urbanMSP

I just want to know why every freestanding Shake Shack building is so drab. Most of them look like park restroom buildings or something. It's like they're trying to make themselves unnoticeable.

Kind of like their burgers.

Screen Shot 2017-09-06 at 9.52.46 PM by Eric Anondson, on Flickr
I'm intrigued by what's happening to the awful ring road. Especially the France Ave access.
They did slightly improve its corner presence.
From reading the city document, I learned there are agreements with the mall tenants and partners that prevent developing this corner to its full zoned height potential of 12 stories. That's something for an investigative journalist to dig into and ask the city, "What would it take to get rid of that restriction?

I can only guess it has something to do with preserving sight-lines to Macy's. Which is dumb, because in reality Macy's is so far from the corner you can barely see it anyways, not to mention the trees: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.8835067 ... 312!8i6656

Why can't this go somewhere else in the area? You'd think Simon Properties would see the value in holding this parcel for future development rather than going with this extremely low value use...

We're also somewhat beyond such a strong need for sightlines to retailers in the age of smartphones and Google Maps right? I know part of it is free advertising, branding, etc. But do customers really need to see a building sign to navigate there if they don't already know exactly where it is?

Regardless of whether the restrictions make sense, they're already cooked into all of the real estate here, and the anchor tenants would need to voluntarily give them up (or sell/trade them). Which could theoretically happen, but it would be a private real estate transaction that the city has no control over.

Regardless of whether the restrictions make sense, they're already cooked into all of the real estate here, and the anchor tenants would need to voluntarily give them up (or sell/trade them). Which could theoretically happen, but it would be a private real estate transaction that the city has no control over.

I wonder why it's only an issue on THIS corner though?

And even if this corner gets sight line hindering tall development, driving down France past this parcel you get far better sight lines to the mall where the ring road runs parallel to France. Seems this past agreement is far past outdated especially as RBY notes.

I wonder why it's only an issue on THIS corner though?

There may be past data that most Southdale Center visitors arrived from this corner with access from 62 to Valley View, 62 to France, and generally France combine to add up to higher traffic counts than other corners of Southdale.

Here's an article that talks about how decades old real estate restrictions can limit the redevelopment of malls, related to the discussion above.

Known as reciprocal easement agreements, or REAs, the contracts were put in place decades ago, when landlords relied on department stores to lure suburban shoppers. A majority of malls in the U.S. are encumbered by an REA, tying developers’ hands as they try to keep up with rapid shifts in retailing...

One fifth of the Estelle condos will be “affordable”, for Edina.

http://www.startribune.com/condo-tower- ... 448062703/

According to Scott Neal, comp plan amendment that would allow Estelle's height was recommended for approval 7-2. I hope their City Council follows suit.

https://twitter.com/edinacityman/status ... 3962151937

I've been watching the construction of Twin Cities Orthopedics at 77th St and Johnson Ave. It's really strange to me that TC Orthopedics would leave their attractive, beautifully compact 2-acre site seated right on the Crosstown, by the hospital, for this 17-acre site tucked deep into the office/industrial park. (At least I assume this is a replacement, not additional space)

https://www.edinamn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1856

That said, without comparing to their existing building: it still looks pretty nice.

It's such a bizarre location. I'll occasionally take 77th east from 100 to get home to S MPLS and that little collection of odd intersections and curved streets and stoplights to nowhere is just ... weird. I have no idea why they'd move there. I have to assume Tria is a big competitor, and comparing their high-vis location on 494/France to this armpit is no contest.

There are definitely some other things going on in this corner, like Barr Engineering and some medical stuff in that 7760 France building across the street. But my impression is that TC Orthopedic's bread and butter is elective orthopedic surgeries, like hip and knee replacement. It seems like "retail" type visibility matters for a brand like that. Literally every time I drive by their existing building on Crosstown I think, "oh yeah, my mom got a hip replaced there"

It seems like they could have filled in that huge surface lot in front of 7700 France before going back away from the street. That was basically what was done to create Woodlake Center in Richfield, building a new 3-story office building in the parking lot of an older 5-story office building. (And of course, what's being done left and right at Southdale Center)

Amendment to allow 26 stories denied for Estelle, 4-1 vote.

https://twitter.com/motarola123/status/ ... 7362776065

This just makes me sad. I live in Edina, and I love living here. However, I feel like this is a huge mistake.

I agree. I’ve worked around Southdale for around 25 years. This would have been fine.

I’m very unsurprised at this outcome. There was an amazing amount of fear mongering over heights along France. Crazy talk over this causing traffic problems even though traffic hear is down many thousands of cars per day since 2000.

Not sure what view the residents are protecting. I bet it has as much or more to do with the “market-rate” housing that’s be part of the project than anything related to height, density or traffic (residential doesn’t drive that much traffic anyways).

(locked)
http://finance-commerce.com/2017/10/arc ... ther-city/

“Edina clearly isn’t ready for something like this,” Luigi Bernardi said.

This honestly made me lol. It's crazy that they thought they would be able to smoothly slide into a suburb and just throw up a 26 story when the city North would have had no problem with this going downtown.

(locked)This honestly made me lol. It's crazy that they thought they would be able to smoothly slide into a suburb and just throw up a 26 story when the city North would have had no problem with this going downtown.

I get the Edina/Southdale appeal. There are high-end condo towers happening downtown, and not all baby boomers/empty-nesters from the burbs want to be downtown. I think there are several other locations where this project could do well - and likely one that would likely be more pedestrian friendly and have more/better transit options. I think the Hiawatha corridor would be cool, or even in Bloomington, near 494 & 35W.