Is it possible this "crazy urbanist idea" could actually come to fruition?
http://finance-commerce.com/2014/05/u-o ... ver-i-35w/
The Downtown Council seems dead serious about accomplishing the goals in their 2025 Plan.
Aside from them not getting their exact wish on the football stadium location (they wanted the Linden Ave site or Farmers Market), they're pretty much batting 1.000 since that plan came out in late 2011. The stadium is happening, the downtown population is exploding, Nicollet Mall rehab is likely getting funded by the state. Their success rate is actually kind of scary.
This is Goal #8 in the plan.
This also came up at the Gil Penalosa event yesterday, which had CM Frey, the CEO of Greater MSP, the guy in charge of public realm enhancements for the Downtown Council, and a Park Board planner on a panel discussion. MNDOT head Charlie Zelle was in the audience as well.
Someone is going to have to take the lead on this for it to become reality. The Downtown Council, U of M, MNDOT, Hennepin County, and Minneapolis should be setting up a board or non-profit or something to keep this moving forward.