Nordic House - 729 Washington Av N

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
twincitizen
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby twincitizen » March 13th, 2015, 8:02 am

The parking ramp is essential to freeing up the next round of surface parking lots for development in North Loop. Across 3rd Street from the ramp, you have basically an entire city block of parking that is currently used by tenants of the Bassett Creek Valley office building, among others in the area including the surface parking this development will displace. Duffey Paper controls the lot directly adjacent to the parking ramp at the corner of 7th Ave & 3rd St N. That one should be the first to go, though I'm sure Duffey's employees are quite used to their free parking. With just a few hundred spaces in the ramp, I imagine it will be well used throughout the day.

Plus, if we ever get those damned viaducts torn down, all of the parking underneath them would go away too.

However, the access to the parking ramp via the [what I'm sure will get referred to as a] Woonerf, off Washington is cause for concern. I'm not sure why it's really necessary when the ramp can be accessed via 3rd St AND the private alley. There are already two curb cuts to the underground parking for the apartment building itself.

grant1simons2
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby grant1simons2 » March 13th, 2015, 8:24 am

Green screens on the parking ramp, calling it now.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Anondson » March 13th, 2015, 8:28 am

If not screens, I could see it as an opportunity for a wall art installation that implements creative lighting.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Anondson » March 13th, 2015, 8:31 am

Is this where the buried course of Basset Creek runs? Worth trying to daylight it in the park section? Sad to lose this opportunity if it is...

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby xandrex » March 13th, 2015, 9:05 am

^Is that blue crescent in the park daylighting of the creek? Or just a water feature?

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Nathan
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Nathan » March 13th, 2015, 9:14 am

^Is that blue crescent in the park daylighting of the creek? Or just a water feature?
Just a water feature the site plan shows the creek in dashed lines running under the building

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Nathan
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Nathan » March 13th, 2015, 9:16 am

Green screens on the parking ramp, calling it now.
The wcco video shows a rendering of the park on the ramp side of the lot and the ramp is covered in a mesh of sorts so I'd assume so.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby xandrex » March 13th, 2015, 10:47 am

^Yeah, I saw the bigger picture just after I posted. Not sure if it's a shame or not that they can't daylight it.

Looking at this on the bigger picture, I definitely like that they're adding green space, but it definitely feels pinched. I suppose I'm wondering what the purpose of this land is. Seems less like a place to play and more of something nice to stroll through if you're heading from Washington over to Third.

As for the parking lot, I'd definitely love to see a mesh. I actually rather like the one they put on Ramp B at Target Field's plaza and the way it moves in the wind. Obviously not something exactly like that, but just anything to screen the ramp from Washington!

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby maxbaby » March 13th, 2015, 11:52 am

Would putting ivy on the walls of the parking ramp work?

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Avian » March 13th, 2015, 11:55 am

I'm liking the undulating canopy which clearly employs the new anti-gravity technology.
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min-chi-cbus
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby min-chi-cbus » March 13th, 2015, 12:03 pm

The building exterior sucks. I think normally all of you would be on that bandwagon had it not been for the green space (I can't call that a park) addition in the proposal. I also agree that the green space seems more of an afterthought than the centerpiece of the project, and even the ramp seems like it got more consideration.

It's a good start, but consider me unsatisfied. :|

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Nathan » March 13th, 2015, 12:11 pm

The building exterior sucks. I think normally all of you would be on that bandwagon had it not been for the green space (I can't call that a park) addition in the proposal. I also agree that the green space seems more of an afterthought than the centerpiece of the project, and even the ramp seems like it got more consideration.

It's a good start, but consider me unsatisfied. :|
it looks exactly like a warehouse building. That doesn't exactly suck.

*I also think the the park was planned that way so that it wasn't a straight obvious connection. You have to explore to find the route it's quirky and it also uses a lot of shared space and makes the alley a human environment without getting rid of its functionality.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby min-chi-cbus » March 13th, 2015, 12:48 pm

Not to me, but to each their own, right? Warehouses built around the turn of the century (20th) weren't designed to look like two buildings the way this project is designed. That's definitely more of a modern "urban" touch -- one that I am not a big fan of.

One thing that I do like about the project is that, even though it's pretty wide and hulking, they make a good use of the extra space by slipping the pool/courtyard area behind the building and up on the 3rd floor, providing privacy. Just what a good home should have.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Jez » March 13th, 2015, 1:15 pm

Love this plan, but the ramp is a bit of a travesty, I understand the need for parking, totally get it, but this is time for a little innovation please. Could they add another element like a condo building on top, or maybe office space? Future generations will not like us for that giant potential turd.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby acs » March 13th, 2015, 1:35 pm

I don't like the ramp either. The building has two floors of underground parking already, so this ramp would be just an upgrade from a surface lot to a public ramp. At the very least I wish they would move it further southeast instead of leaving a surface lot there to make the "park" more contiguous.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby lordmoke » March 13th, 2015, 1:40 pm

The ramp is great BECAUSE it's not attached to a building. In the future when there isn't as much demand for car storage, it can just be replaced. I'm more upset that it gets a curb cut on Washington.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby RailBaronYarr » March 13th, 2015, 1:49 pm

Would anyone else be cool with the loss of some of the southern green space to gain liner townhome buildings? Both the Alatus & Superior Plating proposals in NE have them incorporated in some fashion. Losing one of 4 long walls (even if screened/ivy/whatever) would go a long way to making this feel less imposing. Shifting the ramp back a bit and building to the sidewalk along would be even better. I'm not opposed to the parking itself, it's a good proactive move that will allow future car-lite development, but just hate the look of it. Especially right next to a park.

Edit: looking more closely, if the developer(s) work more closely with the Herschel Lofts just tot he NW, they could make one integrated open space by losing all of 4 parking spaces in that weird area there. it could be a terraced park space so the trees wouldn't need to go. Then you have liner townhomes against the ramp (25-30' deep?) so both walls facing the park have doors/windows/balconies. I dunno.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby MNdible » March 13th, 2015, 3:24 pm

If I'm remembering correctly, Herschel has one level of below grade parking underneath their surface parking.

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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby Nick » March 13th, 2015, 4:35 pm

The City really ought to trade Greco something (idk what) to force them to connect the grid through this site. These plans are obviously pretty preliminary but the park kinda looks like an afterthought...why is the ramp on that side of the parcel? Put it closer to the building and connect Washington to 3rd Street. We've passed up multiple opportunities around here (and in Dinkytown) to reconnect the grid, which I'm pretty sure is supposed to be an official-ish policy of the City. That whole stretch of Washington is a speedway.
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Re: 729 Washington Av N

Postby John » March 13th, 2015, 6:01 pm

I suppose if it was moved closer it would block the views and sense of open space for the renters who live on the back side of the project. However, even if they added some liner housing on the perimeter of the ramp that would be a great improvement. Building a brand new large stand alone ramp seems kind of contrary to the whole point of this project and what this neighborhood wants to be.


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