Downtown Minneapolis - News & General Topics

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
MNdible
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Re: Current & Proposed Downtown Minneapolis Projects

Postby MNdible » September 16th, 2013, 5:00 pm

For what it's worth, the downtown zones have no height restrictions. There are FAR limits (floor area ratios, that divide total building square footage by the square footage of the land its built on). These effectively limit building bulk more than height, and there are about a hundred ways to increase your FAR by getting density bonuses in exchange for various things deemed to be in the public good.

Minnekid
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Where next?

Postby Minnekid » September 23rd, 2013, 9:52 pm

I understand that there is still a lot of development on the east side of downtown and the end towards Nicollet. But if the Ryan proposal goes through, marq4, and Excel energy headquarters gets built, there will only be a few blocks left of that side of downtown left to develop. But if the apartment boom continues, that will be gone in the somewhat near future. So, the question is, what does Minneapolis do next? Rezone to expand downtown? probably, but where?

mplser
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby mplser » September 23rd, 2013, 10:53 pm

downtown east still has a looot of empty wasted space.

Minnekid
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Minnekid » September 24th, 2013, 5:34 am

True but a lot of the proposals are in that area. Once that area gets built, because some day it will, where will the downtown area expand to?

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mister.shoes
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby mister.shoes » September 24th, 2013, 6:46 am

Up!
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Nathan
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Nathan » September 24th, 2013, 12:08 pm

I'd have to say that there is a ton of underutilized land in the triangle between 394, 94 and Washington Avenue. If they can make a good jump over 394, and restructure the streets a bit, DT could easily develop West of Target Field.

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Nathan
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Nathan » September 24th, 2013, 12:10 pm

I'd also say that North East could handle a few office buildings/residential towers and act as a really cool addition to Downtown.
(I secretly want General Mills to create a campus on their land over there...)

mamundsen
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby mamundsen » September 24th, 2013, 12:11 pm

That was where the Farmers Market Viking stadium almost went. I thought that would have been interesting. It definitely would have spurred development. Look at DTE!

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby twincitizen » September 24th, 2013, 1:57 pm

The North Loop Small Area Plan called for a complete restructuring of the roads in that "farmers market area" (eliminating the loop/frontage road along Olson, etc.) I am really worried that the city is not budgeting or planning for these changes ahead of Southwest Light Rail. Once they decide on a station location and road alignment along Royalston there, it's going to be set in stone for a long time. They absolutely have to do something different with the roads in that area in order to set it up for development.

Can anyone explain to me why the City wants to continue having our main farmers market in this desolate, freeway-adjacent, dirty industrial area? How does that appeal to anyone? We really ought to move it to the Armory, eventually anyways. I could understand the desire to have one in Near North / Sumner-Glenwood for equity / food desert reasons, but that's not reason enough to place a City's main farmers market in such an undesireable & unattractive space, and I doubt that's the reason the farmers market was placed here. Why was it located here in the first place?

nordeast homer
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby nordeast homer » September 24th, 2013, 2:16 pm

The farmers market was there before the freeway was put in. It was on the outskirts of downtown and thought to be an easly location for people to get to by car or trolley.
You could move it to Riverplace, have some stalls inside, but most outside. Make it year round.

twincitizen
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby twincitizen » September 24th, 2013, 2:55 pm

From my poor memory of having previously looked at historic aerials of downtown Minneapolis, I thought I remembered seeing those structures, but I wasn't sure. Still, in ~50 years of the freeway going in, has there not been a serious discussion of moving it someplace more desirable, more accessible for that matter? The current location seems accessible by highway, but that's about it. I agree it should be year round and include a combination of outdoor/indoor space. Riverplace and the Armory (adjacent to new Downtown East Park) are both good possibilities.

Minnekid
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Minnekid » September 24th, 2013, 3:29 pm

Did the freeways ruin the chances for a large connected downtown? Or will eventually the population will grow so it doesn't matter?

Tom H.
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Tom H. » September 24th, 2013, 4:20 pm

If you're referring to the downtowns of Minneapolis and St. Paul merging - well, nobody can blame you for thinking too small!

Minnekid
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Minnekid » September 24th, 2013, 4:53 pm

No I wasn't referring to that because I now that isn't going to happen. I was taking about districts in minneapolis like the north loop, across from Loring park and the uptown area being divided by the highways.

Street Kred
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Re: Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Street Kred » September 24th, 2013, 7:47 pm

Also LRT from the airport to downtown St. Paul would really link-up the three main nodes of import for world-stage-ness.
I Really wish that St Paul would put some development into west 7th st for another light rail to connect to the Airport. Replacing the route 55. I think it would be amazing to triangulate the cities, and I think the LRT connecting the downtowns to the airport would be a fantastic start. Primarily for Development in the southern portion of St Paul.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Tom H. » September 25th, 2013, 6:27 am

No I wasn't referring to that because I now that isn't going to happen. I was taking about districts in minneapolis like the north loop, across from Loring park and the uptown area being divided by the highways.
Well, I can't speak conclusively, but the fact that the freeways which surround DT Mpls are mostly sunken makes bridging them (literally and figuratively) that much easier. I'm a firm believer, however, that in 10 or 20 years, proposals for urban highway removal will start to be taken seriously (but that's a topic for another thread).

Anondson
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Anondson » September 25th, 2013, 9:11 am

No I wasn't referring to that because I now that isn't going to happen. I was taking about districts in minneapolis like the north loop, across from Loring park and the uptown area being divided by the highways.
Well, I can't speak conclusively, but the fact that the freeways which surround DT Mpls are mostly sunken makes bridging them (literally and figuratively) that much easier. I'm a firm believer, however, that in 10 or 20 years, proposals for urban highway removal will start to be taken seriously (but that's a topic for another thread).
Would love to see some portions of the trenches get capped. Lots of open space would be created, and more of a linkage between downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods would be fostered. Even as far as maybe stimulating development adjacent to the newly minted open spaces.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby Didier » September 25th, 2013, 10:28 am

In regards to Riverplace, my assumption is that the downtown farmer's market will not move there because it is farther from the North Loop, not close at all to Loring Park or Elliot Park, and would be a short walk away from a perfectly successful farmer's market that already serves downtown's other residential community in the Mill City.
Last edited by Didier on September 26th, 2013, 4:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

seanrichardryan
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby seanrichardryan » September 25th, 2013, 8:07 pm

The Farmer's Market was an urbann renewal project aimed at cleaning up the derelict Oak Lake neighborhood, by obliterating it. And it also outgrew the 'dumpy' old warehouses along 3rd.
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writruth
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis Urban Planning

Postby writruth » September 26th, 2013, 8:50 pm

Speaking of Riverplace and by extension St. Anthony Main, I've gotta believe, with the success of The Phoenix and Mill & Main, it's only a matter of time before the complex is revitalized. Loved the good old days back in the mid 80s when both places were hopping. The area population should be about at the tipping point to support new retail, bars and restaurants.

The Mexican restaurant that used to be inside St. Anthony Main was always packed at happy hour.


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