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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 13th, 2019, 2:19 pm
by Anondson
4th still would need to cross the freight and commuter rail. We don’t want that crossing at grade.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 13th, 2019, 2:24 pm
by MNdible
Even if the main sections of the viaduct were torn down through the North Loop, I'm thinking that there would still need to be some sort of a viaduct between 5th Ave N and 2nd Ave N. See the 5th Street Viaduct for reasons why.

Edit, what he said.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 13th, 2019, 3:14 pm
by Didier
What’s the general end game behind the viaduct removal dream? Just move the freeway entrances farther out? Or is the idea that we get rid of them altogether?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 13th, 2019, 10:21 pm
by mister.shoes
Get rid of the viaducts altogether and have the freeway ramps connect to Plymouth Ave where it crosses 94. Something like this concept from six years ago:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9lysoy59pvsrj ... 1.jpg?dl=0

FWIW, I keep meaning to come back to it and make some improvements. Mainly, I’d move the 394 ramps from Washington to 3rd to open some more land for development. OTOH, neither T3 nor the Dock Street Flats were a thing when I made this. Oops.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 14th, 2019, 10:08 am
by twincitizen
My thought is keep it as simple and cheap as possible. Tear down the viaducts (and the access ramps to 94), don't make any new freeway connections, and let freeway traffic disperse as it may. If there is a problem area that develops, address it later.

On the south end, I'm not sure why everyone thinks 4th St (North Loop) needs to be be connected to 4th St (Downtown) with a new "local" bridge. That connection for cars doesn't exist today, so there's no compelling reason we need it in a viaduct-less future. And I say this as a fanatical adherent to the religion of "grid repair". I just imagine it would be more expensive than it would be worth. Put in a new bike/ped bridge at 4th St (to replace the one attached to the viaduct) and call it good.

On the north end, it would make sense to extend 4th St from 10th Ave N up to Plymouth Ave. That would help establish the grid (for future development) in that massive area of ROW currently taken up by the I-94 access ramps on the north end of the viaducts.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 14th, 2019, 10:45 am
by CalMcKenney
New to this viaduct removal conversation, but what do you guys think the realistic probability is of this happening? I've always dreamt of getting rid of that thing and letting the area develop.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 15th, 2019, 11:22 am
by Blaisdell Greenway
There was a twitter exchange a few months ago where the city revealed they are pursuing removal with MNDOT. The state has most/all the power on this decision, right? https://twitter.com/worthington6121/sta ... 2946419712

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 16th, 2019, 3:29 am
by Qhaberl
That’s awsome! Good that the city is thinking forward. Not holding my breath on MNDOT though.


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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 17th, 2019, 8:29 am
by SurlyLHT
I would love to see a Cost-Benefit on removing the viaduct. Some people would be upset, they love to charge onto there whipping through the intersection. I take the bike path adjacent at times and there is plenty of engine revving.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 19th, 2019, 1:33 am
by TroyGBiv
Heard a rumor of 42 stories... don't quote me on that
I remember a proposed 25 story office building ... do you think this is office or residential?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 19th, 2019, 2:51 pm
by kiliff75
Heard a rumor of 42 stories... don't quote me on that
I remember a proposed 25 story office building ... do you think this is office or residential?
This is the old 25-story office building proposal that was cancelled...

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... r-and.html
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1634&p=37039&hilit=hines#p37039

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 19th, 2019, 4:33 pm
by Qhaberl
It would be great to have more office space, but I don’t know if the market could take it right now. I would imagine that it will either end up being luxury apartments or condos. I’m guessing that the area is zoned for very high density because of it’s proximity to downtown and to the train station.


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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 20th, 2019, 1:16 pm
by Qhaberl
So they just started work on the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction from Washington Avenue to12 street. Last year they worked on the portion that runs through the Lyndale Hennepin convergence. There is a gap between these two projects. What about the portion from 12th St. to 16th St.? It’s a little over a quarter mile in length.





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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 20th, 2019, 1:31 pm
by QuietBlue
It would be great to have more office space, but I don’t know if the market could take it right now.
Agreed. My gut feeling is that, while there will continue to be smaller companies that choose to locate downtown, we've seen all the big moves we're going to see for a while. By now companies have looked at it and have decided if it makes sense for them. But that is just a gut feeling, and could be wrong.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 20th, 2019, 2:13 pm
by minntransplant
I don't do CRE anymore, but while there is a lot of vacant space in downtown, what is available is not what most tenants want. If you need 10-30k square feet of nice space with the ability to expand, your options are pretty limited or nonexistent. There is definitely demand for new office space, but to do it on spec without a big tenant lined up remains a hurdle.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 20th, 2019, 4:12 pm
by Silophant
Dayton's should help with that - or are those floorplates actually too big?

I'm not sure if RBC Plaza is still considered Class A, but a huge chunk of that will open up when RBC and the Pohlad companies move into the Gateway.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 21st, 2019, 8:43 am
by alexschief
Most of the recent residential growth in downtown St. Paul has been driven by Class B/C conversions. As far as I know, that hasn't happened at all in downtown Minneapolis in the past decade. How much vacant, older, narrow floorplate office is out there? Has there been any recent inventory?

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 21st, 2019, 8:49 am
by grrdanko
There was talk a couple years ago of converting Northstar Center into residential. I haven't heard anything since.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 21st, 2019, 9:06 am
by Silophant
The Soo Line Building at 5th and Marquette was a office conversion to residential way back in 2012 or so, and the Rand Tower (on the same block!) and 317 2nd Ave S are both currently under construction to be converted from office to hotels. I can't think of anything else since I started paying attention to this kind of thing

Edit: the Luminn Hotel at 219 4th St S was also a conversion from vacant office space, I believe.

Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Posted: June 21st, 2019, 9:18 am
by MNdible
The Foshay was also converted from (very inefficient) office to hotel.