urbanMSP

Let's...maybe not take pictures while driving.

Will definitely need exterior walls before it really starts to take shape. Right now it is kind of an outline.

Walls are going up on the northside, at least the Denshield.

Let's...maybe not take pictures while driving.

Perhaps it was a passenger?

Bricks are starting to go up on the first two floors - visible at least from the 10th Ave Bridge.

Will see how fast they lay brick and if there is noticeable progress by Thanksgiving.

Giiiiiiant building.

Interesting car in this last picture.

I wonder how the economics of this are penciling out to allow him to do concrete rather than stick here.

I know the Marcy Holmes Neighborhood Association wanted Doran to build something significant in this parcel. They probably didn't have huge influence... plus I like to pretend that he just wanted to trump FloCo somehow.

Heading across 35w north this building is definitely massive, but it's so much better than what was there (or wasn't). The primary rendering on Doran's website has me unenthused by the design - it looks like an office building - but I'll reserve judgement until completion. The views from the westward facing units are going to be spectacular. It's probably my favorite view of the city.

Better than the abandoned Hardees which later turned in to a dirt parking lot???

Haha. Yeah... I should have probably written that differently. My point was that I'm just glad something is filling that space, even if I'm not in love with the design.

I thought the city code is stick structures for 6 stories and less… anything above this has to be concrete/steel?

this is concrete

Yes. It is 11 or 12 stories high so it has to be.

This may be a stupid question, but could the developer mix stick with concrete as a means to lower total costs? So -- and I am nowhere near an architect or a construction manager -- for example use concrete for the stronger support beams and foundation but use stick anywhere else?

That's essentially what they do, but with steel studs instead of wood. Floors and support columns are all concrete, but interior (and exterior) walls are studs. That's what makes concrete construction so great: none of the stud walls are load-bearing, making reconfiguration of interior spaces down the line very easy.

Drove by this today on my way to campus for lunch. This really has a great presence. Adds a lot coming over the river, but even more so coming into campus on University!

P1260063 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr


P1260072 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr


P1260074 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr


P1260075 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr