urbanMSP

The owner of the Minneapolis Armory wants to do a $16 million renovation, which would likely include a new second level inside. Apparently this has been spurred by plans for a new Vikings stadium, and the armory could be a party zone for Vikings game days (don't ask me how that would work...)

http://www.startribune.com/local/minnea ... 75615.html

do they actually have a viable business plan for the other 355 days of the year????

Mostly what it is used for now PARKING!! I'll admit there are other uses that could work, but until there is better fill in around the Armory I just don't see that happening. One sensible one would be a winter time farmer's market. But that would be too big for a market which would have to ship in most of its food.

do they actually have a viable business plan for the other 355 days of the year????

The article outlines some of Hoskin's plans for non-Vikings events-

"He then plans to create an entirely new floor on what is now the second level, which will feature 58,000 square feet of interchangeable space. Portable seating will allow it to house soccer, lacrosse or basketball one day, and a gala the next.

"I'm just trying to design it as a multi-purpose venue that would be very raw and its own space," Hoskin said. "We would have kitchen facilities, concession facilities and restrooms. But that would really be about the only other thing in the space."

Hoskin also hopes an adjacent portion of the building off S. 6th Street, known as the "head house," can be converted into office space."

Viking stadium is going to have to bring in alot of fill in development for that comcept to get any real traction. Part of why the Metrodome was such a waste land as there was little around to bring people in and want to stay. Your average Joe is not going to walk 6-10 blocks to get a bite to eat or a beer after an event. They just go home and don't like to walk in the no mans land. It may promote some building along Washington, but again that is a good walk for most people.

Put D'Amico in-charge of this and you would have a premier event space, IMO

How many event facilities can this area support??

Your average Joe is not going to walk 6-10 blocks to get a bite to eat or a beer after an event. They just go home and don't like to walk in the no mans land. It may promote some building along Washington, but again that is a good walk for most people.

Good thing this is only about two blocks from the stadium site. Would your average Joe walk that?

Also, what is the plan for a "gameday plaza"? If that extends northwest towards 5th Avenue, you have the potential to create a free-flowing pedestrian mall-- block off 5th Street between 5th and Park, leading into a plaza at the northwest edge of the stadium, then line 5th Street with temporary vendors for a little State Fair feel?

yes that is the plan. the concept renderings show that. i'm sure all effort will be made to connect everything via this linear park. this won't be an island sitting on the east end of downtown like the metrodome does.

This plan would work better if there was a hotel nearby. I'm thinking of the parking lot just south of the Armory, between 6th St. and 7th St. South. The two could be connected via skyway.

There's a cool (but brief) video of the inside of the Armory on the Strib's website. I've never been in there (never parked in there), and didn't realize how derelict it was. There are some great features, though, and it could be a really stunning building again if it was restored inside and out...

do you have a link?

Just go to startribune.com and scroll down to "latest videos" (beneath the headline stories). It's there. It's only about a minute-and-a-half, though

I was thinking it would be awesome if they could glass up some of the roof, and have a year round farmers market/plaza type place. That could coexist with events and such. I just wish it could become a real awesome viable space for the city.

This plan works for 10 day out of the year. You don't spent Multi-million dollars on 10 days. There is little else around there to attract people. All Restraunts and bars are blocks fron the Armory. Will have to see if the Linear park is anything more than land taken off the tax roles.

This plan works for 10 day out of the year. You don't spent Multi-million dollars on 10 days. There is little else around there to attract people. All Restraunts and bars are blocks fron the Armory. Will have to see if the Linear park is anything more than land taken off the tax roles.

I think the justification for doing it would be similar to the justification for investing hundreds of millions in a stadium that we'll only use "8-10 days a year." We were sold on the new stadium being a venue for high school, NCAA, amateur sports, conventions, concerts, MLS, etc. If the stadium gets used as much as it is supposed to, why can't the armory be used for events relating to all of that in the offseason?

Or, you know, just use it for parking the rest of the year....that works, too....

I just see another event center where those that we already have don't get enough business. This will be one expensive parking garage most of the time!

Don't get me wrong, I love that old building, but It is such a hard building to reuse. You can't make it something that is already a use that does not have enough market for those venues already scraping by. There has to be money or other buildings coming for this to really have a true chance to make it.

I mean, if all else fails, we can just do what they did with it in Contagion?

I hope they're able to make this work. I would love to see it spruced up and used, but like many others have said it seems to be joining an already crowded market of event centers.

Someone else mentioned a year round farmers market. I'm not sure if Minneapolis could support it, but something like the Ferry Terminal Marketplace in San Francisco could be amazing:

http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/

If only we had a need for another 10,000-seat hockey arena.