Hines Speculative Office Project - 350 N 5th Street

[swmpls]

No tenant yet, but Hines is getting more serious about this proposal!

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... ffice.html

[John]

Despite the rhetoric of what a certain candidate says about our economy, it is improving, and circumstances are making this proposal more favorable to occur. I imagine this will be a very modern sleek building in whatever conceptual design idea carries through. Will be a great addition to the area.

[Nick]

You know, I've gotta say, it seems like the economy is only still bad in places where it never should have been good to begin with. There are literally thousands of residential units under construction in Minneapolis. All of my friends have jobs. If the Great Recession means we end up with some strip malls in Elk River that never get filled up, I can handle that.

Getting this project started now to open in a couple years seems like a smart decision.

[nasa35]

Despite the rhetoric of what a certain candidate says about our economy, it is improving, and circumstances are making this proposal more favorable to occur. I imagine this will be a very modern sleek building in whatever conceptual design idea carries through. Will be a great addition to the area.

Well, you're dead wrong. The economy IS worse when a certain candidate promised, yes promised we would be under 5% unemployment and the defecit would be less not 6 trillion more.

That doesn't mean nothing is improving just not enough. BTW, the Elk Rivers of world are doing fine. Unlike some of you I hope Minneapolis AND the Elk River's do well, and I have sympathy for anyone who is struggling in this stagnant economy.

Saying that, I agree John, a modern sleek buiding wouild be a great contrast!

[min-chi-cbus]

PLEASE, no politics!

[min-chi-cbus]

And I don't mean to be a stickler, but I count at LEAST 24 floors in those renderings.........unless the top 4 floors is just an elevator shack or something, or perhaps the 1st floor is a 40' atrium.

Also, there appear to be TWO buildings, not one.

[seanrichardryan]

The second building is a possible residential/ hospitality space not being marketed yet.

[John]

The second building is a possible residential/ hospitality space not being marketed yet.

If this project gets off the ground, I'm hopeful "phase two" will be marketed and developed as well. I think the project will look better with the two buildings playing off each other with their modern designs creating a denser feel. Will make their contrast between the older buildings nearby visually more complex and layered.

[Avian]

This seems to demonstrate that there is office demand in the North Loop! Ford Center is now 99.5% leased:

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/177317021.html

[mnmike]

http://www.startribune.com/business/179 ... ml?refer=y

[Nathaniel]

As long as they are building over an open surface parking lot, I'll be happy.

[Nathan]

As long as they are building over an open surface parking lot, I'll be happy.

That they are!

[min-chi-cbus]

It's the $5 lots we used to have for the downtown bar scene, which has been taken up by Target Field and now possibly this.

[mattaudio]

As long as the developments in this area front the existing sidewalk on street level, leaving the trench area available for a future concourse of train platforms!

[talindsay]

As long as the developments in this area front the existing sidewalk on street level, leaving the trench area available for a future concourse of train platforms!

Motion seconded.

[Nick]

Yeah I would hope they deal with the unnecessary driveway the renderings include.

[MNdible]

The extent of driveway that they're showing probably isn't necessary, but they'll need to provide for some sort of drop-off / pick-up, because the existing two lane bridge certainly can't accommodate that, and that's the only way you can get to that site by car.

[woofner]

Last I heard they were intending to extend Dock St from Washington to a cul-de-sac below 5th St. So that would be an ideal place to put the more bloated type of drop-off depicted in the renderings. I think there could then be a modification to the 5th St Bridge where they could put a drop-off lane.

[mattaudio]

Heh. Whenever I've dropped off people for Northstar it just involves stopping in the middle of the only traffic lane on 5th St for about 15 seconds.

[MNdible]

Last I heard they were intending to extend Dock St from Washington to a cul-de-sac below 5th St. So that would be an ideal place to put the more bloated type of drop-off depicted in the renderings. I think there could then be a modification to the 5th St Bridge where they could put a drop-off lane.

I wonder if it would be possible/feasible to get Dock Street to connect up to 5th Street somehow, or if the grades would be too much. Having it end in a cul-de-sac is disappointing. It also occurs to me that Dock Street (the name and idea) is a completely developer driven thing at this point -- does it eventually become a city owned street? If so, are we OK with the name "Dock Street", or do we prefer something more coldly rational, like 4th Avenue North?