Let's back up a bit. What the city has considered at this point was an "Environmental Assessment Worksheet" (EAW), not an actual submittal of plans for the Planning Commission review/approval process. The EAW was necessary due to the large scope of the project (>375 units), to look at other factors besides your typical CPED zoning review. The EAW looks at traffic, water usage, other environmental factors, etc.It says in the file Opus submitted to the city 425-450
Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW): http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 137997.pdf
EAW Background: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cped/planning/cped_eaw
I'm just guessing here, but my take on the higher height numbers (that don't match the floor counts) is that they went with a "maximum development scenario" for the purposes of the EAW. They aren't actually going to build that tall, but for the purposes of the EAW you go bigger, because why not? That way they don't have to re-submit the EAW if they for some reason choose to go up to that height. It seems pretty clear they are building a 30 or 32 story building with a height approximate to MBP's models/estimates (350-360').
P.S. Funny factoid I just realized - If nothing gets built on this block by 2019, it will have been vacant for longer than the Sheraton-Ritz stood on the lot (1961-1990).