Root District - Farmers Market / Royalston Station

[mattaudio]

I'd love to see stronger connections between the West Loop and the North Loop, CBD, Loring Park, and Sumner-Glenwood.

I'm convinced the 94/Olson diamond interchange needs reimagining. As well as the 7th/Olson/Royalston mess. The entire thing needs reimagining, and we have a huge opportunity here with Bottineau and SWLRT. In an ideal world, we could actually build partially on air rights over I-94 towards the pond in the middle of Van White Blvd, if we were able to somehow depress/reconfigure the flyover ramp from Olson to eastbound 94.

Here's something I wrote last year about the concept of reconnecting this neighborhood by strengthening the grid. https://streets.mn/2014/06/12/reconnect ... royalston/

[twincitizen]

I wish the SWLRT station would be shifted slightly south, as close to Glenwood as possible. Like as soon as the LRT rises out of the RR cut and crosses Glenwood, have the station there. People transferring from buses 5/19/22 could make that transfer at Twins Way/Glenwood instead of 7th/Olson.

Another consideration regarding the streets would be to eliminate Royalston as a thoroughfare, having it curve over to a slightly realigned Holden/Border Ave (which then of course meets Olson as it does today, just without the frontage roads)

[min-chi-cbus]

I can't even begin to imagine how to transform this area, but it's a compelling thought! Great article, btw, Matt!! The sooner that this area's street system can be restored to a network-connected grid, the sooner development will likely follow.

[acs]

New strib article about the area. Interview with the Vegitable Grower's association which saw renderings Monday night had a few hints:

Association spokeswoman Sandy Hill said his vision involved a modernized Farmers Market and an indoor restaurant concept beside the stadium similar to Eataly in Chigago – which would feed off food from the farmers market. It also included parking ramps, she said.

“It still had our three remaining sheds, but more glorified to fit with the modernness of the whole design," Hill said

There's just never enough parking downtown

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/297558791.html

[xandrex]

A lot of news site and the like are talking about the "West Loop" and its redevelopment, but I'm wondering how much actual redevelopment potential there is.

Obviously there's a lot of industrial, but the entire "West Loop" is just...not all that large. Once you take up the space for the stadium, the farmers market (and any expansion like the "Eataly" being proposed), and the Mary's place, we're looking at a handful of parcels. Throw in any green space or structured parking and you've got maybe a few small blocks to maybe put some development on.

[MinnMonkey]

Could this ramp be more for the Farmers Market? Parking is pretty tight down there on weekends.

[Mikey]

Personally, I'd like to see (North to south, between Royalston & Border):
Reconfigure Royalston and 6th Ave to intersect 7th St as a single intersection just west of the planned LRT tracks

Make Olson Mem turn into 7th Street - eliminate 7th between Olson and Oak Lake (or just leave a NB lane to act as an oversized porkchop between Olson and Oak Lake

Longer term, reconnecting Cesar Chavez / 4th Ave over / under I-94, more mixed use between Royalston and Mary's Place

[Anondson]

A nice dream for reconnecting would be to freeway cap 394 between Hawthorn and Glenwood and cap the rail when logical north of Glenwood.

[mattaudio]

I like the idea of a cap, but yeah probably not likely. Some ideas: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... jyYCFJAV2Q

Any chance this momentum could cross the BNSF and convince Xcel and Mpls Public Works to redevelop their large land holdings between 394/BNSF?

[HiawathaGuy]

Any chance this momentum could cross the BNSF and convince Xcel and Mpls Public Works to redevelop their large land holdings between 394/BNSF?

Not if the Basilica has anything to say about it!

[Silophant]

Any chance this momentum could cross the BNSF and convince Xcel and Mpls Public Works to redevelop their large land holdings between 394/BNSF?

Well, never say never, but the only Xcel property I could see Xcel easily getting rid of would be the auxiliary parking lot between Linden and 394. The actual service center, I really doubt would go.

[Gman12]

I like the idea of a cap, but yeah probably not likely. Some ideas: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... jyYCFJAV2Q

Any chance this momentum could cross the BNSF and convince Xcel and Mpls Public Works to redevelop their large land holdings between 394/BNSF?

I doubt any time soon. From what I was told they are grandfathered in on some difficult to acquire hazardous waste permits for the land that would be very hard/impossible/cost $$$$ to get if they were to relocate.

[Silophant]

That's accurate.

[downfall]

Remember that the July 2014 memorandum of understanding between the Met Council and Minneapolis included the following for the Royalston Station:

a. Upgrade to embedded track along Royalston Avenue both north and south of the station.
b. Upgrade to painted tubular overhead catenary poles in Royalston Station area and at station.
c. Build enhanced pedestrian connections to the Farmer’s Market, from both the north and south, via the frontage road and Holden and Border Avenues

Memo: http://www.metrocouncil.org/News-Events ... esign.aspx

Exhibit: http://www.metrocouncil.org/Transportat ... ation.aspx

The pedestrian improvements look to be new sidewalks with full roadway reconstruction. How much of this design is compatible with the new stadium anchored vision for the area? Is this a vehicle to pay for some of the infrastructure improvements needed for the stadium? Can/should transit funds be used in this way?

[Anondson]

Are there any concept images of the 94/4th freeway ramp-to-boulevard conversion mentioned in the article?

[xandrex]

Are there any concept images of the 94/4th freeway ramp-to-boulevard conversion mentioned in the article?

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 15531.html

Looks like the third slide is a concept of the conversion.

[mister.shoes]

If the viaduct is ever going to go away, I'm obviously partial to my crazy idea of simply reconnecting a full grid (click for full-size):

.

But now that I think about it, having a pair of one-ways would make it far too tempting to build 3-lane racetracks going each direction. The MWB concept from UrbanWorks would allow 3rd to be a neighborhood street while making the freeway access a [relatively] pleasant place to be.

[mattaudio]

Sharing and Caring Hands coming down to make way for new facility
http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/300971761.html

"The new site is set to open in mid-July, adding family size apartments to the facility’s upper two levels and new children and teen centers on its main floor. Copeland said the remodeling project won’t displace any homeless residents, and staff made space available in its community rooms for children activities until its opening."

[Mikey]

Sharing and Caring Hands coming down to make way for new facility
http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/300971761.html

Didn't they start construction on this last summer? They're basically extending the main yellow building NW along 7th

[grrdanko]

Looks like we might still get the Farmer's Market Soccer Stadium.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/s3998789.shtml