urbanMSP

I'm not sure what's stopping the developer but I'm just glad they're stopped.

They may have read the writing on the wall, if Atlaus does do a real tower with river views and they are next to an active railroad. Where would you rather live. I'd venture that concrete construction would be more quiet than stick construction by a railroad. I think this developer thought that they would do a cheap and when they found out that they would have to do revisions that they just punted before they had to put anymore money into it. IF they built a tower they would have river view with floors about 7 floors. A 6 story stick will just not cut it when you have plenty of competition and future areas with better views and closer to the action that can still be developed. Best this goes into a holding pattern for a better project.

Actually, any building on this lot would only have river views on floors 15 or higher. Floors 8 or 9 would be able to see downtown.

I think it's a good thing that the developer is walking away from this. It would be nice to have a taller building here, but I'd favor two 4-6 story buildings with a plaza and some open space and more retail. This neighborhood is already becoming a destination like Uptown for shopping and restaurants. Why not add a development which adds to that rather than focusing purely on density or height?

Actually, any building on this lot would only have river views on floors 15 or higher. Floors 8 or 9 would be able to see downtown.

I think it's a good thing that the developer is walking away from this. It would be nice to have a taller building here, but I'd favor two 4-6 story buildings with a plaza and some open space and more retail. This neighborhood is already becoming a destination like Uptown for shopping and restaurants. Why not add a development which adds to that rather than focusing purely on density or height?

Something like the original Mozaic design would be nice here. That plaza would be a nice feature here. Combined with some retail could pull more foot traffic that way.

Depending on the number of people that move into the area, I'd say any retail with a plaza would take at least 10 years to really get established. You have to remember that we still have a large retail sections of both Riverplace and St. Anthony main that at this point would be a much better fit and higher foot traffic that that area off 1st. Until those areas are reestablished as retail, I can't see a really need for retail that is off the beaten path as it were. IMO.

Actually, any building on this lot would only have river views on floors 15 or higher. Floors 8 or 9 would be able to see downtown.

I think it's a good thing that the developer is walking away from this. It would be nice to have a taller building here, but I'd favor two 4-6 story buildings with a plaza and some open space and more retail. This neighborhood is already becoming a destination like Uptown for shopping and restaurants. Why not add a development which adds to that rather than focusing purely on density or height?

Why not a dense/tall building that also adds neighborhood amenities?

i like the quotes from the neighborhood assocation president. they want something tall and narrow, nothing like what is going up in dinkytown.

Actually, any building on this lot would only have river views on floors 15 or higher. Floors 8 or 9 would be able to see downtown.

I think it's a good thing that the developer is walking away from this. It would be nice to have a taller building here, but I'd favor two 4-6 story buildings with a plaza and some open space and more retail. This neighborhood is already becoming a destination like Uptown for shopping and restaurants. Why not add a development which adds to that rather than focusing purely on density or height?

You are looking with your blinders on. The river actually runs west and north from that site so you can still get river views at anything on the north and west facing units above 4 to 5 stories. You will not get downtown core views with the river also until maybe 15 stories. But you sure can get more river view that you think. Sometimes you have to look outside of the box or sight line as this case maybe. I'd say a view of the river and NE MPLS would be pretty nice and not as expensive as downtown river front view. Many of the west facing units would overlook a park and across the river at the NL.

I'll agree with a tower with a lot of amenities built into the base of the tower. Possibly a small courtyard in the middle along 1st for a restaurants outdoor seating.

Stupid question, and maybe it was brought up before, but is cleaning this site going to require digging a big hole to get out all the bad dirt? If so, will a developer be given a huge hole in the ground (preferable) or will it be filled in with clean dirt (that would then have to be hauled away again).

Not a stupid question, but a question that at this point I don't think has been answered. My speculation is that they will not dig out the contaminated soil until they are going to build something. I've not been by the site for months so I don't know how far down they have gone with the demolition. Seems like there were loading doors to the train tracks on lower levels,so maybe they have dug that far down. I'd venture to say that they would just fence it off and it will become the new Reserve 2 hole in the ground until a developer decides to build there.

It's been demolished down to ground level. There are a lot of old basement substructures still remaining. There is also a lot of cleaning/ filtration equipment on site.

by FISHMANPET » July 11th, 2014, 1:19 pm
Stupid question, and maybe it was brought up before, but is cleaning this site going to require digging a big hole to get out all the bad dirt? If so, will a developer be given a huge hole in the ground (preferable) or will it be filled in with clean dirt (that would then have to be hauled away again).

The initial information was that all the soil on the site would have to be removed down to bedrock. After this was done the site could stay that way for up to six months and if no development was going to take place then it would have to be filled back in again. As others have mentioned, the building has been completely removed down to the foundations, but really nothing beyond that.

Someone should call Erin Brocovich.

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/cl ... e-problems

Someone should call Erin Brocovich.

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/cl ... e-problems

What a disappointing development. There are several things in the article that I don't understand. They said removing the soil down to bedrock was supposed to remove the contamination, but yet from what I can tell they have barely dug below the lowest floor level of the building. The foundations are still mostly intact. Are they suggesting that the bedrock is that close to the surface. The whole cleanup effort seems pretty inept.

From some of the photos, it does appear that bedrock is not far below the surface, though to your point, it doesn't appear that they have excavated the entire foundation.

Community meeting regarding the cleanup effort scheduled for Tuesday, August 26. http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/co ... nup-update

So just now getting around to reading on the problems with the pollution cleanup. It sounds like the pollution has soaked into the bedrock, and then comes out every time it rains.

Yay for humans!

Locked, but I would think this is a good sign!

Lennar steps up to Superior Plating site

Lennar will be present at the NIEBNA meeting on Thursday. I will relay anything I learn at the meeting here.