings of what will replace it.

(Original links)
http://stlouispark.patch.com/groups/5-t ... ale-avenue

https://sailor.mnsun.com/2013/03/19/dev ... ouis-park/


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests