urbanMSP

In Gold Medal Park, some trees died. They were removed and replaced. And they seem to keep adding new trees in new locations. That park is meticulously maintained.

For the Trammell Crow building, neighbors and CIDNA (Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Assoc.) wanted a five story building, so even six stories was a concession.

I would anticipate something like Excelsior and Grand on a smaller footprint. First floor retail with residential above, and a parking ramp tucked into the mix. I sure hope most of the current retail remains (or at least similar stores). There's a good mix of services in there for people who live ne...

There is huge potential in the Calhoun Village Shopping Center site, especially with a future SWLRT station nearby. Right now, there's a lot of surface parking that could be better used. One of the main reasons the neighborhood rejected the proposed tower design for the apartments currently under co...

I'll reserve final judgement until I can see it in person, but I really like this sculpture. I like the movement, the mirrors and the LEDs. And I like that you can walk inside it rather than just look at it. I could do without the Medtronic logo on the adjacent piece, but I can live with that. Didn'...

It's not bad. I like the logo they came up with. Simple and clear. And, even better, it's not Nordic Village or SoFa.

Hennepin County Government Center's fountain and pool are closed for repair until September. They currently have fencing around it while they work. As much as I like the fountain, I really wish there was a large-scale sculpture in this plaza (either in place of or in addition to the fountain). http:...

Is Culinare still handling the restaurant? They were part of the original proposal.

I see that they've removed the concrete barriers at the site.

The full brightness is just for testing. It'll have different settings depending on the time of day and possibly even for the weather (full sun or overcast). But it's fun to know that the entire park can be lit from a single source of light. Haha.

Preliminary proposal for Hennepin Ave. Interested to see if they can make this work for all parties. Seems like they're cramming a lot into this one road. But checkout the last proposed concept (Washington Ave to 4th St - NB left turn lane). Southbound traffic would come to a standstill when buses a...

To each their own I guess. My condo has both bedrooms without windows. However, both have French doors with large panes of glass and a transom. And the living area has giant windows near those doors. I actually have more of a problem keeping the light out of the bedroom, since I'm usually trying to ...

At a meeting about this property, I was one of only 2-3 people who raised their hands supporting the taller tower proposed for the site. The rest of the room wanted a five story building. But really, it was CIDNA (Cedar Isles Dean Neighborhood Association) who rejected any idea of a tower, or anythi...

The Southwest Journal link in that article has a more complete story:

http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/20 ... s-lawsuit/

I love biking, but I hate seeing those white bollards. It's the same reaction I get when I see graffiti. The street by Lakewood Cemetery where it meets Lake Calhoun is the worst. I wish there was a more elegant (that wouldn't break the bank) solution.

Any word on a skyway connection? When I toured the library recently, the guide mentioned that it was designed for a future connection to the Nicollet Hotel block. And would that leave just those two buildings connected since the library isn't connected to the rest of the grid?

Looks like trees are going into the park today. It's nice to see some tangible progress rather than just moving dirt. Trees also went in around the parking ramp nearby.

Will this event center be on the Wilf owned parking lot? The article is a little vague.

I saw the new awnings for Saks off 5th on a truck outside City Center this morning. Classic black with white text. Looked good.

I guess I will deviate from most others on this group and say I was impressed with the renderings. I think it's a beautiful church and I like that in the new design, the historic building will be the tallest point on the block. Underground parking (off of a relatively little used street) and drop of...

I need some help here understanding what is happening here. Are they keeping or demolishing the Wasabi building? The drawings show the Wasabi building still intact next to it, and possibly connected to the new building by a glass atrium. The clearest picture is probably the Washington Avenue elevat...