urbanMSP

I'm guessing LA Fitness is hoping for both DT residents and workers. Membership is reasonable and includes access to other locations. So, all the suburbanite DT workers who already have a membership can frequent this location over lunch, or after work and wait for traffic to subside. I've done this ...

Why wouldn't you want to see different colors to celebrate different times of the year?

Because we have Hallmark cards for that. And Target HQ.

Article on BizJournal today - The new owners are planning some updates it seems. One of them though makes me sick: The white light bulbs that define the edge of the skyway level could get replaced with some kind of electronic signage . ... Uh oh. I don't like that at all, either. I don't either. Th...

HKS did a beautiful job with designing the American Airlines Center arena in Dallas with its art deco facade. It's quite authentic and high quality so it doesn't have that artificial look of block E. If they did something like that for our stadium ( i.e. maybe recalling the Armory) , It could be ve...

I guess the site is Au Natural for now.

Aha, true. Much more logical for a restaurant. Although, the idea of a restaurant called The Tangier in the Moorish looking Aria building seemed intriguing. Also, it's odd to me that the building numbers go from 120 to 116 as they get closer to 2nd St.

The Tangiers proposal seems like it will be in the Aria/Jeune Lune building. Hmm. I haven't been in that building, but I'm guessing there's enough room to keep the Aria event space while carving out restaurant space that fronts 1st Ave? I initially thought maybe this restaurant would be going into o...

I always thought it was filled with garbage, at least that's what it looked like.

Agreed.

It looks like this North Loop Salvation Army parcel is adjacent to the underground Bassett Creek. I'd like to see some mixed use development here that opens up the creek and connects to it. I'd actually like to see as much of the creek exposed as possible, as this would drastically 'warm' up the 'ho...

Visually, nothing looks bad here: concrete is fine, no rusting on exposed rebar. That probably means zilch, and I'm not arguing. I'm guessing the 5% retention (minus 95% demolition) will be the foundation walls somebody alluded to above?

A truly Minnesotan design element would be a mural depicting a passive-aggressive merging scene during highway construction. I'm hoping the final design is close to what's posted above. Agreed, I think the white may be hard to keep clean, but like Green Bay hires locals to shovel out snow, maybe we ...

I was about 60% on board and have slid to about 45%. I'm not really digging the cave-like rooftop courtyard and whatever they're doing to make all the units have window exposure. It seems awkward, clunky and convoluted. Maybe when those cornice tower things start to rise, it will start to look better.

I'll do it for $TW12LVE.20FIVE per hour.

Also known as a pied-a-terre, if you're into the whole francophone thing.

You mean Freedom Flat.

I've used the term, but didn't think it was an actual thing. I have a small DT condo, and my retired parents are two hours away. They love their lake house, but are starting to gripe about being far away from relatives and things to do down here. So when I thought I was going to move, I mentioned to...

I just don't like it, but it's just my personal opinion. I'd rather it be called "The Nicollet on 5th" or "5th & Nicollet" or even "Nic on Five". I'm looking forward to the play on words for the potential retail component: A home goods store: "Nic Nax" Gy...

Does anybody have info on the condition of the Armory? (Tried to find an Armory thread). This is my number one choice for a rehab, but I'd have to think that its use as a parking garage isn't doing this building any favors.

Question - on the first floor of the 1st Ave. towers fronting Gateway Park/Hennepin Avenue - there are a row of windows belonging to empty offices. I've walked by several times over the years. Inside are some cool architectural rendings of proposals for that area from way back, along with OLD compu...

Isn't there a loading dock at 1st street and 2nd avenue? Something drives into the building here. Could it be that the trucks take a one way trip through the post office? In at 1st St & 2nd Ave, out onto Hennepin. I think so. I see trucks only entering here. And only exiting on the Hennepin sid...

I still think, however, an urban park needs organic foot traffic and the potential for eyes on it at all times to be successful. Agreed. And as small, trapped and infused by zilch as current Gateway Park is (right across 1st from this), the park isn't really that sketchy. It will be better with an ...