urbanMSP

The heavy iron is at work this morning. I didn't have time to snap a pic as I drove by but the Merit printing building is now coming down.

Here's a photo from this morning:

Have any site plans for this been submitted to planning? I'm still not suite sure how it's going to meet the street.

^^^check the very first post of this thread. It has two angles showing renderings.

Let me rephrase- How it will fill the site and its relationship to the neighboring buildings. I've seen those images.

Merit is now long gone and they've been pile driving/ excavating here all week.

It's be interesting how different this neighborhood will look and feel by this time next year.

Agreed. It's going to be night and day with the influx of new residents to the area. And there are still tons of surface parking lots and other underutilized spaces with more room to grow. The private sector is pouring tons of money into this area and the public sector needs to back it up with better streetscapes and some greenery. With all of this development, there is clearly a revenue stream for some small enhancements to the sidewalks, intersection crossings, and public amenities (benches, planters, trash receptacles, bus shelters, etc)


As an aside, do you guys consider this to be the Warehouse District, North Loop, or both?

I guess that it technically is both, since the North Loop is an actual neighborhood designation while Warehouse District is just a business association without formal boundaries (correct me if I'm wrong). However, in my mind the North Loop really begins at the RR trench and this area is just Downtown/Warehouse District

As an aside, do you guys consider this to be the Warehouse District, North Loop, or both?

I lived next door to this location and always described it as "a block from Sexworld."

I'd never call it North Loop even if it technically is.

I'd call it The Gateway.

Interesting! [now I'm not disagreeing with you because this is all about one's perception, but] I consider Gateway to be a name for a place that no longer exists. "Gateway" is the point where Hennepin & Nicollet Avenues came together, but that isn't even possible anymore. It's just something that you learn about in school and can picture the photograph of the bums lying in the grass in the old Gateway Park with the monument. There are no official or unofficial boundaries presently, and it seems like it was always kind of ambiguous. And what's up with "Gateway Ramp" way over at Washington & 4th Avenue S...isn't that too far to be the Gateway? Or is "Gateway" now just a term for anything in that general area that was destroyed by urban renewal policies?

Gateway District: Hennepin to 3rd Ave, the river to 4th Street. Officially part of Downtown West Neighborhood, which also has its western boundary along Hennepin. The Velo will be in the North Loop Neighborhood, but right across the street from the 222, which was a block (I think the westernmost full block) razed during "Gateway" renewal.

Really looking forward to this one going up, and hoping there aren't many changes from renderings to reality.

IMG_3540 by UrbanMSP, on Flickr

Grant to the Velo for clean-up work
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/215690651.html

Two good stories about this block today, this is great!

I drive past this to and from work everyday. They have a VERY deep hole going right now. This corner will be very different with 222 and Velo.

Another note, They are sprucing up 1st St N. They tore out some of the side walk and planted trees. I am assuming there is still more work to be done. I wonder if 2nd St N will get the same treatment when all the construction is done?

High hopes for this space. It looks like they have just about reached the depths of this dig. Some basic foundation work has already been poured.

This one started poking out of the ground yesterday.

A quick photo update on Velo, snapped from the 4th floor of 222 Hennepin.

^Nice Thanks for the pic.