urbanMSP

Looks like 30 stories on top of the ramp?

Just released rendering of the Ryan/Mortenson mashup proposal. An icon on the skyline.

Um, I'm sure you made your best effort

What if it looked like this? http://web.apigroupinc.com/headlines/im ... lleria.jpg

The Mortenson reminds me of the LaSalle parking garage with the hotel on about 4 floors.

Same architect.

What if it looked like this? http://web.apigroupinc.com/headlines/im ... lleria.jpg

Yes, the point is a multiuse project can be fairly well integrated into a parking ramp. There are many examples . It's not just some far out pipe dream fantasy.

The Mortenson reminds me of the LaSalle parking garage with the hotel on about 4 floors.

Ugh, I cringe every time I see that building.

The Mortenson Springhill Suites hotel proposal is being pitched as an co-branded "AC" Hotel which is a Marriot brand in southern Europe. They are a sophisticated urban oriented hotel chain , and many of their designs reflect that. Much better than another freeway chain being plopped into the middle of the city. Note: Most of the article is behind a paywall: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/p ... ld-be.html

The Mortenson reminds me of the LaSalle parking garage with the hotel on about 4 floors.

Ugh, I cringe every time I see that building.

I'm not in the area yet so I'm not familiar. I'm curious, can I get a pic or an address to Streetview?

The Mortenson reminds me of the LaSalle parking garage with the hotel on about 4 floors.

Ugh, I cringe every time I see that building.

I'm not in the area yet so I'm not familiar. I'm curious, can I get a pic or an address to Streetview?

This:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=4 ... ,,0,-24.95

If you go to the Mpls Business Journal's facebook/twitter, the article is unlocked for their social media users. I have to admit, AC would not be a bad choice if it ends up being a hotel (I prefer Ryan's apartment proposal personally). Although the name "AC" is lackluster and awkward for a luxury hotel chain, the concept seems interesting. Ever since the person posted the picture of Highland Bank Court I'm petrified that that is what the hotel proposal would end up looking like.

Isn't there an awful building in St. Paul bearing the Highland Bank name as well?

Just to be clear, it's likely that whatever gets built will come down to the street on the 4th Street face because the ramp is pushed well back on that face to create the liner parcel. If I had to guess, these proposals will probably read as a taller rectangular mass on that block face interlocking with the lower mass of the rest of the parking ramp.

Ryan's updated plans.
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... an-by.html

I would say that the new plans make Ryan the clear frontrunner here. Not only do they now have the advantage of having the more costly proposal (tax base), they've now included the only thing that the competing proposal was offering, in addition to the apartments originally proposed. This seems like it would be Radisson's flagship Red, as well.

So, to be clear, we still have no idea how tall Mortenson's proposal is, do we?

I don't believe so, no. Could still be a 60-story spire with 5 rooms per floor.

Mortenson's proposal is 10 floors (including the ramp)...don't ask me how, but I just know.

Mortenson's proposal is 10 floors (including the ramp)...don't ask me how, but I just know.

Yawn...I'd appreciate something more than that here.

I really hope that this pushes Ryan's proposal forward, height is not necessarily something that makes a city, but in this area it'd be cool to expand that kind of density of uses. I'd tell Mortenson to take a look at that half lot south of Park and 5th though... that would be a good spot for a 10 story hotel, since it wouldn't shade the new park and plaza too much, and still have vicinity to all of DTE's new amenities...