DTE: Wells Fargo, Radisson Red, Edition Apts & Millwright Building

[Rich]

They picked Ryan.

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 80401.html

[minnyapple]

^^ Good news. I think everyone saw that coming. Still will be quite a process before anything actually breaks ground with approvals and all that jazz.

[twincitizen]

Wells Fargo needs to shit or get off the pot, s'all I'm sayin'.

None of this will move forward until they make a decision.

[min-chi-cbus]

Wells Fargo needs to shit or get off the pot, s'all I'm sayin'.

None of this will move forward until they make a decision.

Maybe somebody should deliver some Metaucil to Annie Potts, or whomever is in charge of real estate development at Wells Fargo....send them that message!

[seanrichardryan]

Annie potts? Of 'Designing Women' fame?

[min-chi-cbus]

I couldn't remember the name of the head of Wells Fargo development group, who always has nothing to say to reporters about any Wells Fargo projects. I thought it was Annie something.

*Edit: Peggy Gunn (woops!)

[trkaiser]

Annie potts? Of 'Designing Women' fame?

I really liked all of that... FWIW, my friend at Wells Fargo has no doubt they're signing on to this project, but said they always move at a glacial pace and are obsessive about dotting the i's and crossing t's. This is getting fairly far along for it to just fall apart.

[Avian]

Maybe it's been mentioned already, but does anyone know exactly how the proposed park will work regarding ownership? i.e., will Ryan turn over the property to the city Park Board? Or will it remain a "private" park?

I shudder at the latter.

[sushisimo]

Maybe it's been mentioned already, but does anyone know exactly how the proposed park will work regarding ownership? i.e., will Ryan turn over the property to the city Park Board? Or will it remain a "private" park?

I shudder at the latter.

I don't know if it was discussion here or an article I read, but I thought there are huge ???s with who would maintain the park (or maybe that finger park from the Library to the river). Isn't the Park Board completely over their heads as it is? For instance, their Scherer lumber site is just sitting there and I haven't heard of anything moving forward there. Maybe 'The Yard' would leap-frog in priority if the Board took it over.

[MNdible]

I wouldn't be surprised if it were owned by the City, rather than the Park Board (Peavey Plaza is similarly owned by the City).

And it could be privately managed -- there are many precedents for this, including Bryant Park in NYC, which has been a huge success, with some grumbling about it being over-programmed and not as accessible as some would like. At this point, I'd love to see a Minneapolis public space over-programmed rather than under-programmed.

I believe that Gold Medal Park is also managed by a private organization, but I can't verify that.

[trkaiser]

Yes, I think Gold Medal Park is funded by the former CEO of United Health, William McGuire.

[MNdible]

Yes, I think Gold Medal Park is funded by the former CEO of United Health, William McGuire.

The 10 year lease was definitely paid for by him, and he paid for the initial improvements, but I'm not sure who's funding and managing ongoing operations.

[min-chi-cbus]

He could afford to do it.

[Avian]

Thanks. I think the whole "deal" should be made clearer to the citizens. Call me paranoid, but I can't stomach the idea of this area being privately owned and maintained. Constitutional rights to free speech and assembly do not apply to private property.

[sushisimo]

I wonder if he's footing the bill every time somebody swipes one of the metal letters fronting the park.

[Wedgeguy]

I think after his salary and other issues, he and his wife are back in Texas and I doubt he has much to do with MPLS anymore.

[MNdible]

I think after his salary and other issues, he and his wife are back in Texas and I doubt he has much to do with MPLS anymore.

He did just buy the local soccer team.

[min-chi-cbus]

I think after his salary and other issues, he and his wife are back in Texas and I doubt he has much to do with MPLS anymore.

He did just buy the local soccer team.

From the article:

"In March, McGuire announced the team’s rebranding as Minnesota United Football Club (FC). 'The name is meant to reach out to, and unite, the diverse communities in this state and these two cities,'[said Mr. McGuire]”

See, and I thought the "United" in the name had more to do with the $110B+ global enterprise Bill McGuire created by creating a middle man between hospitals and their patients? How silly of me! (I know I know....always the cynic!)

[writruth]

Since this whole section of DTE will be a massive construction zone starting next January, why not simply grade both Portland and Park Avenues so they slope below the park, creating two tunnels. Doing so would allow the The Yard to be built as a contiguous Ultimate Park, without interrupting north/south traffic flow.

[mattaudio]

I'm all about interrupting north/south traffic flow on Park and Portland north of 5th St. It's not a big deal for local motorists to go 2 blocks out of the way.

Walk/bike connectivity should be maintained via the plane of the closed street through the park.