urbanMSP

1507075009046.jpgGround level floor plan

I think there are two "comm" (commercial? ) spaces on the corner?

Looks like a good project. My primary complaints: way too much parking and no ground floor retail.

Where did you see that there is no ground floor retail planned?

Wondering the same. I heard restaurant and around 5,000 ft of general retail

There was ground floor retail on the proposed floor plan

retail Retail RETAIL!

I walked past the site yesterday. The neighborhood isn't very neighborhood-ish. This area really needs some greenspace. Also, I think 5 more stories could do a lot for this tower given that 1/3 (8 stories out of the 26) of the height is the podium.

If you would've walked through either North Loop or Mill District back in 2007 you would've felt the same though.

While that may be true, the upside for this corner of downtown isn't really the same as the North Loop or Mill District. To be clear, I support this project, and it's not in a *bad* location per se - it's still only 2.5 downtown blocks from Nicollet Mall after all. But the Convention Center is lifeless when it matters, this spot is spitting distance from the freeway trench, and right between two major 3+ lane entrance/exit streets to 35W, with really large parking ramps that aren't going anywhere anytime soon on multiple nearby blocks. Again, to be clear, this is a fine proposal just like Grant Park is a fine project that made those streets/sidewalks better. But the commercial use in this will likely be more geared toward the convention users than residents (which is fine!). Maybe I'm wrong and the smaller commercial space will be a neighborhood convenience store or pharmacy or something.

That part of downtown will always be a challenge because of the freeway access, but what the area needs isn't green space, it's people. People can partially reclaim the dominion of cars in a way that open space cannot.

Also, there's a park/plaza thing over the convention center parking a block in one direction and wedged between the freeway ramps a block in the other direction.

Anyway, building something here and redeveloping Century Plaza across the street could make a big change in the "neighborhood" feel.

So I've heard a lot from people who go to our convention center complaining about finding a sandwich that's not from directly inside the convention center. Retail is totally necessary and would do well on 12th Street

One of the particular issues with this site is that the Convention Center frontage across the street from it is essentially an unscreened loading dock. It's not going to stop being a loading dock anytime soon, but they could pretty easily put some lipstick on that pig.

The neighborhood isn't very neighborhood-ish. This area really needs some greenspace.

I think you are one to something but to be pedantic this area has some small pockets of green space, though it really is smothered by the freeway entrances.

There is the Convention Center Plaza. Isn’t there some dog run along 4th? And then some usable open space on 10th sandwiched between the ramps. Peavey Plaza is very short walk. A tad further and there is the Franklin Steele Square.

Enjoyable green isn’t really too far away though. What I’d go for here is wide friendly sidewalks with stores and big functional awnings.

Hopefully this project brings a critical mass of people to the south of downtown to support first floor retail and any sense of walkability. Look at how Latitude 45 turned a corner of high speed Washington Ave into a high end restaurant and patio space.

Perhaps more what I was picking up on is that the neighborhood isn't knit together very well. It's sort of stuck awkwardly between CBD offices and residential. It'll be nice to have a street on the end of Downtown that is nicer to walk down with more greenery. Sort of an across Downtown link to match the redone Washington.

Heritage Committee paperwork. There might be some new renderings.

http://minneapolismn.gov/www/groups/pub ... 206621.pdf

Woah. This is a Magney, Tusler and Setter building... There might be some pieces that should be saved, even it it's just making the courtyard into a pocket park.

God that floor plan is awful. An exit right into the 3rd Ave bike lanes, 3 massive community spaces (?), a ton of ground floor PARKING, a courtyard? What's the use of this? Just add some walk up units or retail or who the cares, we have enough weird inter sectional quasi public spaces done poorly in this city.

I love this view and the roof detail & spire!

Can't wait for it to shut down part of the 3rd Ave PBL for 2+ years!

Can't wait for it to shut down part of the 3rd Ave PBL for 2+ years!

We survived the construction on Portland Ave. At the same time there isn't an alternative given that 4th and 2nd go the other direction and 2nd has buses.

On a different note, this isn't the tallest tower, but it's classier than what we're seeing on the north end of Nicollet Mall and presents itself well. Too bad Alatus didn't bid for the Gateway project. (That I know of.)

I'd wager is this apartments based on the size of the units. The HPC plans show there being "alcove" units on every floor 9-27. If it were condos, I'd expect some larger penthouses on the upper floors, and just larger units in general, on all floors.