urbanMSP

the problem is that what faces the street has tons of curb-cuts, is a parking ramp, or doesn't have retail (or the small/varied types) thanks to 60% of it being in the skyway level (at the public's dime). For example, why not build the 1,610 space ramp into the ground if you can find a builder to p...

I wonder if the city would be better off (risk-wise) buying the lots themselves and selling off land in smaller chunks to the highest bidder. Not only risk-wise. I think it would be healthy to promote more varied, smaller-scale buildings and ownership downtown. The mega-projects we're currently suf...

Regardless of whether or not a net benefit does accrue to the city from this subsidized parking ramp in an immediately discernable financial sense, by increasing the glut of parking the city is retarding the growth of this area. If there is one thing DTE absolutely in no way requires any more of, it...

Crikey the plaza in front of this is humungous. I fear it may be as charming as Albany's Empire State Plaza (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BAsoDFpqKII/T ... -09-06.jpg)

I don't understand why everyone is straining to envision immediate uses for the Strib building, and, failing to find any plausible ones, it is therefore necessary to tear the thing down? This is overcomplicating things. The building can simply be sold. The binary choice "Have Ryan turn it into ...

yea let's just kiss thousands of dowtown employees and hundreds of milions of dollars in private investment in our city bye bye. good plan minneapolis. that concrete surface parking is vastly superior. This development proposes the construction of 4 buildings: two towers, one parking ramp, and one ...

As I understand it, all apartments that had been planned for this development have been postponed, save the building opposite the jail. At least initially, therefore, it won't be surrounded by hundreds of residences. Ah, Is that right? I thought there was residential attached to the front of the of...

Not saying this park plan doesn't have it's issues...but....Isn't it supposed to be surrounded on at least 2 sides by hundreds of residences? And Isn't there supposed to be leasable ground floor retail space in the Wells Fargo Buildings? Also, if we are comparing to Gold Medal Park, that was pretty...

In the 90's the Schubert Theater was moved over a block to make way for Block E. This is a good analogy that should focus minds. The original Block E may have been 'blighted' (whatever that means; I think it means 'frequented by poor people') and 'without architectural merit', but those run-down pr...

Bob Parr, director of development for Ryan Cos., told commissioners that the entire development hinges on the demolition of the Star Tribune building. "The full park plan is a vital component of the overall project," Parr said. "Without it as shown, Ryan's project will not go forward...

If the City Council is to override the decision and permit demolition, it should at least insist on a few things. Primary among them should be that demolition cannot take place without first answering the questions posed by Mr. Musicant in his Streets.mn post. Minneapolis has a long history of makin...

Have you seen the Penfield?

Presumably you're not a fan.

Idea: a "mixed-historic district" whereby all prewar building facades must be maintained (and ideally the building too, but in the case of a couple one story parcels I'd be happy with just the facade staying and set-back upper levels), and new parking lots are not allowed. Anything postwa...

Strib's latest about rising rents and vacancy rates dropping slightly over this quarter last year: http://www.startribune.com/housing/230594621.html If demand is outstripping supply (and thereby causing prices to rise), why is there "growing concern that the rental market is on the verge of sa...

what in the world is the reason for doing this?

Yes; could someone please explain why the buses are using the LRT guideway and not the vehicle lane?

It's irritating that local media repeat the phrase "two story berms through St. Louis Park" with no context. At what height, for what distance, and to what effect? You'd think the Berlin wall was being proposed.

I don't fully understand the apprehension regarding the lack of dedicated ROW. Consider two points: (1) Nicollet through Whittier does not serve as a major automobile thoroughfare because it is a narrow two-way with no access at Lake Street, and (2) Nicollet downtown does not serve as a major automo...

"Hennepin County [has hired] a Colorado firm to take a fresh look at rerouting the freight train traffic that has become a stumbling block to the light-rail transit (LRT) project." "The county asked the Met Council [to hire] Transportation Technology Center Inc. in Pueblo, Colo., to e...

According to the Star Tribune, downtown Minneapolis is "drowning in a sea of parking lots." (See http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/163640936.html) But our trusted local anchors also report about the parking "premium" (http://www.kare11.com/news/article/1037386/396/Dude...

I really like how this project treats the sidewalk.

how so?

Widening the Washington Avenue sidewalk by 9 feet, widening the 3rd and 4th Avenue sidewalks by 3-4 feet; trees, planters, seating, and new street lights. It is the anti-Bridgewater (narrow sidewalk, dead on arrival saplings, etc.).