Mozaic (all phases)

[min-chi-cbus]

Yeah....I'm not sure people are realizing what a prized building this is (at least according to the design we see here now). This is the type of thing I'd expect to see in a few very select cities in this country, but more likely in some of the more prominent European and Asian markets. This is a fantastic design that really concerts well with both the Greenway and the preexisting Uptown urban fabric, while at the same time offers nice scale without obstructing views or creating too much noise with height.

I'd personally be thrilled to see this built as-is, even if some people (including myself) don't generally prefer modern architecture. There are always exceptions however, like this or the Guthrie.

[TroyGBiv]

AGREED! Plus that site needs some "air" and light to open up that plaza. I hope this doesn't get "neighborhooded" to death. I live in Whittier and I feel like design by committee can get way too out of hand. The Uptown needs architecture that matters.

[twincitizen]

It was in an F&C article last week I believe, that Ackerberg is going to seek land use approvals soon, without waiting to get an anchor tenant lined up. They will wait to break ground until some pre-leasing is done, however.

[David Greene]

AGREED! Plus that site needs some "air" and light to open up that plaza. I hope this doesn't get "neighborhooded" to death.

I don't think it will. The Wedge Z&P committee was quite supportive of the design. They'll probably ask for better bike/ped connections.

[twincitizen]

^Yes!! It absolutely does need better bike/ped connections through the site. Biking to/from the Greenway, via the recently added Girard bridge is far from seamless. In order to leave the plaza, on southbound Girard, one must bike against car traffic entering the Mozaic ramp, because that's where the curb cut is. There is no other way for a bicyclist to exit the plaza onto WB Lagoon or SB Girard. Some type of designated path (and a small curb cut for bikes) to the right of the bollards in this image would be great: https://ssl.panoramio.com/photo/78342718

[twincitizen]

I had dinner & drinks on the Bar Louie outdoor plaza last night with my cousin. I've been to Louie before, but only in winter (and only on weekends, when it's full of suburbanite Jersey Shore types).

The plaza/patio is really, really cool. The ambiance with that water feature, the unique seating arrangements, the lighting on Mozaic and Flux, etc. definitely rivals that of some of the nicer rooftops in the area. It will be even better with Phase 2 replacing that parking lot and The Walkway completed and adding even more visual interest to the area. They really need to fix the neon lights on the Lagoon Theater. Maybe it was a timer issue, but I feel like they were on for like 30 minutes tops (didn't come on til long after dusk, and were off again by 10pm). Sure they cost money to run, but they really liven up the otherwise blank walls of the theater building.

I've long thought that it would be difficult to do another 6-story box on the Cheapo site, without creating a bunch of crappy interior views for both The Walkway and whatever future building. So the idea popped into my head last night that the Cheapo site would be a great location for something taller & more slender. A 2-story podium matching the height of Walkway's double-height first floor, then a slender tower of maybe 8-10 stories coming up to a similar height as Mozaic West (note: it is actually called this according to a placard I spotted in the entrance to the offices).

[min-chi-cbus]

It's surprising how little space you need between buildings to get natural light or a view (if you stand right up to the window at least). A building could be 10-15 feet away and you'd easily get at least indirect natural sunlight, if not direct light at times throughout the day. I see your point and I agree that a block chock full of bulky six-floor buildings would eventually reduce the livability of many of the units of those buildings (law of diminishing returns, or critical mass), but other cities get by just fine with far far greater density levels and much shorter distances between buildings. Lincoln Park in Chicago, for example, is wall-to-wall 3-5 story townhomes and apartments, and the only light comes in from the front or back. I also agree with you that creative solutions like the kind you proposed might be in store before you see NYC-level density in the Uptown Minneapolis area. It's an interesting point, nonetheless!

[MNdible]

Not to get too far afield here, but this topic has come up before, and people have referenced cities like Berlin or Paris as being perfectly livable with dense, mid-rise buildings. It's worth taking a look at an aerial view of these areas -- like this part of Berlin, for example. The building portions of these projects tend to be much thinner, making it easier for light to penetrate the buildings, and the courtyards tend to be much more generous. The apartments in these buildings tend to be shallow and wide, with greater access to windows than what we're seeing in more recent Minneapolis developments.

[TheUrbanGopher]

Listed as discussion topic #9 for next week's Planning Commission of the Whole meeting:

http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/p ... S1P-115373

[widin007]

"9. MoZaic Phase III - 1350 Lagoon Ave and 2900 Fremont Ave S (Discussion)
Phase III consists of a new 185,000 square foot office building, 12,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space and 40 new underground parking spaces."

Is phase III just a miss print? Or is there going to be more?

[Nathan]

It has to be a misprint... that's the address for the lagoon theatre, and the parking lot behind it. Which is II unless they plan to squeeze something in in between...

[thatchio]

I generally refrain from posting on MoZaic, but since it will continue to be confusing unless clarified...
Phases I and II were constructed in one construction phase, which is the west building. The west building was split into two phases (ground through 7 and 8 through 10) to allow for market flexibility, though it wasn't needed. Phase III is the east side of the site.

[widin007]

Oh alright, that makes sense, thanks!

[lordmoke]

Poaching from the suburbs, now 91% leased:
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... osaic.html

[Minneboy]

Sweet view

[swmpls]

They've got the site plans up: http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/www/gro ... 115521.pdf

[John]

Thanks Swmpls! This is an outstanding project that will become the symbol of contemporary Uptown. It's about time this neighborhood got a new high quality building with architectural significance. It truely deserves it and is exactly what it needs.

[Nathan]

Oh. Man. The first floor is amazing. Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Bike Shop, Fitness Center, AND another small retail space.

[Nathan]

Also, looks like they call this Mozaic East and the previous phase West. So that naming scheme doesn't really leave room for them to jump over Freemont for a third building. Seems we'll have to wait for something completely different

[John]

Oh. Man. The first floor is amazing. Restaurant, Coffee Shop, Bike Shop, Fitness Center, AND another small retail space.

The street level is awesome. This project is wonderfully thought out on so many levels. A lesson in good urban design. It can be done!