urbanMSP

I'm sure the wait will be long and excruciating.

This Duval proposal is truly the only one that could be called "iconic" due to its height. That said, is there really any beef to Duval's proposal?

The United proposal needs to be taller to at least 45 stories. The tower needs to be less boxy with a bolder form. The base looks promising.

The BKV project looks BKV. Please , not for this block

United Properties:

Duval:

Doran:

Did Doran forget that the city wants something ICONIC? Their proposal looks like a residential tower that one would find in Denver. I really like United Properties' proposal, but it looks like it would fit nicely in Elliot Park or in Downtown East. Duval's proposal is definitely iconic.

I actually kind of like Doran's the best.

:ducks:

i don't mind this preliminary doran rendering. it's certainly better than i imagined him every developing. that said, the duval and united projects stand out.

On the closer view of the Doran proposal those awnings look hideous. They kind of look like an afterthought. I feel like Doran tried to put a less attractive version of LPM apartments on this site.
The Duval proposal is beautiful and elegant, certainly unlike anything we have right now.

Yeah, I actually like the tower part of Doran's...esp if it has some kind of strong upward light feature on top like the rendering shows. Love the tall Duval tower, but the base isn't very active. And wondering if they can actually pull a big project off?

I eagerly await the mockups showing these from other various iconic angles around the city. From 394 at Penn, from near the soon-to-close Port of Minneapolis, from behind home plate in Target Field, from the 35W bridge, from where 94 crosses the Mississippi...

had to:

Huh?

Im a little surprised this thread is not exploding with more people jizzing at the thought of a 900' modern skyscraper actually being built in Minneapolis right now

Edit - just saw the Duvel post, I take back everything

Ohhh, Shelly Duval.

Remember there's still one more proposal from Mortenson we haven't seen. Also, strib has updated it's article with the renderings:

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/285620231.html

The RFP clearly states that if there is more than one tower, they both must be taller than 20 stories.
Interesting how Doran's doesn't do that...

Doran's tower is actually pretty cool, and the whole thing meets the street/plaza probably the best of the ones we have seen...they REALLY screwed up with the, what appears to be, 6 story stick structure on the south part of the property though. That needs to be better. A lot better.

Im a little surprised this thread is not exploding with more people jizzing at the thought of a 900' modern skyscraper actually being built in Minneapolis right now

I think we have a healthy dose of skepticism here given the current office vacancy rate and the long history of development in the city.

I don't really like the Doran proposal at all. Way too busy for my taste. The United proposal looks ok but is the lack of color a rendering issue or is that really the look they propose? I'd like to see less concrete and more glass. I love the base of it, though.

I wonder about the street level of the Duval proposal and how the streetcar will work with it but it's just so damn beautiful. Where exactly is the pictured greenspace? Next to Cancer Survivor's park? Do they proposal vacating Nicollet on that block? I'm not sure the proposal is as pretty without that huge open space to really make it stick out.

^I was wondering where all that green space was coming from too. It seems they want to blend Cancer Survivor's Park, maybe part of their lot, plus the block across from the library into some park.

It really is beautiful, but at the same time, it seems a lot of its uniqueness is that it is taller than IDS. It's quite boxy, which isn't exactly groundbreaking design.

Still, I like.

Thoughts:
I find the Duval porposal to certianly have an iconic feel. The height would certainly make a mark on the skyline and it would be great to add to it. I would however like to see more of it.

I also like the Doran proposal the tower element is nicely done, and I like the lantern aspect of it. The view at ground level with the bridge over the street car is interesting as well. I do wish the tower was a little taller.

The United Properties tower feels overly simplistic to me. I recognize it's partial due to how they rendered the glass, it leaves something to be desired. Maybe they have a better street view.