urbanMSP

[screaming] Uniqlo, Uniqlo, Uniqlo, Uniqlo,

My fiancé and I were in Chicago over the weekend. We went to that store. Was pretty cool. Would be neat to get one of them here in Minneapolis.


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Or Topshop/Topman. I hate fast fashion buuuuuut.

Glad Victoria's Secret is gone. Kind of a lame retail chain for that intersection. Uniqlo and Topman would be a much better fit.

I wonder how long those fast fashion chains will be around. Getting someone like Topman to sign a 10 year lease seems like we could easily end up with a vacant building in 5 years.

But maybe I'm just out of touch.

If Uniqlo happened I would be super excited

I wonder how long those fast fashion chains will be around.

It would give the HERC more to do. /s

Uniqlo and Topman

Get off my lawn (i.e., I'm old so I don't know what those are)!

AmazonGo perhaps?

I wonder how long those fast fashion chains will be around. Getting someone like Topman to sign a 10 year lease seems like we could easily end up with a vacant building in 5 years.

But maybe I'm just out of touch.

Case in point: H&M just announced their third quarter earnings, and they are down over 20%! They will also be closing 170 stores (not the Uptown one, yet).

Not Uptown, but we don't have a LynLake thread.

I was driving on Lyndale last night and it seems that an Anytime Fitness is going into the Lime apartment building based on the enormous signage out front. Nice to see that retail spot fill in.

I think this already has a thread, but I can't find where:

Affordable Apartments Proposed for Lyn-Lake Area of Minneapolis

"A proposed high-density project would include 222 units in the heart of the bustling neighborhood. [...] Pending city approvals, the first phase of the project is set to break ground in 2019 with full occupation expected by mid-2020. [...] The second phase wouldn’t be ready to be occupied until 2021. [...] The units in each building would be a mix of studios, one- and two-bedroom units and townhouses. Six units would be reserved for people with disabilities and managed by Simpson Housing Service and three units would be designated for priority housing placement and case management by the county’s Human Services and Public Health Department."

http://www.startribune.com/affordable-a ... 475869193/

I searched a little and it didn't look like this had been posted:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 203283.pdf

I guess this is phase one?

It looks like they're going to keep costs down with a mix of fiber cement panels and corrugated metal.

I searched a little and it didn't look like this had been posted:

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 203283.pdf

I guess this is phase one?

It looks like they're going to keep costs down with a mix of fiber cement panels and corrugated metal.

Interesting... I can't reconcile what's going on I those plans with this "updated" rendering of two twin phases in this strib article

http://m.startribune.com/affordable-apa ... 475869193/

Those plans are a previous version. The new version will be considered by the Committee of the Whole on Thursday.

cool, another example of community and city engagement enhancing a project. This looks much more cohesive, and a better use of space.

A little disappointed by the lack of retail.

Yeah, I know retail east of Lyndale has struggled in the past, but it does seem like a missed opportunity to not include at least a little bit of retail on this block.

I'm hopeful that, by the time the second phase rolls around, they'll decide that both buildings can share the amenity space in phase 1 and phase 2 can have a commercial space instead.

I'm hopeful that, by the time the second phase rolls around, they'll decide that both buildings can share the amenity space in phase 1 and phase 2 can have a commercial space instead.

Yes, hopefully they can do a few things to make it easily convertible to retail if the demand is there.

The solar looks symbolic, like they wanted to be able to check the renewables box on a list.

I'm pretty neutral on the design. I'm dreaming of soffit details and a more interesting canopy, but then I guess it would be a luxury building.

Two things about that:

First, look at the level 1 plan. Three parking spaces squeezed between columns on one side, and a fourth parking space squeezed between the ramp to the basement and the lobby space. There's probably twice the amount of pavement used to access these parking spaces as the actual parking spaces take up. It would be far more efficient to simply have two parking spaces between the trash room and the ramp, maybe even extra-deep spaces for moving and/or building services. This would free up a significant amount of main floor square footage for storefront space or slightly reconfigured lobby/elevator access to allow a retail use. Is the net gain of two awkward parking spaces really worth this waste?

Which gets me to the second, much more concerning point. They are relying on a 25% density bonus for enclosed parking to allow them to build additional residential units above what would otherwise be allowed by zoning. The developer is probably fighting for every space of enclosed parking in order to get this density bonus, and I can't say I blame them.

But this begs the following questions:
- Why is a density bonus required to build a basic 6 story apartment building along Lake Street?
- Is this city policy encouraging enclosed parking -including these four ridiculous spaces at the interior of the building on ground level- at the expense of storefronts along Lake Street?

If the developer really wants to waste thousands of square feet of their main level for a net gain of two parking spaces, so be it. If they're doing this simply to get the density bonus and they could instead use this prime ground level space for something better, we should encourage it.

I'm gonna assume that last really weird stall will be walled off as the maintenance guy's storage area. Spare parks take up a LOT of room, and no F@$% designers ever seem to plan for it. Especially in affordable housing, where there will always be an emphasis on repair over replace. You also will need a place to spray out the AC condenser coil of the magic-pak when they clog up (yes, they are removable), clean smelly dumpsters, etc The corners of the basement ramp don't really work for day-to-day access, since there will be a car parked along which ever side you put the door on.