urbanMSP

I do not understand why it would be important to group like uses together.

Actually, I think that sounds affirmatively bad.

The way it's set up now makes most sense. You'd want the hotel portion closest to HCMC and the housing portion on the opposite end for a little noise buffer.

More details from Finance and Commerce,

"Sherman will present its plans to the neighborhood association on May 1. Construction on the Sherman projects is expected to begin in November. Work on Thrivent’s building will begin this summer. Both sides of the redevelopment block will be completed by mid-2020, said Shane LaFave, Sherman’s director of multifamily development."


"Thrivent’s project checked another box for the neighborhood association with its shorter stature. They were pleased that the Thrivent project would not “overshadow” the Minneapolis Armory directly across South Sixth Street, or the Commons park two blocks to the east.

“I think if you had some 40-story tower, it would tower over the Commons,” Tamburino said.

Thrivent took into account the impact its building would have on Downtown East, Thrivent’s Briese said.

“We’ve considered how our building will fit in with the rest of East Town,” she wrote in the email. “Ultimately, we have designed a space that meets the needs of Thrivent and is a welcoming place for those in East Town.”"

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/03/ne ... town-hcmc/

“I think if you had some 40-story tower, it would tower over the Commons,” Tamburino said.

God forbid the Commons ever feel like Central Park or Rittenhouse Square, two of the premier urban parks in America.

Seriously, what an idiotic comment.

Concerns about shadowing a neighbor building this close to the CBD is bewildering. This must be just grasping at any excuse to fit.

I agree, what a weird comment. Plus, that 8-story building does indeed overshadow the armory.

Confession time: While waiting for the bes yesterday at 6th and 5th, I had the thought, "maybe we shouldn't put anything too tall right next to the Armory" for a moment.

No worries. I quickly chastised myself.

Well, luckily, it looks like we won't.

Height in itself is neither good nor bad. The fight is over density, and density is what a city needs, not height.

The details on the office building.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 209890.pdf

I'm trying to like this proposal. With the capacity of this building I wonder if their current building is partially empty?

Plans for the southern half of the block are being debuted tonight at DMNA.

Agenda

Ooh, beat me to this one.

If it took me a minute longer to figure out the html for a friendly link you'd have won.

Plans for the southern half of the block are being debuted tonight at DMNA.

Agenda

Did anyone go to this meeting and see the plans?

Here are your full headquarters plans:

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 210972.pdf

It seems like recent projects have been making massive spaces between buildings, starting with the ultra wide alleys on the Nic on 5th block. Other examples of widely spaced buildings include the KA block, behind the Radisson Red, the behind the Uptown Target, and more.

It creates a pretty poor walking environment and just makes everything seem jumbo. Are the days of tight, intimate, and human scaled urban spaces over? Does it keep happening because of code requirements or is it driven by the architects and developers?

I still feel like the plans look kind of bland.


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It seems like recent projects have been making massive spaces between buildings, starting with the ultra wide alleys on the Nic on 5th block. Other examples of widely spaced buildings include the KA block, behind the Radisson Red, the behind the Uptown Target, and more.

It creates a pretty poor walking environment and just makes everything seem jumbo. Are the days of tight, intimate, and human scaled urban spaces over? Does it keep happening because of code requirements or is it driven by the architects and developers?

At KA I got the sense that it was supposed to be outdoor space for Finnegan's and the drop off for the hotel. Same for the Radisson Red, where the comings and going of guest pick up and drop off are in the alley. For those things, it makes sense.

That doesn't explain the Nic or Uptown Target, though.

Isn't Uptown Target's problem that both it and the adjacent apartment building wanted their own gated alleys? Lagoon even has a three-lane-wide alley because The Walkway seems to have two for whatever reason?

A real shame that they couldn't integrate these better for a superior pedestrian experience.

As for Thrivent, the building looks absolutely boring, but I'm much less concerned about the alley - it looks like it'll be more of a landscaped center-block drive with bike racks, tables, etc. But, man, there are some lifeless street walls on this thing. I really wish that, at the very least, the cafe could be on one side (say, Portland) and have the credit union move to Fifth.