Western Container Building/Arctic Cat HQ - 500 3rd Street N

[Mdcastle]

My stepsister was on Renovation Raiders (the doghouse in the kitchen). I wondered where they staging area was.

[jet777]

Some kind of work going on here. Tarps hanging off the outside and windows opened up.

[lordmoke]

There was now scaffolding up outside this the other day. Can't find any official news, and the city's site isn't showing any permits yet, but that's not updated quickly, so who knows. This is probably "under construction" now.

[mamundsen]

They had most of the old windows removed when I walked by last Wednesday. It's definitely having work done.

[thomasbromas]

Taken Sunday, 5/19/14

[Wedgeguy]

So is this now an office or condo project? I see major work, but did not get close enough to see what it is actually being redeveloped into.

[mister.shoes]

Labor Day pic.

[web]

ahhhh the saml windows were all made the same size as the larger ones

[Nick]

[martykoessel]

From my going about on errands the last week or two, this project has the appearance of nothing happening. A hiccup or bigger problems? I'm only asking because this building has taken on the air of mystery. This is how it has become jumbled up in my mind: rejection of plans by HPC, someone else taking on the project with different plans, a successful lawsuit against the HPC rejection, beginning of work following the successful lawsuit (but which plan is going forward?), apparent stalling of the work. Does something interesting lurk here? Or am I only inventing a suspicion of something tumultuous out of the fact that I glimpse this building almost every day?

[martykoessel]

This is a follow-up to my last post on this thread, which apparently has done little to pique the curiosity of all you development junkies.

Here's a link that describes what I thought was going on: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... ns-to.html

Page 2 of this thread shows a pretty condo proposal that popped up after the HPC deep-sixed the first proposal, and my assumption was that this isn't what's being built.

When a project under construction stalls, the first guess is either legal or financial problems, but isn't Abdul the same guy who's part the Swervo that's redeveloping 510 Marquette, which is certainly requiring a lot more $$$ than this little one? Then again, Swervo has a history of union disputes and accusations of financial misdoing. Ned Abdul also had some personal issues unpleasantly publicized, though I can't think what that would have to do with this.

http://www.startribune.com/business/155542925.html
http://www.startribune.com/business/119 ... ml?refer=y
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... l?page=all

Mind, I don't know you-know-what about all this, and just because there's a whiff of smoke in the air doesn't mean there's fire. Still, there could be more Downton Abbey in this than Development 101. Strib reporters, where are you?

[twincitizen]

As far as I can tell, these are the plans approved most recently: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 122423.pdf

As seen at 510 Marquette, this developer/group is just really, excruciatingly deliberate. Feel free to hit up Eric Roper or Sam Black on twitter if you thing something nefarious is underfoot.

[martykoessel]

"Nefarious" is too strong a word. The reason for the work stoppage could be innocuous. Still, Ned Abdul is not a man who passes quietly through the world, and I wouldn't be surprised if the explanation carries something interesting enough to merit a little exploration. Thanks for pointing me toward Eric or Sam, John. If the mystery lingers much longer, I just might ask one of them about it.

[Wedgeguy]

Any word on what is going on with this project? Is it condo's or office. My last walk by it looked pretty much like it had a few months before?

[grant1simons2]

Is it safe to say this project has either been suspended or killed off?

[min-chi-cbus]

You mean like funding ran out or something? Because it looks like a ton of work has already been done, so unless the project is in the red and they're cutting their losses I don't see why they'd stop mid-project.

[grant1simons2]

Well no one has really worked on this building since the fall. The plastic in the window openings has started flapping around and some of them have even fallen in

[Wedgeguy]

There is the possibility that they have been waiting until spring to be able to tear off the roof and do what ever they have to so that they can add the extra stories. Can't do that in the winter that is for sure.

[Archiapolis]

There is the possibility that they have been waiting until spring to be able to tear off the roof and do what ever they have to so that they can add the extra stories. Can't do that in the winter that is for sure.

It's *possible" but that should have nothing to do with window openings with flapping plastic. Roof work shouldn't preclude window installs (especially on levels below the roof) or other interior work for that matter...

[seanrichardryan]

You could call them and ask!

http://swervo.com/ 612.332.8323