urbanMSP

I like it. Appreciate the cornice/parapet, like the scale, and it might even preserve the building next-door for a similar stage II.

The unit sizes are interesting. 450 sqft one-bedrooms? Even the larger units are pretty small.

71 units, 44 parking spaces.

In an area that has pretty garbage transit service (the 7 runs on 1st Street, but not terribly frequently), this is somewhat surprising. Due to the misaligned superblocks and whatnot, it's not particularly easy to cut over to Washington (Route 14) either, or beyond that to Target Field Station. It's a shame River Station Condos just came a generation too early - there's no way the city would allow that superblock development today without at least some quasi-public ADA routes through it. It does have those two private "streets" (proto-woonerfs?), but they're misaligned with 5th & 6th Ave.

Currently, parking meters charge $0.50/hr, and only M-F 9-6, with 10-hour(!) limits during those times. That certainly helps some if you're a resident, though I bet those suckers will be more full than ever overnight now. I suppose the Star Tribune's pay lot is available for monthly contracts as well, at least for now. Can't really see the transit service in this area getting better, especially when my brightest idea is to make it "worse" (by consolidating the 7 and 14 on Washington & stop serving 1st St directly).

71 units, 44 parking spaces.

In an area that has pretty garbage transit service (the 7 runs on 1st Street, but not terribly frequently), this is somewhat surprising. Due to the misaligned superblocks and whatnot, it's not particularly easy to cut over to Washington (Route 14) either, or beyond that to Target Field Station. It's a shame River Station Condos just came a generation too early - there's no way the city would allow that superblock development today without at least some quasi-public ADA routes through it. It does have those two private "streets" (proto-woonerfs?), but they're misaligned with 5th & 6th Ave.

Currently, parking meters charge $0.50/hr, and only M-F 9-6, with 10-hour(!) limits during those times. That certainly helps some if you're a resident, though I bet those suckers will be more full than ever overnight now. I suppose the Star Tribune's pay lot is available for monthly contracts as well, at least for now. Can't really see the transit service in this area getting better, especially when my brightest idea is to make it "worse" (by consolidating the 7 and 14 on Washington & stop serving 1st St directly).

That super block is long! I suppose technically it goes from 8th Ave to 3rd ave. You can try and cross over at 4th ave, but you may be stopped and told you're trespassing as you go between 1st st and 2nd st on 4th ave.

If you're trying to catch the 14, you can get to Wash Ave quickly, as the private street you speak of dumps you at the path to the tunnel between 2nd st and Wash ave. That's convenient. Definitely a cold long hike in the winter if Target Field is your final destination!

Have you really heard about someone being stopped for trespassing on 4th Ave? Can't tell if joke. That street's as "quasi-public" as it gets. I'd say that RiverStation is pretty porous, too, though certainly not ADA friendly. I used to walk through those passages pretty much every day when I worked over there, and never had anything resembling a problem.

The superblock between 2nd & Washington is the bigger problem, although the big gap there is between "7th" (the passage under Tower Lofts) and 10th. Conveniently, that is where 1st St is more lightly populated or non-existent, so it isn't an excuse for not running the 7 on Washington, where North Loopers could take advantage of greater combined frequency.

As for the building, I'd say it's getting a bit classier looking, although they're tearing down the wrong building.

The building occupying this site has been cleared.

And is already a hole.

Wow, did not even realize that they had full city approval.

According to the development tracker in the Journal this project has been under construction still the fall. Anyone near by know how far along they are and have pics?

No pictures, but biking by a few days ago it was up to the second floor. Looks to be all concrete.

Looks almost topped off. You can see it from Hennepin Ave bridge.

A few more details, including the building's new name and a video with floorplans, here: www.solhem.com/nolo-flats

It looks like they improved the design. Looks much better now that the materials are chosen and finalized.

Super simplified, arguably better. Plays nicer with the neighborhood.

WP_20160224_11_17_41_Pro by grant.simons, on Flickr

Thanks for the pic Grant.

I HATE the A/C unit in the video. For that reason alone I would turn this place down for somewhere else. ick

I HATE the A/C unit in the video. For that reason alone I would turn this place down for somewhere else. ick

You prefer Magic Paks?

For an apartment that small, seems like the perfect solution.

I do.

Central AC delivered via ducts is multitudes better than wall-shakers freezing one room while leaving another room hot

I HATE the A/C unit in the video. For that reason alone I would turn this place down for somewhere else. ick

You prefer Magic Paks?

Yes. A MagicPak is preferable to a PTAC.