urbanMSP

Soon to go the way of the streetcar, to be replaced by stamped concrete! Modern improvements!

At the risk of stepping on your snark, those granite pavers could be super slippery when wet, so the concrete may actually be a significant functional upgrade, even if an aesthetic downgrade.

Granite! Granite! Get your Nicollet Mall Granite right here!
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/m ... 38196.html

Soon to go the way of the streetcar, to be replaced by stamped concrete! Modern improvements!

Sorry, Poe's Law and all of that but this *appears* to be sarcastic. You prefer granite over stamped concrete?

That granite is so ugly.

All I have to say is...this better be extremely high quality "poured concrete" that they have decided to use on the mall. There is some outside of the courthouse on 4th (with the mounds of grass) that looks pretty good. If it is this type of poured concrete it will be okay. But if they are replacing high end materials with stamped stained concrete like around Block E....well that will be very disappointing.

I'm not sure that is a real Craigslist ad... no cost listed, no location to pick up at, no contact information... I think it may be a joke...

Whoops... I spoke too soon - I just got a reply saying that pricing was based on quantity - you have to tell them how much you want and then they will give you a quote and tell you how to get them... pallets start at 75 sp ft....

I'm glad that the public is getting a chance to use these pavers, but this just seems ... unofficial. Thought it would look something more like this: http://www.minneapolismn.gov/publicwork ... icks_index. Any news on that quote--what did it come in at?

Granite! Granite! Get your Nicollet Mall Granite right here!
http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/m ... 38196.html

The city also intends to offer for use and/or sell over $100,000 worth of unused replacement granite they've stored for the past 26 years.
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 183601.pdf

Any one understand what they are doing in front of IDS? They pulled up the granite, then about 8-10" of concrete, then laid down a barrier that looked like it belonged on the roof. They had wood sectioning off the area. With the rain these have turned into a giant 6" deep pool. Looks kinda neat, but I get the feeling someone is swearing at Mother Nature for screwing up their plan.

So what's going on???

I assume they're waterproofing an area-way or vault under the plaza.

It's the entire east side of the street between 7th and 8th, so I think it's more than just a vault. The only thing I can think of is that the sections are actually going to be the seams.

Yep. Waterproofing. And the 6" of water isn't from the rain. They put it there. They are testing for leaks.

Doing the same thing above the Encore garage as we speak.

High quality concrete!!

20160910_170711 by grant.simons, on Flickr

Ugh, this is what we are replacing granite pavers with? Such a downgrade. I am going to hope this block is just plain white concrete because peavy plaza is about to be redone soon....but I've been afraid all along that this switch to poured concrete was going to end up looking like just plain cheap sidewalks. Let's hope the fixtures are good and the new trees are plentiful and grow.

Stencils yay https://twitter.com/MinneapolisDID/stat ... 8403172352

Looks not like coloring but etching where they remove the 'cream' layer from the top surface before it's fully cured.

woof.

I like it

The etching is actually pretty cool. That pattern might not age well, stylistically, but it's a good cheap way to add texture and interest.

One concern I have, looking at some poured sections near Westminster, is the significant curb between sidewalk and busway. I fear the mall will continue to be seen as two very separate sidewalks bisected by a chasm, if you will. What we really need is a space (either without buses, or where they can work with pedestrians) where people can move about between buildings with ease. Having to go to the end of the block to cross, while not really that big of a deal, is actually a pretty big deterrent.

Can't wait for the corner of a blade of a snow shovel to catch in that and either scratch the pattern or just piss off the person pushing the snow shovel.

Or does DID use huge brushes to clear the sidewalks on the mall or what?