urbanMSP

Strib article updated with a bunch more info:
Confirmed our deductions about the layout.
Baja Sol and Leann Chin are moving within City Center, Au Bon Pain and Greek Grill are leaving.
Shorenstein is close to a deal with a mystery tenant for the other big space on the ground level. It isn't shoes.
The proper will require significant renovations before Sak's moves in, though it doesn't specify if that includes exterior revamping or just renovating the inside.

So does that represent Au Bon Pain leaving the DT Mpls market? They used to have multiple outlets, including Capella Tower ground level and Northstar (I think?) skyway.

So does that represent Au Bon Pain leaving the DT Mpls market? They used to have multiple outlets, including Capella Tower ground level and Northstar (I think?) skyway.

They just opened a new store in Capella Tower last year and I haven't heard anything about them leaving. I bet they are just leaving City Center.

That's my guess. I'm guessing/hoping that they just move across the street. There's a couple open retail bays in both Gaviidae wings.

No different info, but Finance & Commerce has an article as well, with a nice picture of the wrong corner of City Center.

I realize MN is rather snob-hostile, and I'm thankful for that... but this is only a 16,000 outlet. Isn't that more along the lines of maybe a Nordstrom Rack? We used to have a Saks Fifth Avenue and a Nieman Marcus on Nicollet Mall, in the not-too-distant past. I'll say retail is back when we get a Nordstrom or something comparable.

Also why specifically call out that it's not shoes. Were people expecting a DSW or something here (even though I imagine that's much larger than this space).

I'd be all about a DSW downtown, actually. But, yeah, unless there was a rumor I missed that it was going to be a shoe retailer, it seems a weird thing to call out.

I realize MN is rather snob-hostile, and I'm thankful for that... but this is only a 16,000 outlet.

Matt, there was some confusion about this, but it's been clarified that it is a 40,000 sf store.

And I'd agree that this alone doesn't show that retail is saved, but I think it, coupled with a number of other positive developments, are at least a hopeful sign.

I realize MN is rather snob-hostile, and I'm thankful for that... but this is only a 16,000 outlet. Isn't that more along the lines of maybe a Nordstrom Rack? We used to have a Saks Fifth Avenue and a Nieman Marcus on Nicollet Mall, in the not-too-distant past. I'll say retail is back when we get a Nordstrom or something comparable.

You're confusing me matt. Off 5th is leasing 40K. And what's the snob comment about?

Does anyone know what other retailer may be signing on for the other space? While I'd love to see non-outlet/discount stores move into downtown, it's a start! Thoughts about making City Center a discount/outlet mall for downtown? I'd imagine it would do well if kept up. Could also see other non-discount/outlet stores sprouting up after seeing retail succeed.

It will be interesting to see how many of them City Center is able to relocate down to the 15k of vacant space past the GNC. It's hard to say how much of the traffic on the east end of City Center is due to the restaurants and how much is due to the natural crossroads in the skyway. Perhaps with Mayo Clinic Square opening up, these places will be willing to relocate to the other end en masse.

I think this is a good move. If the two restaurants move down to towards UPS and GNC, it will spread out the foot traffic during the lunch hour. Leeann Chin usually has a line out the door between 12 and 12:30 and Baja Sol is starting to get busy again now that they brought back the free chips.

I'm hoping that the Saks renovation opens up the corner entrance on Nicollet and 6th. They should also blow out the concrete walls along Nicollet for display and maybe a few of them on the second floor to pull in some natural light into the store. This could be the best thing to happen to the City Center in a decade.

I wonder what could be done to open up the skyway level on the west side. Right now if feels like a dead end. I know it's squeezing through the parking garage but maybe something can be done. It would help the viability of the retail spots over there a bunch.

I'm thrilled with the revival of retail in City Center, but I have yet to hear any announcements about upgrading the exterior along Nicollet Mall to coincide with this. I'm crossing my fingers this is finally in the works. Shorenstein said there's been a lot of interest in the retail spaces. I can't imagine any potential retailor would want to project a public image on Nicollet Mall with it's current bunker style fortress wall

Yeah, they really need to remove/replace the entire facade along Nicollet. If it is largely left as is, just with Saks opening up the corner entrance and maybe popping in a window here and there, and some new signage, I will be a lot less excited about this. This building is a disaster and it invites bad behavior and crime due to its terrible urban design. It needs to really open up to the street with more glass and way less tan concrete. Improving City Center is a critical component in the reconstruction of Nicollet Mall, and I'm afraid just leasing the corner spaces while leaving the facade as is won't do it.

Is is really the Nicollet side that sees bad behavior? I've always noticed a lot more issues happening more on 7th at the bus stop. So if solving the issue is part of the reason for design, it would seem that its more than the Nicollet facade that would need replacing.

Do any of you have an idea of what might be physically possible to fix this building up? With it all being concrete, it's hard to guess what may be structural and what's just facade...

Yeah, I have no idea. I was hoping an architect could chime in on that. Even though it's concrete, isn't the exterior made of panels or something? Or is the exterior actually structural concrete? In which case you'd actually have to cover it up, kinda like Mayo Clinic Square's mesh screens and such.

Structural engineer here. From the streetview I'd say that all of the facade panels on the street level would be able to be removed without major retrofit. In other words, there aren't visible structural walls on 6th, Nicollet, and 7th, which leaves just the concrete columns. Several of the bays appear to already have some sort of blank and unused storefront windows/doors, too.

They took off much of the concrete on the 6th street side above the entrance between the large round columns several years ago...I imagine they can do the same on this side.