Mozaic (all phases)

[twincitizen]

They've got to hit a home run with this one so the neighborhood is receptive to their inevitable plans to redevelop the Acme/Planned Parenthood block, whether that be a Mozaic 3 or something else.

[min-chi-cbus]

^I honestly thought they should have done that with Phase I, but now it's especially true!

[twincitizen]

I wasn't around for whatever Mozaic was originally proposed to be, but I stumbled upon this quote in this NYTimes profile on developer Clark Gassen from 2006:
Along with a partner, the Ackerberg Group, a Minneapolis real estate company, he is also working on Mozaic, two new midrise condominium buildings that will include 165 units, commercial and office space, restaurants and an eight-screen cinema.

Yet no residential is being proposed for Phase 2...

[John]

I think the Uptown market is ready for some new condo/townhouse projects, and phase 2 would be a great location to put some. However, I still think its hard to get financing. As far as building rental units, I would be wary ( as a developer) of proposing more at this time given there are so many to absorb over the next couple years.

[min-chi-cbus]

You really think so? I'm not so certain yet.....there has been little/no negative absorption in apartments over the past several quarters, as a multitude of new units have hit the marketplace. I read the Colliers Market report for MSP for Apartments and they felt that the MSP market was very strong and should continue to be for the indefinite future (I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist).

http://www.colliers.com/en-us/minneapol ... l/insights

[mattaudio]

If the market is hot, it won't make that much of a difference to hold on a year and see how all these new units coming online affect the market.
If the market is nearly saturated, it will make much of a difference to hold on a year and see how all these new units coming online affect the market.

[Wedgeguy]

The kill the condo plan which was much more slender and would definitely case less of a shadow that what we got really did Uptown a disservice. We got a Rubics cube instead of a slender tower that would have curved somewhat like The Magellan tower. Wish I still had the old skyway news that had pics.

[David Greene]

The latest issue of The Wedge has a nice article about the Mo2aic Z&P meeting. The current issue isn't up on the website yet but if you can get your hands on a copy it's worth a read.

[David Greene]

The latest issue of The Wedge has a nice article about the Mo2aic Z&P meeting. The current issue isn't up on the website yet but if you can get your hands on a copy it's worth a read.

http://wedgenewsmpls.wordpress.com/2013 ... aic-phase2

[twincitizen]

Improve connectivity: bicycle, pedestrian, transit

I hope this means an actual thought to how bicycles move through a very crowded Girard Meander.

Y'know, adding that access point to the Greenway and bike/ped bridge there is fantastic, but the fact that the only way to exit going southbound is against oncoming traffic heading into the Mozaic ramp is pretty thoughtless.

[ECtransplant]

Still in the concept stage, the proposal naturally lacks logistics like bus and pedestrian pathways, and parking stall totals. Ackerberg stated that Phase I has more than enough space to take any overflow from Phase II.

Wait. So there's going to be more parking? Why isn't all parking for phase 2 going in the phase 1 ramp?

[lordmoke]

More vague info on Mo2aic:
http://www.southwestjournal.com/notes/b ... h-daylight

Sounds like we could see plans submitted next month, though!

[John]

This sounds more promising than phase one architecturally. However, they need to stop "considering" retail on the first level for this office development, and do it as one of the key components. This should be an absolute given in the Uptown neighborhood.

[Wedgeguy]

This sounds more promising than phase one architecturally. However, they need to stop "considering" retail on the first level for this office development, and do it as one of the key components. This should be an absolute given in the Uptown neighborhood.

I'll agree with you on that as far as the plaza goes. Not sure how well retail would do on the Fremont side of the street until the block across from it makes for critical mass of foot traffic. Will see once the apartments are filled and people actually walk over to Uptown for things.

[Nathan]

So is it clear to anyone whether or not the area that contains Bar Abeleen and the old Kinsen Space are going, or if this is just going into the back parking lot? If Those retail spots are going, (which it seems they might since they are always saying 'the lagoon is staying' but not saying anything about the others.) then they BETTER have some retail, seriously.

[FISHMANPET]

There's a restaurant opening in the Kinsen space in October, so either it's staying around, or someone is a huge jerk for not saying what's going to happen to the property in the future.

[Wedgeguy]

Don't know what is going on. The Realtor that was in the offices above moved to Mosaic so with that I thought they might be going to incorporate that parcel into the redevelopment. But with this restaurant moving in I highly doubt it. Maybe we will find something out on Thursday when the developments are presented in the Crystal Court.

[min-chi-cbus]

I haven't heard one thing about those sites, which I think would have been evident since day one, so I would (personally) assume that they are not part of the site where this would go. By the way, three buildings connected by glass canopies? This sounds so very different from phase I.

[gpete]

As far as I can tell from Hennepin County data, the Mozaic project owns the Lagoon Theater parcel, but it does NOT own the Bar Abilene/Kinsen parcel.

So unless something changes, or unless someone else knows differently, I don't think the Bar Abilene/Kinsen parcel will play any role in the new development.

[Wedgeguy]

As far as I can tell from Hennepin County data, the Mozaic project owns the Lagoon Theater parcel, but it does NOT own the Bar Abilene/Kinsen parcel.

So unless something changes, or unless someone else knows differently, I don't think the Bar Abilene/Kinsen parcel will play any role in the new development.

I'd agree with you. I made an assumption that Ackenburg own that building when Keller moved into Mosaic. I'm sure a look thru property tax info would give that info.