urbanMSP

The doors were open today. Some glimpses of the inside:

Nice! Thanks for these.

So, I'd heard that part of the HPC dust up over this was Swervo's demolition of the bleachers, some of which can be seen in these photos.

those historic bleachers are gone!

Lets look at the bigger picture here please.

This doesn't surprise me. Ned Abdul has done this before as far as I know. In 2003 or 2004 he was the developer for 607 Washington Ave South and he cut windows in the wall on a zero property line when he didn't have permission to do so. He did it late at night to avoid detection presumably and the city caught him anyway and made him stop (but not fill in the ones already cut). If you look at the south wall of that building you will see the top floors have windows and the lower few floors do not. The owners had a fit because they bought units that were supposed to have windows and they didn't get them. I don't know if they ever got a discount or not. Ned eventually sold that project to another developer who didn't have a clue and it took around 2 years to complete because the new developer was already locked into all of the sub contractors that Ned had hired - many of which were shady and very unreliable. Anyway, it seems Ned Abdul also kind of screwed the Sexton buyers by not delivering on the promised parking garage. He has a history of this as far as I can tell. Some of this is first hand knowledge and some of it is second hand.

Uh, Ned Abdul sold the Sexton project. The financial scheme and failed parking ramp falls on the shoulders of Bret Thielen, who went to prison IIRC.

The dust up was actually mostly about large pillars/towers he was planning on doing to the sides of the building. The HPC had a problem with this because they felt it takes away the historic value of the property as the modifications are too large.

April 15th;

I havent really seen the interior plans, but would not be in favor of any pillars on the sides! What makes the armory building great is the openness.

Wait, pillars on the inside of the building, or pillars on the outside, like for a skyway connection or something? I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to modifications to the little wings on each side of the building, if that's what it takes to make it work as a useful building instead of an ornate parking lot. (Remember, those were 60's-era additions.)

Wait, pillars on the inside of the building, or pillars on the outside, like for a skyway connection or something? I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to modifications to the little wings on each side of the building, if that's what it takes to make it work as a useful building instead of an ornate parking lot. (Remember, those were 60's-era additions.)

I spent many a day in that Armory as a reserve officer. I think the main reason the Armory building itself got put on the preservation list was due to the unique vaulting of the ceiling. I don't recall the specifics but there is something unique about who the arched roof is supported. Hence, if the issue was pillars on the inside in support of the ceiling structure, this could cause a "specific purpose" conflict. (The specific purpose of the historical designation was the engineering around the ceiling support . . .)

Speaking of parking, is work on the armory still ongoing or did the HPC kill that project too?

Work continues on the armory, at least as of a couple days ago when I walked by.

Awesome, thanks MN fats!

Does anybody know what's going on with this project? If there is work going on, is it still Swervo and are they still planning an event center and parking garage? Did the city HPC work out a deal with Swervo? I thought the HPC and Swervo had a disagreement over something (like new office space Swervo wanted to build on the site). If anyone can get good info on this, like from a construction worker or friend of a friend, please share an update.

All I got is that work has continued, at least off and on (i.e., there's been work doing on as I've gone by a few times).

I ran by the Armory last week and they were doing exterior brick work on the Elliott Park side.

Proposing new egress doors, elevator overrun on 'head house', improved loading dock, and garage addition with roof deck. May butt up against designation study.

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 188377.pdf

Am I interpreting those drawings right? The ground level will still be parking, and the auditorium is going to be a new second floor? Depressing.

Yes. A new floor 10' from grade. In some ways, it is logical.

Wait, wut? Won't that make the "exhibition hall" level ridiculously high and feel separated from the street level?

Gosh, sure glad we can preserve all the parking here.

Maybe the parking aspect of this building is historic too?