The Stone Arch Hotel (903 Washington Ave S)

[lordmoke]

So this just showed up on my Facebook feed: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=901261023244363

10 stories! Floor plans in the page photos.

[Anondson]

I recall something about this odd triangular plot months ago coming up. I think Grant posted some observation ...

[uncle phil]

Here's the Land Use Review and Submittal Form from the beginning of the month..

http://www.thedmna.org/wp-content/uploa ... 1.2015.pdf

[grant1simons2]

Can't wait to see those drawings and renderings to form a full opinion of it!

DTZ posted a sign for leasing for a 3 story project on this site, but they might've gotten a lot of interest and decided to see if they could draw any developers to the site.

And now that we have a few good proposals for Washington, maybe the city can make an overlay district along it that allows more height? 10 stories is the max allowed in B4N and an 8.0 FAR (which isn't horrible).

[seanrichardryan]

Let's hope that's not the final color scheme.

[Anondson]

I like the idea of making use of the stub street as a gathering place if they aren't going to connect it through. Nice potential to realize another urban space not given over to motorized through traffic, surround it with slender buildings facing the stub street and it might feel like a plaza.

[Wedgeguy]

I need some help here understanding what is happening here. Are they keeping or demolishing the Wasabi building? Looks like they are building right next to it. They will extend the building down to the area before the granite stone base of the old and now gone railroad bridge over Washington. A feature which is protected by the HPC as part of the historic district.
My biggest problem is, I thought the Wasabi building was a renovation of a historic building and that because of the address they are tearing it down?

[Nathan]

The drawings don't seem to make a lot of sense, there's a lot of building there for a little space, it definitely shows the Wasabi building intact, though.

[Silophant]

And now that we have a few good proposals for Washington, maybe the city can make an overlay district along it that allows more height? 10 stories is the max allowed in B4N and an 8.0 FAR (which isn't horrible).

I'm not sure going through the whole rezoning rigmarole is really worth it except in cases like the Wedge where the neighborhood tries to block development citing strict adherence to the existing zoning. For example, the three towers proposed in Old St. Anthony are all in the C2 (max 4 stories, max 1.7 FAR) area, and it doesn't appear to be a big deal.

[BBMplsMN]

I need some help here understanding what is happening here. Are they keeping or demolishing the Wasabi building?

The drawings show the Wasabi building still intact next to it, and possibly connected to the new building by a glass atrium. The clearest picture is probably the Washington Avenue elevation, though I can't read all the tiny type on it.

It's a nice project for a rather difficult space. Has there been any talk about redeveloping that large parking lot next to this space (at the corner of Washington and Chicago)? The other blocks on that corner, the Guthrie liner parcel and the Old Spaghetti Factory blocks, seem to be in development.

[uncle phil]

Yes, they specifically say they are seeking to attach to the current building...

[mattaudio]

Here's to hoping the old Milwaukee Road corridor stays preserved and intact per the plans, and then someday that corridor provides streetcar connectivity between the Green Line ROW and Washington Ave ROW for my L6 (Gold) streetcar proposal (click the line for ROW and service details): https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9742098 ... kjoMMA4bDw

[acs]

at the very least it would make a nice woonerf through that entire area.

[TroyGBiv]

We should start a new forum for Woonerfs!

[seamonster]

Page 2 and again on page 5

"We also look at 9th St (a dead end stub) as the perfect opportunity to host infamous Minneapolis block parties."

I do not think that word means what you think it means...

[JordanWasaN]

Page 2 and again on page 5

"We also look at 9th St (a dead end stub) as the perfect opportunity to host infamous Minneapolis block parties."

I do not think that word means what you think it means...

It could if they decide to take inspiration from something like Dore Alley.

[MNdible]

I can't believe that they'd go public with these drawings. They are, in a word, terrible.

Setting aside the design itself, these drawings do not communicate at all to the public what this building is going to be about.

This strikes me as a bad sign of the overall professionalism and competence of the team behind this project (not necessarily pinning this on the architects, but perhaps the developers who thought that these drawings would be enough to do the job).

[Nathan]

After I spent a little more time looking at it, it makes more sense, they're definitely very simple drawings, they are just for the neighborhood meeting, not actually for the city.

But it looks like a nice project. There's a Dunn Bros on the pointy tip side at ground level. Then some parking and the hotel lobby/atrium between it and the new hotel. The second floor has a restaurant.

What confuses me is the glass block being used on the back wall with the angle. It's in the hallway of every floor of rooms, you'd think it would have a killer view of downtown.

[HiawathaGuy]

10-story Stone Arch Hotel planned for Downtown East
http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/10 ... ntown-east

Just saw this posted.

[Archiapolis]

I can't believe that they'd go public with these drawings. They are, in a word, terrible.

Setting aside the design itself, these drawings do not communicate at all to the public what this building is going to be about.

This strikes me as a bad sign of the overall professionalism and competence of the team behind this project (not necessarily pinning this on the architects, but perhaps the developers who thought that these drawings would be enough to do the job).

With all due respect to
"Reprise Architects" and whoever this developer is but these drawings are not up to the professional standards of other firms submitting for high profile sites.

Maybe it's been covered but I don't understand why the one story building is being retained...why wouldn't the city push for that to be a part of this development?