Downtown Minneapolis General Discussion

[grant1simons2]

They said that it'll likely be mixed use

[HiawathaGuy]

I've heard some talk that they want to add an additional floor to the hotel...

Previous discussion:

Depot Hotel planning expansion: http://finance-commerce.com/2015/01/csm ... pot-hotel/

Plans: http://minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/pub ... 136543.pdf

They plan on removing the waterpark, while adding a 6th floor & infill addition to the property with 110 additional rooms.

[twincitizen]

YO!

I dissolved/deleted "Downtown East General Topics" after moving the development-focused stuff here, and moving the other stuff to its dedicated threads. Maybe once the major decisions regarding the park, plaza, Ped Bridge, Portland Ave closing/not-closing, etc. have all been made, we can roll those back into a single thread.

Until then, let's keep general development talk here with the rest of downtown, and talk about the Park, Plaza/Bridge, streetscapes, etc. in the following dedicated threads:

LRT Station / Ped Bridge / Stadium Plaza (i.e. everything happening on the MSFA block)

Commons Park

Downtown East Pedestrian Realm / Traffic Calming Plan

[twincitizen]

Big slate of cleanup & TOD grant requests (to DEED, Met Council & Hennepin County): http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 140132.pdf

http://finance-commerce.com/2015/04/min ... in-grants/

[grant1simons2]

So I added up the amount of announced and or updated plans this week and it's up to 952 units in the downtown area alone.

I could've been missing some but damn. That's a good number to hear.

[TroyGBiv]

Did up include across the river on the St. Anthony side?

[grant1simons2]

Was something announced or updated this week? 700 Central? No I did not

[EOst]

Does anyone know what's going on with the row of brownstones on 14th St in Eliot Park (these: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.968914, ... 2zfXOA!2e0 )? Biking past them today they seem about half-gutted.

Aren't these Aeon buildings too? I thought those were all completely renovated in the 90s/00s.

[seanrichardryan]

Brownstones? THIS is a brownstone



Those would be 3.5 story walk-ups.

[grant1simons2]

Just a heads up to anyone who take pictures downtown: Dont take pictures on the property of Wells Fargo. I almost had my camera taken away because of it. They suspect that people taking pictures of their building are potential threats for bank robbery or terrorist attacks.

[grant1simons2]

That last line was exactly what the security dude told me.

[EOst]

Brownstones? THIS is a brownstone

I know they aren't actually brownstones (among other things, they're usually brick), but honestly that's what they're routinely called on Craigslist and in local parlance. Example.

Anyway, it's better than "those classic three-and-a-half story brick apartment buildings that everyone likes."

[Nathan]

Just a heads up to anyone who take pictures downtown: Dont take pictures on the property of Wells Fargo. I almost had my camera taken away because of it. They suspect that people taking pictures of their building are potential threats for bank robbery or terrorist attacks.

Yeah, it's iffy doing it on public property, technically I've been told by IDS and The old ING building and all the Govt buildings that I can't. They're especially suspicious if you have a big lens. I usually get away with my film cameras, though riverside plaza even got mad about that.

[grant1simons2]

I was just told by a girl studying law that I know that basically they have no jurisdiction telling me that. It's city property and therefore have full rights to do so. I walked away from the guy anyways. Any of you who have met me would know that I totally look like a terrorist or bank robber right!?

[PhilmerPhil]

I remember back in '08 when I was filming the video below, we had to be really stealth and go back a few times to get the IDS Center shots.

http://youtu.be/4z841PrGBXM

[xandrex]

Just a heads up to anyone who take pictures downtown: Dont take pictures on the property of Wells Fargo. I almost had my camera taken away because of it. They suspect that people taking pictures of their building are potential threats for bank robbery or terrorist attacks.

Just an intimidation tactic. They legally can't take your camera away. If they threaten you with that again, you can let them know you'll get the police involved if they confiscate any of your property.

[twinkess]

Does anyone know what's going on with the row of brownstones on 14th St in Eliot Park (these: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.968914, ... 2zfXOA!2e0 )? Biking past them today they seem about half-gutted.

Aren't these Aeon buildings too? I thought those were all completely renovated in the 90s/00s.

They appear to be tuckpointing/repointing the masonry. Also they removed the chimneys.

[MinnMonkey]

Just a heads up to anyone who take pictures downtown: Dont take pictures on the property of Wells Fargo. I almost had my camera taken away because of it. They suspect that people taking pictures of their building are potential threats for bank robbery or terrorist attacks.

Just an intimidation tactic. They legally can't take your camera away. If they threaten you with that again, you can let them know you'll get the police involved if they confiscate any of your property.

If you are on private property, the only thing they can do is ask you to leave. If you don't leave, then they can charge you with trespassing. They never have the right to take your camera. If they do, call the police.

On public property, as long as you don't create a disturbance, and don't interfere with law enforcement, the only thing you are not allowed to photograph are active military bases. Police are not even allowed to look at the photos on your camera without a warrant.

Sorry for the off topic response, but this is something I feel strongly about. There are too many security personnel on power trips so photographers need to know there rights and defend them if they feel they are being wronged. I have had my fair share with run-ins like this, and I understand how frustrating this can be.

[twincitizen]

Bobby & Steve's bought the 3-story Scandia Furniture building next to their Washington Ave location: http://finance-commerce.com/2015/05/jus ... -building/

The lot is an interesting shape: http://gis.hennepin.us/property/map/def ... 2924110086

Suggests they are maybe more after the parking in back than the building itself. They already own the skinny lot between those buildings, and currently stash cars there: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.974643, ... e0!6m1!1e1

If they tore down Scandia's small garage out back (non-historic, don't worry), that would give them a decent sized parking area addition to their existing property.

[mattaudio]

Just think how much room they'd have for parking... until we have real development... if the giant WB Washington to SB35W/WB94 loop was redone. That's literally a square block in size.