urbanMSP

The Ropester gives a general overview of the forthcoming consolidation in light of recent approval for $500,000 for design work:
http://www.startribune.com/new-city-off ... 408885535/

What if the city had pitched to the Accenture Tower owners to fund the never built twin tower on that block as a city building? That would have been more of a natural extension of the civic plaza.

Personally I'm a fan of the free parking in the interior of the block. Really a great free parking lot.

Before the parking lot, the city water works offices.



http://digitalcollections.hclib.org/cdm ... ED/id/2174

I guess technically the annex.

Looks like the city is buying the other (privately-owned) ramp on this block:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 194222.pdf

EDIT:
And selling the ramp that they currently own on same block:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 194223.pdf

If this is a straight up swap with no cash consideration, it wouldn't seem to be a very good deal for the city. Yes, the 4th Avenue site is a slightly better location, but it's a much smaller piece of land, and it presumably has many fewer revenue generating parking spots.

Meh. I'd rather see the city tear down this ramp anyways. Government Plaza will look better surrounded on all sides with actual buildings. A smaller floorplate but taller building will work just as easily.

It also doesn't break the skyway during construction as badly, and it probably saves a few hundred parking spots

Plus, isn't this the ramp that charges obscene amounts to people heading to the courthouse? I know they'd still be in business, but the reduced visibility might tone them down.

I know they won't, but if they're not tearing it down, I wish the city would enclose the skyway through the ramp before they sell it. Going outside on a cold windy day, even just for a few hundred feet, sucks.

Also, now the more attractive ramp on the block will be going away instead of the less attractive one.

I was figuring, with this swap plan, that the City would get an easement on the north side to the existing jail skyway connection, and then can reroute the skyway to an interior corridor.

Hope so.

So, just to underline what I was saying above -- I don't think that this swap is a bad idea. It's probably actually a good idea for a number of reasons. I'm just saying that one parcel should be valued more highly than the other, and trading a more valuable parcel for a less valuable one isn't a good deal for the city (unless there's additional cash consideration).

I absolutely agree. And I also hope that they aren't valuing these parcels based on parking revenues, since it always seemed like you had the one ramp which was extortionary and the other which was below-market for parking.

Interpark would also be paying the city $6.5 million for the bigger ramp. So that seems like a better deal.

Isn't that ramp at the end of its useful life?

I'd like to see the City use that $6.5 million for streetwall activation on the 5th Ave ramp.

I wonder if this plan to consolidate will mean that the city intends to put any or all of these properties on the market? I'm sure they must want to recoup a little money to pay for the new tower... but they always must want to keep some of it for later options... I bet the structures facing Marquette are the ones being considered to sell.

A comment on the Thrivent thread made me remember how much of a lost opportunity it was that the City did not fix the eastern municipal ramp's ground presence before they swapped it for the private ramp on the western half of the block...

I mean... a million or three to make the ground level not suck, and maybe another few bucks for a different facade...
https://goo.gl/maps/MhvsL6vf7gm

Interesting food for thought. What if the city canceled this project and consolidated their offices into a new perhaps notable office tower? Maybe another one of those proposals where the office, hotel, apartments etc. are stacked could be launched? As far as getting a tower that is actually impressive the city just seems to be one of the best potential tenants to get something going. We'll also get to keep the current ramp, there may be less risk for the city and Thrivent does have a full block in Downtown East open for something nice nearby. This is more hypothetical than anything else.

The whole Senate office building debacle a few years back will probably squash any ambition the city may have in terms of building an iconic office building. Too many will squack about their tax dollars being wasted.