Mayo Clinic Square

[grant1simons2]

http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_ ... ck%20E.JPG
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/144 ... 5938_c.jpg

Just some comparisons.

[TommyT]

http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_ ... ck%20E.JPG
https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/144 ... 5938_c.jpg

Just some comparisons.

The rendering actually makes me very excited! Hopefully this will be the beginning to a lot of change and improvement of Hennepin Avenue. I'd really like to see more residential on Hennepin as well, might just be dreaming there but you never know huh?

[twincitizen]

Really hoping this one is hotel and residential: https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2045

[Avian]

^Indeed it is...

[QUOTE=Texas RE;116346105]Yes, things are going slower than it should be, but all plans are moving forward, the delays are not because of the developer though, some are because of market conditions, some for other reasons. The 4th & Hennepin development plans should be announced soon, I said that before, but Mortenson is making modifications from the original plans that was for a 50-story economy hotel with 400 rooms...[/QUOTE]

[twinkess]

They're getting ready to shift the course of the skyway inside E-MC² itself to a temporary(?) hallway. While they are moving around the construction barriers I got some glimpses of progress (sorry no pics). It appears that the escalator near the Hennepin Ave side is gone, as are all traces of Borders/Hooters/Cookie shop.

[Wedgeguy]

I noticed after leaving the ball game the other day that the north side of the building as pretty much been stripped to bare steel supports. The south side I hope also gets rid of a lot of the blank walls on the upper floors. At this point they have not done a lot of deconstruction on that side besides getting rid of the terrible Disney facade. I hope that side of the building also get opened up as well. I look forward to watching this project move forward.

[at40man]

terrible Disney facade.

Ermmmmm.... perhaps you mean '6 Flags' facade? Disney is famous for detailed, tasteful, and historically accurate facades (within the realm of forced perspective).

In fact, there is quite a dramatic difference between a Disney facade and a faux-historic facade like Block E:

Main Street, USA - Disneyland:


Block E - Minneapolis:




New Orleans Square - Disneyland:



Block E - Minneapolis:

[mamundsen]

To me it seems as though the parts that were stripped first and are now exposed and blue/grey are prepped for exterior work. There are two openings above the parking garage entrance that I believe are new. I doubt there will be more windows added to this section.

[Nathan]

So they took down most of the Scaffolding along 7th and I snapped a couple of pictures. They also had an exterior materials mock up outside, the quality of materials looks nice, black and grey metals, and Alabama Silver Shadow Limestone (same stone as the new orchestra addition and ground levels of target/masa) cut in rectangles running vertically with the veining also running vertical. Looks nice.

OMG WINDOWS!
20140825_092902 by fotoapparatic, on Flickr

Mesh Window Shades are kinda cool too.
20140825_093100 by fotoapparatic, on Flickr

[John]

Walked by the mock up yesterday and couldn't tell if they were going to use real stone or some kind of precast concoction to mimic. Glad to hear it's stone! Agree it looks nice and gives the building a much needed radically different look.

[mullen]

thanks for posting those. you're right it's going to be a vast improvement.

[mister.shoes]

Even in my wildest (ok, not the *wildest*) dreams, I never imagined that this entire building would get redone to the extent that it is. This is a fantastic project, inside and out, and will do wonders for that building and block.

[grant1simons2]

Now... What if.. Target Center. Was redone in the same way

[acs]

Now... What if.. Target Center. Was redone in the same way

It is. It was included in the Vikings stadium bill.

[grant1simons2]

I thought they were using some weird wood like exterior?

[Wedgeguy]

Even in my wildest (ok, not the *wildest*) dreams, I never imagined that this entire building would get redone to the extent that it is. This is a fantastic project, inside and out, and will do wonders for that building and block.

Now we can hope that Shorenstein Group gets the hint and does the same thing to City Center. And not just along the Nicollet Mall portion. But the hole podium section in the lower 3-4 floors< Hennepin to Nicollet with 6th and 7th included.

[mister.shoes]

Agree 100%. A City Center makeover would be amazing.

[MNdible]

Obviously the Block E makeover is a huge improvement, but I also suspect that it's going to look dated very quickly. I don't know that having Target Center and City Center match it is such a good idea...

[grant1simons2]

I don't think this http://apps.startribune.com/blogs/user_ ... ck%20E.JPG, will looked dated quickly

And when was there talk of City Center & TC matching?

[MNdible]

Now... What if.. Target Center. Was redone in the same way

Sorry, I thought that's what you were suggesting here.

As for how quickly it will look dated, in my experience, the more something looks au courant, the sooner it will look like yesterday's news.