urbanMSP

Everything's a f'n travesty with this board, man!

Isn't it just a vacant lot? No parking?

The ramp has sufficient capacity to support new development on the parcel
(currently 400+ spaces are not committed under existing agreements). Proposers
are encouraged to utilize this capacity. A below-grade connection to the ramp’s
Ninth Avenue elevator tower could be considered. In addition, it may be possible to
add a short skyway to connect an upper floor of the 800 South Washington
development to the Ninth Avenue elevator tower in the ramp. Since the City financed
the ramp with tax-exempt bonds, various federal restrictions apply to its operation. It
should be assumed that if development on the parcel requires parking in the ramp,
then these stalls would be provided at the same rates available to the general public.

Minneapolis Public Works will work with the selected developer to explore how to
meet the parking needs of the 800 South Washington development via their various
parking programming options and within the limitations of the bond financing.
Proposers are strongly encouraged to identify their parking needs in their proposal.
If parking underneath the new development is necessary, Public Works is open to
exploring whether it would be possible to create a connection between one of the
below-grade levels in the parking facility and parking that would be constructed
under the 800 South Washington parcel. However, it should be noted that this may
be challenging from an engineering point of view due to the sloping parking floor. In
addition to the costs of retrofitting the parking facility, there also may be costs related
to changes in the ramp’s access equipment to accommodate access to parking
under the development parcel. Necessary easements and operating agreements
would be negotiated with the selected developer as part of the overall development
package.

However, the City is open, subject to City Council approval, to supporting and
assisting the selected developer with any application for federal, state, county
and regional funding for which the proposed development might qualify, subject
to specific program guidelines.

It seems the parcel is a bit deep for a single-loaded corridor apartment or hotel, but the presence of the ramp makes a double-loaded corridor impossible (at least on the lower 5 floors, there would be no windows on the ramp side). Doesn't that dimensional limitation dictate that it will either be offices or really large/long residential units? Given retail/lobby on the first floor, levels 2+ have 76 feet of depth to work with. Leaving room for a generous corridor, building shell, etc. and say a 5 foot setback from the property line on Washington - you still have units that are like 60 feet deep. That's kinda huge, no? I guess that could work for big, loft-style condo units that are long and skinny.

As Downtown East’s office-space portfolio grows and big-ticket stadium events like the 2018 Super Bowl and 2019 NCAA Final Four tournament approach, more hotel announcements are likely: According to Kuechle, the long-vacant “E Liner” parcel at 800 Washington Avenue is a prime candidate for a four- or five-story boutique hotel; a handful of vacant or disused sites near the stadium hold longer-term promise.

Nice article in MinnPost about Downtown East, featuring an interview with Tony Kuechle, SVP of Sherman Associates.