urbanMSP

Losing to Spain would be understandable.

Losing to Serbia feels more like a pointed "you can't just snub us for decades and then come back and get an Expo" message that should be carefully considered before investing more time and money into these efforts.

I was really skeptical about the competitiveness of a few empty lots near MOA, but apparently because of the strict limits on the size of site you can build on for a Special Exposition, having MOA directly next door allows them to take direct advantage of that extra retail and entertainment space an...

Not just businesses. I don't think the MAC would even entertain talking about closing STP, let alone taking the steps to plan for that capacity to be absorbed at other airports. At the bare minimum, I think you'd need another east side airport to be expanded to at least the size of Flying Cloud, pos...

It also sounded like there was some pushback against the train being elevated on the east side of I-94 on community division grounds. Which if we were building this on pristine green field sites where elevated tracks would create a barrier that doesn't exist, that would be a valid concern. But when ...

I think it's also worth remembering that Brightline views their efforts in California/Nevada (and to a lesser extent Florida) as pioneering projects. They believe that having a 180mph train in operation and a demonstrable business model will help to inspire other companies to start picking at their ...

They do like their own stations, but mostly for land development reasons. I could see two scenarios where they would be open to using existing infrastructure: - Union Depot gives them the space and means to create their own customer experience at the station, similar to airport lounges for preferred...

Brightline seems to be building their entire brand on the theory that if there's enough travel demand between two cities that the airlines are competing over the customers with low prices, there's enough demand to support frequent, high quality rail service, and that they will draw enough customers ...

Or, for a cheaper and far more effective solution, we could automate enforcement, as we should have done a decade ago after it was determined the constitutional issues could be resolved by ticketing the car instead of the driver.

Hope Hines has an appetite for more. Either a private project or stadium development would help to kick off another decade worth of expansion for the North Loop, but I'd much prefer the version of events that doesn't include the whole "We love this city, that's why we're going to ask you to giv...

Not only did the legislature put a 2040 expiration date on the HERC by refusing to classify incinerators as clean energy, but they also are requiring Hennepin County to create a closure plan in order to access $26 million in bonding bill money for an anaerobic digester project. https://sahanjournal....

I assume they're stuck trying to get pre-pandemic lease rates to pay back the loans it took to renovate it?

I guess at least the next owner won't be stuck with that problem.

Yes! The benefit of a downtown office is we drive from all directions. If my company would move to Eden Prairie or Bloomington, I’d seriously consider leaving because my drive is already long into downtown from the North burbs. And regardless of the current transit situation (frequency or condition...

This thought process would imply that every other country that uses these has a total Armageddon of just burning homes and buildings... which they don't. And yes, they have tall buildings too. Crazy stuff. It's the same thought process that leads us to immediately dismiss any innovations or process...

That would have been a logical solution, but I don't think that was politically tenable. The opponents of bike trail removal/relocation were pushing for a tunnel through the entire Kennilworth corridor. I think the actual users of the trail would have been fine with staying on the Greenway for a bit...

When's the last time a MnDOT project for badly needed highway expansion or bridge replacement came out more than double the projected cost? When's the last time a highway expansion project had funding delayed and obstructed by the legislature to pointlessly drag out the project timeline and add inf...

Hand wringing over budget overruns is pointless since the two options are either to pay them or pay billions more to undo the entire project. Hard working taxpayers probably would prefer 1.5 billion to 3-4 billion in FTA grant repayments and remediation if they're not entirely blinded by their anti-...

Good thing the loud anti-transit voices in the media reacted like this was another billion dollar problem immediately after this was reported. I can't wait to see their subsequent articles and pieces on the subject now that we have more information.

I've always thought the biggest barrier to a downtown tunnel would be that you'd probably have to lose the Hennepin/Warehouse station for the portal, considering that the tracks would have to rise above the underground portion of 394 to reconnect with the first Target Field platform.

Would it be possible to extend the Northstar service from St. Cloud to Brainerd? It's a relatively large region that continues to grow. In particular, I imagine folks taking the train during the summer and meeting up with family or friends that drove avoiding the weekend traffic congestion. IMO it ...

For all the faults of the interstate system, it takes incredible political will and effort to remove even the most redundant parts of the freeway network. The Class 1 railroads will rip up a double track section of their routes the second they aren't being used to lower their tax burden. That wouldn...