urbanMSP

How about an architect designed machine shop on this site to provide a new home for Acme?

I'm with Thatcher. This intersection *really* needs work for pedestrians. I almost never use the official crosswalks because they make no sense, avoiding direct routes in favor of indirect multiple-crossing routes.

I did take some pleasure in that some folks were like “let’s preserve the sign, haha jk”, other folks were like “no let’s seriously preserve the sign” and Arby’s took it down immediately before anyone could take that idea too seriously. There’s no way Arby’s corporate would even allow a sign to remain up with no actual restaurant there... Arby’s is an actual extant corporation, not some nostalgic beer/soda brand from days gone by.

Also the sign is preserved... just not in the original place

Candlelight Vigil for Arby's sign:

https://www.facebook.com/events/396639010757482/

I did take some pleasure in that some folks were like “let’s preserve the sign, haha jk”, other folks were like “no let’s seriously preserve the sign” and Arby’s took it down immediately before anyone could take that idea too seriously. There’s no way Arby’s corporate would even allow a sign to remain up with no actual restaurant there... Arby’s is an actual extant corporation, not some nostalgic beer/soda brand from days gone by.

Grain Belt is an extant corporation! But that sign is very clearly more of a billboard and less of an indicator of services available on a premises. Even without the brewery in the vicinity, it makes enough sense in that style and location for them to just roll with it as an exceptionally high-profile brand advertisement.

What if Lagoon was closed to *motorized* traffic, and became attached at either end to the Greenway?

Just like in many outstate areas, the Greenway would act as the nearby highway (for bikes & peds—people just passing by), and Lagoon would act as the local business street (but for bikes & peds). It could be paved with brick or stone, be festooned with overhead string lights, and be lined with shops and restaurants.

Sort of like Nicollet Mall for Uptown. But NO BUSES!

Close off the auto entry at Dupont, reunite the Arby’s and Cub foods properties, redevelop them, and have a spur that runs north, connecting Lagoon with the Greenway. Then a large, signature building on that site would have a fantastic view down Lagoon, west. Likewise, walking or biking east on Lagoon, you’d see this large (beautiful!) signature building at the end of the block, making it feel enclosed.

So keep the Greenway as is, but add connectors at either end to Lagoon. Then stitch together the Arby’s/Cub lot. At the other end of Lagoon, cut it off from Lake and stick some sort of monument at the end as an exclamation point.

Then, looking east on Lagoon, you’d have a large, prominent building at the eastern edge of the Arby’s/Cub lot, with maybe a public square and/or greenery in front.

Obviously not quite as monumental as this street shot of Paris, but you get the idea:

Considering lot ownership and neighborhood needs, this "monumental building" would almost certainly be a new cub foods. And from a distance, it would look a lot like this.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9480541 ... 312!8i6656

Yeah, Lagoon ain't closing to traffic any time soon. I hate the one way pair as much as anyone but I don't think Lake alone has the ROW to handle the demand.

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If we hope to make any kind of difference in the horrible infrastructure we have today, we have to #dreambig.

This mess we’re in (highway scars through cities, stroads, shredded streetcar system, etc.) wasn’t created through little dreams.

Can the city come up with a land swap somewhere with Cub? Maybe the plaza is replaced with a smaller monumental building and Cub wraps around it? This isn’t so much an idea set in stone as a launching point for discussion.

But I think the city needs to dream big. Don’t look at it and think “how can we tweak it?”

Instead imagine what this could be that would make Uptown even better. That eastern edge of Uptown is a crucial block.

A more attainable fix for Lagoon is to drop the peak through/off-peak parking lane and use that space to expand the sidewalks. Besides, closing Lagoon probably means even more lanes on Lake. Shrink both down to two lanes and you start to have a pretty okay setup.

I'm just not sure how making Lake Street even worse than it already is and building a monument fixes anything.

Could Lake have one westbound lane and two eastbound lanes? Then make Lagoon a calm two way two lane gateway to the lake?

Better sidewalks on Lagoon west of Hennepin are desperately needed. East of Hennepin less so but would be nice.

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Maybe Lake could have four lanes with one/two reversible for 3-1 operation. The PM traffic is definitely heavy westbound. Lagoon gets absolutely jammed right around Emerson. I've not really experienced eastbound PM rush so I don't know if this would really work or not.

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Oh I misread. Maybe Lake could work as three lanes with one reversible and a two lane Lagoon. Or a three lane reversible Lagoon.

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Well I suppose if the problem is too much (car) traffic on Lake & Lagoon already… then we can just add a lane each to Lake & Lagoon and that would solve the problem.

And then we just keep adding lanes as they fill up.

Better sidewalks on Lagoon west of Hennepin are desperately needed. East of Hennepin less so but would be nice.

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Not that Lagoon's sidewalks west of Hennepin are great by any stretch of the imagination (they're terrible), but I've gotta believe east of Hennepin is at least as urgent based on foot traffic. In the evening, you literally have to walk into the street to get around bar lines or people milling about.

Ideally, of course, we'd widen them all (and maybe throw in a bike lane to boot).