urbanMSP

DSC_1270 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1271 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1272 by grant.simons, on Flickr

Just talked to Dan Lessor, project manager, who I coincidentally ran into while waiting for my bus across from 4marq. He said that the city fire inspector said they can't have the precast reaching all the way to the top floor. He didn't go into too much detail because I don't like frying people with these kind of questions. 6 foot tall glass will now surround the top floor.

#basic

..is there something wrong with basic? Can we not be happy for an apartment tower that has an ikea vibe for middle class city dwellers? Maybe I'm out of line though.

The rent in this building will not be "middle class" though. Instead, rent will be rather spendy here. Its been billed as luxury, or so I remember. I may be wrong about that.

The only actual luxury proposal is Encore. Which is quite a bit more $.

I think I'm obsessed with this project

DSC_1277 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1278 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1279 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1276 by grant.simons, on Flickr

^^^You should have been around when Wells Fargo and Capella were built. That was amazing to watch! I biked by 4Marq today to take a look at the top and they are using the same black/ dark bronze to clad the top as they're using on the sides. It doesn't look too bad and fits pretty well with the rest of the complex. Just hard to believe the precast was a hazard as I figure it's fire proof. Maybe its the smoke issue and would trap too much smoke inside the party room etc if a fired occurred.

Once I started to see 80s and City Center in this one, it was lost for me.

A year by grant.simons, on Flickr

Makes a big difference by grant.simons, on Flickr

I see glass has been installed on a portion of the ground floor. Also see that there has been a lot of interior stud walls going up. They need to get the full glass in before they try and install sheetrock on the ground level I would hope.

Little preview of the parking podium wrapping.

DSC_1321 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1322 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1324 by grant.simons, on Flickr

DSC_1325 by grant.simons, on Flickr

Will not pass judgement just yet with so few panels up, But I really to have a liking for them so far. That lighter bronze should have been the color of the corners and top instead of the black!

Those look even better than I was expecting. Really sad we're not going to get the precast cage on the top, especially because of the fire inspector of all people.

Liking this look so far!

Wait til the pigeon smears take hold!

Wait til the pigeon smears take hold!

It could end up looking like one of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings But seriously pigeons are becoming quite a problem downtown, especially on Nicollet Mall.

Wait til the pigeon smears take hold!

It could end up looking like one of Jackson Pollock's drip paintings But seriously pigeons are becoming quite a problem downtown, especially on Nicollet Mall.

At least the skyway glass between IDS and Macy's seems to be taking a few out, from the looks of the greasy, pigeon-impact stains. I'm assuming this isn't the same glass being inserted into the People's Stadium.

Wait til the pigeon smears take hold!

Jesus invented pressure washers so that we can clean pigeon smears.

The crane is coming down

4marq Parking Ramp Wrap by grant.simons, on Flickr

Wow...