urbanMSP

After looking at those docks again, the garage doors could be modified to have glass panels and they would end up being really cool indoor/outdoor spaces for small restaurants or the like (the pad facing 5th could be the patio). This is especially the case on the eastern side which would face the yard. Not so much on the western side where it would be up against the jail and an ugly parking ramp. So the dock would probably be a better fit on the 5th Ave side, either repurposing the existing dock but with southern facing doors, or building something new.

Also, I'm not sure venues like this need a dock so much as a stage door. First Ave has a garage door that opens up to the stage, and any semis would need to load off the street. Roy has shared alley/docks as part of RiverCenter/Xcel. The Convention Center auditorium has drive in / drive out stage doors at 12th and 3rd, but not big enough for a semi trailer. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.

I am guessing here but this will probably be focal point and center of activities when the Super Bowl is here.

I am guessing here but this will probably be focal point and center of activities when the Super Bowl is here.

I would tend to agree. When you take it as part of the "whole" that is happening in Downtown East, it's not hard to imagine a festival or event that could "spill out" into the park across the street, provide secondary venue support for the Stadium, or supplement convention space needs for the nearby hotels.

Should be a good addition to the area.

I realize Soundset has grown immensely since it's start in the Metrodome parking lot, but it would sure be nice if Minneapolis' hip-hop fest could be in Minneapolis and somehow leverage this area. With 28,000 fans last year, it will probably remain at Canterbury, but you never know.

I realize Soundset has grown immensely since it's start in the Metrodome parking lot, but it would sure be nice if Minneapolis' hip-hop fest could be in Minneapolis and somehow leverage this area. With 28,000 fans last year, it will probably remain at Canterbury, but you never know.

28,000 people is probably too many for this venue though isn't it? Also, Soundset is kind of an "outdoor thing" too right? Would it be possible to use the park as the venue for Soundset? Would the grass suffer beyond repair?

Off-topic, but yeah at the very least, Soundset could be held at Harriet Island in St. Paul. The fact that our premier (and primarily local-artist based) hip hop festival is held in Shakopee is just a head-scratcher. I can't imagine how the folks in charge of Rhymesayers are cool with that...

I can't imagine how the folks in charge of Rhymesayers are cool with that...

Perhaps a few of them live in the Shakopee area and worked out a deal with Canterbury Park. Don't most of the recent Minneapolis and St. Paul hip-hop artists come from the burbs? Whatever the case, having a hip-hop show in the sticks is beyond ridiculous. I haven't gone since it's been moved to Canterbury.

There is roughly 3 and a half years before the Super Bowl. I hope this venue whatever it is is finished by then. It is a fantastic building in a great location.

I realize Soundset has grown immensely since it's start in the Metrodome parking lot, but it would sure be nice if Minneapolis' hip-hop fest could be in Minneapolis and somehow leverage this area. With 28,000 fans last year, it will probably remain at Canterbury, but you never know.

28,000 people is probably too many for this venue though isn't it? Also, Soundset is kind of an "outdoor thing" too right? Would it be possible to use the park as the venue for Soundset? Would the grass suffer beyond repair?

They want to use it for tailgating, right? Can't imagine a music festival would be any worse. Id love to be able to walk to soundset!

Would it be possible to use the park as the venue for Soundset? Would the grass suffer beyond repair?

There are tons of music festivals bigger than Soundset held in urban parks (Pitchfork in Chicago's Union Park comes to mind). The grass gets trampled a bit, but there are ways to mitigate that.

There is roughly 3 and a half years before the Super Bowl. I hope this venue whatever it is is finished by then. It is a fantastic building in a great location.

This picture of a handout from Dayton's Super Bowl presser might mean nothing, but then again...

The Armory is in fact getting a new roof. That's was apparently confirmed last month by Doug Hoskin at the Elliot Park Planning meeting. Then well that is happening they'll start doing some interior designing of the space. It can seat 6k people for concerts and could even host some small amateur sporting events. The project as a whole will cost $30-32 million

http://elliotparkneighborhood.org/wp-co ... 8-2014.pdf

The project as a whole will cost $30-32 million

What?!? That seems totally outrageous. In the end, there doesn't seem to be that much in this project unless they are really pulling out the stops on historic renovation, which would be odd for a concert venue. Capping 35W through Cedar-Riverside is estimated to cost about $50 million.

http://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2014/ ... etch-i-35w

Think about that. That's not only the cost of concrete and the associated labor to install it, but also an entire ventilation system and emergency egress infrastructure.

Seriously, this project costs $20 million less than capping 35W?!?

That number for capping 35W has always struck me as completely bogus. I wouldn't put too much faith in it.

That number for capping 35W has always struck me as completely bogus. I wouldn't put too much faith in it.

Perhaps, but $35 million for the Armory still seems outrageous. I mean, it's already set up as a space for large crowds. What exactly are they doing that costs so much? I would have expected about $10 million at most.

Yeah. That's a study done by the UofM's school of design. Mick probably just looked at how much a certain amount of concrete and other materials would cost for the amount needed to cap. He could've forgotten some materials, and labor and other stuff MNDot would throw in. Just think of it like this, they're renovating one of the coolest arenas in TC history next to one of the newest stadiums in MN. It will for sure attract artists who want a really unique venue and depending on what they design for the sports side, plenty of teams will be attracted (I think of boxing when it comes to the Armory for some reason). This is a much better use than a freaking parking lot and I think it might even be paid for privately but don't hold me to that.

Edit: In June Doug Hoskin talked to the Strib about the renovations and stated they would be $16 million, I guess he's either doing more than originally intended or he got it an appraisal for the cost and got a much different number
Source: http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 75615.html

Just think of it like this, they're renovating one of the coolest arenas in TC history

It was so cool the Lakers didn't even play there regularly.

It will for sure attract artists who want a really unique venue and depending on what they design for the sports side, plenty of teams will be attracted (I think of boxing when it comes to the Armory for some reason). This is a much better use than a freaking parking lot and I think it might even be paid for privately but don't hold me to that.

It's certainly better than a parking lot but if the owners think this is going to be some kind of major high-power (and high-revenue) big-time artist nirvana, they're going to be painfully disappointed.

Yeah, it's a neat project but at best it will attract regional bands, maybe enough to keep the place going but I'll be absolutely shocked if they make money hand over fist.

What teams are going to play here? Amateur, certainly. Not exactly big-bucks stuff.

Well, considering the building has had next-to-no investment in 25 years, that 30m number seems reasonable. Does it even have functioning plumbing or HVAC?

I wouldn't be too down on the bands that would play there. 6k is bigger than Roy Wilkins, which currently gets basically everything that can't fill one of the major arenas but is too big for, say, First Ave. Even if they only steal half of those shows, that's a decent amount.

As far as $30m goes, sean's right. The place is a craphole right now, and the current cement shortage has to be pushing the price up some too.

Williams Arena cost $41 million dollars to renovate. Just saying

[$74.2 Mil in 2014 dollars]