Rumors: A Historical Record of Mystery

[Avian]

Just throwing this out there...And yes I know it's cryptic but it has to be for now. Maybe nasa can confirm as well if he's still hanging around here.

Something Skinny This Way Comes.
Very skinny if the plans remain the same by the time it is made public. Not a new tallest though it will impact the skyline.

[MNdible]

That would be great... the last batch of office towers were fat floor-plated and looked the worse because of it.

Residential probably makes more sense for a svelte tower. Look forward to seeing if anything comes of this.

[Avian]

^Yes, It certainly sounds promising. When I said "skinny" it's because the ratio of width to height is in the neighborhood of 1:8. In comparison, the ratio for the IDS's narrow side is less than 1:6. It's broad side is a bit over 1:3.

That said, I want to make clear that I haven't seen the design, just the description.

[John]

For visualization, I think the tower to the left in this photo is about a ratio of 1:10; the other to the right is approximately 1:12. Very slender. It would be wonderful for our city to have some more towers with these proportions.

[nordeast homer]

I keep racking my brain trying to think of a plot narrow enough and high enough in demand to warrant this building type. Any ideas? There is the plot next to Dolphin Staffing, but that seems like too large of a parcel. My guess is the building that Barfly occupies. I know that building had a potential development plan about 5 -6 years ago and there was talk that it could be up to a 50 story building.

[Minneboy]

I'm kind of thinking the parking ramp next to Ameriprise on the corner of 3rd Ave and 8th St. If I recall Ryan or Opus owns this and has planned on building on this location in the past. I could be mistaken. It happens.

[Minneboy]

Come to think of it isn't that the parking ramp used in the movie Fargo? Maybe the ramp should stay and become a MN landmark???

[web]

I yjought that ramp was the old dayton radisson ramp......now macy/radsson ramp

[Minneboy]

The one in the movie?

[Minneboy]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116282/locations

[seanrichardryan]

The lots behind the Young Quinlan or that 35' lot behind WCCO would be great! Better yet on Hennepin, on any of the empty lots.

[min-chi-cbus]

To the poster alluding to the 50 story proposal on the BarFly site, a 50 story residential high-rise could be barely over 500 feet (most likely 550 to 600) and therefore not be a new tallest but would still impact the skyline (although it may be a fairly muted impact depending on its neighbors). I could definitely see that happen.

[John]

The lots behind the Young Quinlan or that 35' lot behind WCCO would be great! Better yet on Hennepin, on any of the empty lots.

Yes, there are still many empty lots along Hennepin Ave downtown that need infill. IMO, these sites are particularly good for thinner, taller buildings in the core. The parking lot behind Young Quinlan you refer to is owned by Hines. A tower with similar proportions to Wells Fargo could be built there.

[Tyler]

There are some small lots at 1st and Washington that could make sense for tall, skinny residential. Whole Foods effect...

[woofner]

My duplex has a 10' wide driveway - I'd be willing to subdivide if I could get an easement...

[seanrichardryan]

I heard Wells Fargo was sniffing around the lovely urbane block on Washington Ave N home to Runyon's and Haute Dish etc.

[mamundsen]

WF sniffing around for a branch location? Certainly not office space. The DTE should take care of that need.

[Avian]

I don't want to betray any confidences with the exact location, but the skinny tower will be a striking addition to the skyline as seen from I-394 and quite a bit taller than, for example, the proposed "Couture" in Milwaukee. And it's not the only one in the pipeline. The other tower is not as far along in the process though.

[nordeast homer]

Let's keep our fingers crossed! That Couture building is really nice, if this building had those types of characteristics I'd be happy.

[Silophant]

Exciting! Coture is going to be a few feet taller than 5th St. Towers II, (8th tallest in Minneapolis) so even if "quite a bit taller" is only 30 feet, this will still be among the tallest seven buildings in Minneapolis.