urbanMSP

The Star Tribune reported today that 7 proposals came in for redevelopment of the old Minneapolis Public Schools Headquarters in NE Minneapolis. There are 3 strictly commercial proposals, and 4 mixed-use proposals, with condos included in one of those. The list:

MIXED USE:
Domain Architecture and Design - condominiums and market-rate apartments with retail space
Dominium Development and Acquisition - affordable apartments and live-work space
Sherman Associates - affordable apartments with live-work space
Greco Development - market-rate apartments and multi-tenant commercial space

COMMERCIAL
Hillcrest Development - multi-tenant commercial space
First & First - multi-tenant commercial space
Kremer & Young - multi-tenant commercial space

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/193138921.html

I used to live behind Uncle Franky's (on Quincy Street right off Broadway) and I always thought this was such a cool building/area. The street (Quincy) on the north side of Broadway is still the original cobblestones...I hope that some of the developers integrate this. I didn't notice...do these proposals include the huge parking lot on the west side of Quincy Street?

http://finance-commerce.com/2013/05/min ... adquarters

Sounds like the Hillcrest bid is the chosen one. I'm very disappointed it's not one of the four proposals that include housing.

Since the school district owns the building, to what degree does the City (either policymakers or CPED) have a say in this? Obviously any development proposals will go through CPED, but they don't really have a decision making capacity. What incentive could there be for the school district to choose a certain proposal over another, besides taking the top offer?

I suppose there is an element of judging the ability of a particular developer to actually come up with financing and go through with the purchase. Were a given project particularly controversial, I assume they'd avoid that as well. But at the end of the day, given MPS's budget woes, I would hope they'd take the highest bidder.

The surrounding Logan Park neighborhood had a lot of input on this. They favored a development that would bring in jobs over housing. There was a lot of concern that the loss of jobs when the Board of Ed. moved out would have a negative impact on surrounding businesses. I really have to question whether the Board of Ed. employees ever really contributed much to the local economy beyond maybe an occasional lunch at Uncle Frankie's. Also Hillcrest already has a strong presence in Northeast.

The Hillcrest commercial development proposal is officially the winner: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/m ... polis.html

Six months later, still no signed purchase contract: http://finance-commerce.com/2013/11/hil ... diligence/ (paywall)

Long time with no updates on this project. It's now called Highlight Center.
Sport Ngin will occupy 30,000 sq ft (of 170,000 total).

Hillcrest's website for the project: http://hillcrestdevelopment.com/properties/1534/?c=

Sport Ngin moved in this week. Very cool repurposing of the original materials and features on the interior of what had been kind of a 60s dystopian bureaucratic nightmare interior (think drop panel ceilings and elementary school like finishes).

A brewery called Able Brewing is also moving in to the other historic building on the property.

http://community.sportngin.com/construction-blog

Pox on Hillcrest: http://www.startribune.com/parking-tens ... 318380231/

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/hi ... -northeast

Nice update on this project, the Able Seedhouse & Brewery is on track to open at the end of October as well.