Embassy Suites (Plymouth Building) - 12 6th Street S

[Wedgeguy]

Doesn't Plymouth Building have a large light well in the center? Wouldn't that sort of fit with the general layout of Embassy Suites where the purpose-built structures are a full-height courtyard in the middle, with all room doors facing it?

Which makes me think the old Metropolitan Bldg would have been the perfect Embassy Suites conversion. If it wasn't the perfect framework for a dozen other uses first. But alas, we tore it down in a fit of hubris.

One of the issues with the light well is that the section of floor plate that faces Hennepin is about a single wide. While the back section and 6th street section of the floor plate are twice as wide and would easily allow for rooms on both sides of the corridor there. It will be interesting to see how they plan on laying out the rooms in this building. If it will be the usual 2 room suite or just a single large room. Have seen no details on their proposed layout what so ever. Has anyone on here seen anything yet? I do not see a full multistory courtyard filling the light well.

[mamundsen]

There was a crew cutting off the blue awnings of the restaurant this morning. They were using a sawzall to cut them in half... looked like a bad way of approaching it.

[seanrichardryan]

They're likely going to a scrap recycler.

[Silophant]

I hope the pedestrian tunnels are removed after the exterior work is done, rather than being left in place long after any danger has passed like certain projects I could mention.

Also, does anyone have an idea why the 6th St. tunnel is waaay out in the bike lane? Unloading trucks, maybe, but I would think they would use the alley for that.

[nfschauer]

I wonder if this building has an atrium inside. Emabssy Suites are known for the big atriums, but ever since the recession, they've stopped them.

[Wedgeguy]

See post at top of page. They have a light well that would be expensive to turn into an atrium.

[Wedgeguy]

Was up in the Marriott this weekend and had a chance to look down on this site. The building has a strange shape to it so I'm not sure if that the portion of the building that fronts Hennepin can handle rooms on both sides of a corridor. I think they will be lucky to get a set of rooms facing Hennepin and the corridor will run along the light well to get to the rooms.

Also saw demolition chutes on the north portion of the building. They must be putting the construction elevator on the 6th street side and I saw sections of bricks that we taken out to create temporary doors to each floor.

[Wedgeguy]

They have removed the upper 4 floors of windows and are working their way down. Demolition is well underway. Good to see this project actually moving forward and not at a stand still like the last few years. Still curious about the buildings room layouts. It has an odd shaped floor plate.

[seanrichardryan]

Windows gone? If it's listed they should be getting rehabbed and reinstalled.

[grant1simons2]

Maybe they are? Way too early in the construction process to tell.

[Wedgeguy]

Noticed today that they have the start of the exterior construction elevator going up on 6th. Also working to remove another level of old windows.

[Wedgeguy]

Looks like a few of the replacement windows have been put in on the Top floor. The still have floors 5- 1 to get out yet. HAs anyone seen floor plans for this yet??

[seanrichardryan]

Did this rehab ever have an city vetting, COW, HPC,etc?

[twincitizen]

I had wondered the same. My best semi-educated guess is that it is substantially similar enough to the fairly-recently-approved Conrad Hotel plans that it didn't warrant a new public hearing. Unless the room count (& parking needs, etc.) changed dramatically, there would be no need to re-do the land use approvals process. The changes must've been minor enough to be approved administratively. Land use approvals (site plan approval, CUP, etc.) run with the land, rather than with the any specific developer or land owner, so approval is basically permanent unless revoked. I could maybe see going to HPC again for minor things like signage, etc.

EDIT: Waitaminute - were the Conrad plans never actually approved either? I just ran through this thread again and didn't see any links to confirm that actually happened. I just assumed that it had gone through the process at some point in the year+ it was on the table. In that case, forget everything I just said...this would still have to go before the HPC and Planning Commission.

[Wedgeguy]

I'm curious about the room layout. Will this be a large single room or a dual room suite like the other Embassy Suites that were in place once upon a time. Also due to the varying width of the different sections of the building I'm wondering how things will be laid out.

[seanrichardryan]

I imagine they'll easily fit a suite layout in there with plenty of busy carpet and fire doors. I wonder who gets to salvage all the marble, mahogany doors, and trim?

[Wedgeguy]

I'm sure some of the stone will be incorporated into the hotel. The rest I'm sure had a salvage bid put in and you will see it in an antique salvage place near you soon!

[seanrichardryan]

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/m ... mouth.html

[grant1simons2]

Plymouth Building by grant.simons, on Flickr

[Wedgeguy]

With 290 rooms that equates out to about 29 room per floor on level 3-12. With the skyway going thru the back half of the second floor portion of the building, I don't see why you would do rooms along that corridor. Other parts of the second floor would be used for amenities for the guestrooms. Maybe see a Coffee shop on the skyway level to get some of the skyway traffic that will hopefully increase with the Hotel, the AC Marriott, and Lumber Exchange.