urbanMSP

Part of me wants to think this is a temporary thing as they show perspective tenants? Maybe made for presentation? Allowing any perspective tenants to build it out the way they want?

I just can't believe this could possibly be a finished project.

I was curious and just checked this out in person and it was even more hideous. Painting the bricks really didn't work. Overall the place seems disjointed. There's little really connecting the atrium to the rest of the building. It would have been better to have the staircase go to one of the sides instead of straight down and then make the space at the bottom the focal point. Maybe they don't plan on keeping the building itself for super long and this is a placeholder?

I thought it looks slightly less weird from the bottom, and the staircase is sort of a half-assed attempt to do what they did at the Millwright lobby, but yes, this doesn't work. Not sure how eager people will be to sit on the stairs, though.

There are easels with "coffee or winebar" drawings on them in the corner, so they're obviously hoping someone will rent this space.

I walked through there today. The pictures don't show how truly horrible this is.

I think the neglected old courtyard was better than this.

From this specific angle, it looks okay. Too bad about all the other angles.

This angle and professional photography/photoshop.

The white painted bricks really don't work, on the walls or on the floor.

Agreed 100%. Though I guess it's proper for it to be ugly/weird inside to match the ugly weirdness of the new windows outside.

Did they paint the floor at the base of the stairs, too??

I didn't walk down there but I did look again from the skyway level and it appears they did paint the floor too...

Wish they had been able to build the originally proposed building...

Some comments in the strib today on this project:

http://www.startribune.com/how-to-and-h ... 450784163/

Taking out the escalators was a poor choice. The staircase eats up way too much space and it is cumbersome with the split for the awkward seating. I don't get the point of the white paint, it looks strange and unfinished with the bottom half still brown. That projector thing is stupid. River kayaking, pacman, and a guy painting a wall are the three scenes I've seen as I pass by. I really can't believe the atrium was closed that long just for those changes.

This space had a lot of potential. I think it'd be nice to have some trees in there like IDS does.

Naf Naf Grill is now open. All the glass really opens it up and it's nice and bright. Hopefully that will attract some new tennants to fill the Dunn Brothers and Subway spaces that are still empty. Jury is still out on the remodeled atrium, the new staircase takes up a lot of space.

Little late posting this, but awhile ago I noticed theres a graffiti wall now.


Even better, the projector now shows shaky go pro video of the wall being painted.


I honestly feel that they are trolling now...?

Putting a projector image on a white wall works in your basement, but in a renovation that you're trying to show off? Get a screen up there ASAP. Just a half baked attempt, like everything else in this "upgrade."

Imagine how bad of a job building a skyscraper these guys would have done.

Maybe we got lucky

It appears they are having a hard time getting anyone in this building. All I have heard of is IT firm Field Nation, I forget how much space they are taking up though. Awhile ago they put covers on the windows trying to sell on the "Creative Dynamic Space" idea.

While Naf Naf Grill opened, Subway, Dunn Brothers and most recently Brueggers have all closed and the spaces are still empty. Hoping Ginelli's Pizza doesn't go anywhere...

One thing that bothers me most about the "renovation" is the way the white wall lines up when you're walking towards it in the skyways. It looks so unfinished.

Such a half-assed looking renovation, definitely seems like a holdover until a realistic redevelopment comes along.

Does the top floor in this building have high ceilings, or is that just the appearance from the exterior? I notice people actually use the atrium which is nice. I hope this project is just a placeholder and in 10 years we'll get a tower proposal. The space should be worth a lot then during the next building boom with all the surface lots we've lost.