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Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 13th, 2014, 7:22 pm
by Anondson
No street level entrances on 7th? Lame.
Downtown needs less of this. Ugh. Is this a thing where the architects of the world who design these kinds of projects don't understand how harmful this is to a city?

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 13th, 2014, 8:11 pm
by Avian
No street level entrances on 7th? Lame.
Downtown needs less of this. Ugh. Is this a thing where the architects of the world who design these kinds of projects don't understand how harmful this is to a city?
Architects have nothing to do with this. They are beholden to the owner and to the building codes, who and which ultimately makes decisions like this (to everyone's dismay, sometimes).

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 13th, 2014, 8:27 pm
by John
The 7th street side is where the current exit /entrance to the underground parking is and there are no street level entrances on that side either. There's really no way to open it up, although I agree it would look better if it could. Otherwise ,the remainder of the complex looks tremendously better from a pedestrian point of view as compared to the current design. The Hennepin Ave entrance in particular opens up nicely to the street. I also hope the new retail tenants have some nice bold signage to liven up the façade. The Mayo clinic signage seems a bit like overkill. There's so much of it around the complex it makes you feel like your entering a hospital.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 13th, 2014, 8:32 pm
by emcee squared
I think something like mc square is probably likely, it's punny and easy to say... emcee squuuur
Hey now! :lol:

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 9:36 am
by Didier
While a different style, the new building still has a fortress-like look. Or am I looking too closely at vague renderings?

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 10:05 am
by Nathan
While a different style, the new building still has a fortress-like look. Or am I looking too closely at vague renderings?
I think it would be difficult to make a full block square 4 story building not be fortress like, but they have done s number of things to note. included Windows that span floors 2 to 4, cut 45 degree open corners on the Hennipen [sic] ave side to make the ground level feel more open, and made sight lines through the building when entering it at both ground and skyway level, as well as more glass at street level.

I think yes, if you could stand back and look at it, maybe it would look fortress like, but you can never see the building from that far away, I think they've greatly enhanced the users realm.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 10:16 am
by Tyler
Yeah, it's a great improvement considering what they were working with.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 10:20 am
by Didier
I must have looked at something wrong because I didn't see that they improved the street level mobility. It still looked like a staircase right inside the door.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 10:23 am
by woofner
No street level entrances on 7th? Lame.
It looks like they're assuming a door at the corner of 7th & Hennepin, at which the plan has an arrow pointing labeled "tenant door locations to be determined." It kind of looks like they're not sure if they'll get office or retail tenants for the large spaces yet, so they're trying to keep the entrance locations flexible.

It's too bad, because in one respect it looks like they've really improved the internal circulation by widening the first-floor hallway and cutting it all the way through the block. But on another level, it will probably be confusing to have the interior doorways on the second level rather than the first. Maybe I'm reading the plans wrong though. Skyways confuse everything.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 14th, 2014, 12:16 pm
by John
While a different style, the new building still has a fortress-like look. Or am I looking too closely at vague renderings?
I think it would be difficult to make a full block square 4 story building not be fortress like, but they have done s number of things to note. included Windows that span floors 2 to 4, cut 45 degree open corners on the Hennipen [sic] ave side to make the ground level feel more open, and made sight lines through the building when entering it at both ground and skyway level, as well as more glass at street level.

I think yes, if you could stand back and look at it, maybe it would look fortress like, but you can never see the building from that far away, I think they've greatly enhanced the users realm.
Agree. Also, the metal mesh screening components on the exterior should give it better sense of depth with a 3d translucent quality. The facade looks like many layers of planes overlapping similar to an abstract collage. If that really works out we will soon see.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 18th, 2014, 10:15 am
by twinkess
Demo has started inside the old Borders/Pancheros/Hooters spaces. There are also temporary walls up around the escalator to the movie theater. Possibly taking that escalator out?

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: February 28th, 2014, 11:49 pm
by lordmoke
Exterior work has started on the 7th St side. The sidewalk has been closed off.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: April 10th, 2014, 3:47 pm
by mplsjaromir
Took this on Sunday.
Image

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: April 10th, 2014, 3:56 pm
by Wedgeguy
They basically have 6 months to get this puppy reskinned before we have to worry about snow and Ice. Walking on 7th on my way to the IDS to see the lid I saw that they were taking the electronic signs and supports off. The only one I saw working was at the corner of 7th and Hennepin.
The one on the angled corner of 6th and Hennepin is still working also.

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: April 20th, 2014, 12:23 pm
by trkaiser
Image

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: April 20th, 2014, 4:52 pm
by Nathan
so excite!

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: May 9th, 2014, 3:51 pm
by lordmoke

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: May 16th, 2014, 11:13 am
by John
Fun video of the Mayo Clinic Square project: http://vimeo.com/93203098

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: May 16th, 2014, 11:21 am
by grant1simons2
Holy cow... That is an awesome video, not just for Mayo but for Minneapolis in general

Re: Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E)

Posted: May 16th, 2014, 3:30 pm
by Aville_37
Nice. I just wish they would divide up some of those available spaces but I know they are aiming for office tenants. But even the dining/retail spaces seem pretty large.

So - are they not going to replace the skyway to Target Center?