urbanMSP

@HiawathaGuy, Yes, Fremont is the correct spelling. Thanks for the catch!

Drove through uptown today, and apparently there's a Potbelly going in at 28th and Hennepin.

Drove through uptown today, and apparently there's a Potbelly going in at 28th and Hennepin.

What building??

The Flooring Expo building. Looks like they reduced the size of their store by about half and Potbelly is taking that up.

The Flooring Expo building. Looks like they reduced the size of their store by about half and Potbelly is taking that up.

I know they have been doing work on the back side of the building. But I thought that had more to do with ingress/egress to the office portion of the building. The Floor store sure did not need that much space that is for sure. Hardly ever see people in the store when I have walked by. Not sure about the parking situation for the store, but there will be a lot of foot traffic from the hoods around it I'm sure.

Apparently they did not do a very good job with designing the exhaust system for the Hennepin side restaurant. That or with the new building going up next door with the patio facing where the exhaust went into the alley needed to be exhausted high now. There is a new series of exhaust tubes running up the back side of the building which do not look pretty.

Finally doing some interior work in the Cowboy Jacks, still looking like mid fall at the soonest.

They have torn the old over hang from the Bar Abilene. Looks like they will just go with an open patio this time. Looks like they replaced the sidewalk under the overhang area also.

Macho & Metro has replaced Kisa Botique at Lake & Aldrich. Same owner. http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Lifesty ... cho-Metro/

Cowboy Jack's is ever closer to opening, but they are still missing a lot of their tables and other furnishings. Still have not seen and opening date in the windows or elsewhere. Anyone on here know more about this. Will have to go up in a parking ramp to get a better look down at the upstairs patio, but it looks much more complete than the ground floor interior. Is this project going on one year building out anniversary. Did they not start this project last September or October 2014??

Fremont has its windows covered, but not really seeing anything that makes it seem that any work is really being done. They have removed the canopy and laid new concrete where the old front patio was. But I did not see any dumpsters there for any other interior demolition.

Fjällräven is opening up in the former Everyday People space!!! Will open doors this Saturday.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... store.html

Is this project going on one year building out anniversary. Did they not start this project last September or October 2014??

This whole project is so bizarre. They took off the second story of a two-story building and turned it into a rooftop deck with a view of...the Uptown theater? The Library? Both fine institutions but not something I'd be super-exited about going to dinner to see.

It could not have been cheap to tear off the second story of a vintage building. I would have assumed a knockdown + new build would have been cheaper and faster.

This project actually decreased density in the area. Big thumbs down.

Fjällräven is opening up in the former Everyday People space!!! Will open doors this Saturday.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... store.html

Hopefully/maybe they'll advocate for getting rid of that stupid duplicative bus stop at Hennepin & Lagoon. The shelter from it obscures this narrow storefront pretty badly from the intersection: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9489442 ... 312!8i6656

Fjällräven is a great fit for Uptown!

Fjällräven is opening up in the former Everyday People space!!! Will open doors this Saturday.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... store.html

Hopefully/maybe they'll advocate for getting rid of that stupid duplicative bus stop at Hennepin & Lagoon. The shelter from it obscures this narrow storefront pretty badly from the intersection: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9489442 ... 312!8i6656

It would be better if that stop, if it had to stay, was extended out so the bus no longer had to merge in and out of traffic. But I agree, there can't be a lot of people using that stop.

Is this project going on one year building out anniversary. Did they not start this project last September or October 2014??

This whole project is so bizarre. They took off the second story of a two-story building and turned it into a rooftop deck with a view of...the Uptown theater? The Library? Both fine institutions but not something I'd be super-exited about going to dinner to see.

It could not have been cheap to tear off the second story of a vintage building. I would have assumed a knockdown + new build would have been cheaper and faster.

This project actually decreased density in the area. Big thumbs down.

I usually don't eat outside for the view. I'd assume most people don't, else sidewalk cafes wouldn't be so popular in the summer. But I agree with everything else, this had to be super expensive to lose year-round GFA just to get some outdoor seating. Have to believe there were some serious opportunity costs in that second story space.

Fjällräven is opening up in the former Everyday People space!!! Will open doors this Saturday.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... store.html

Hopefully/maybe they'll advocate for getting rid of that stupid duplicative bus stop at Hennepin & Lagoon. The shelter from it obscures this narrow storefront pretty badly from the intersection: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9489442 ... 312!8i6656

It would be better if that stop, if it had to stay, was extended out so the bus no longer had to merge in and out of traffic. But I agree, there can't be a lot of people using that stop.

Don't know about the numbers, but it's an attractive stop for those getting off to shop or eat in Uptown, because you don't have to cross at Lagoon, which is both dangerous and uncomfortable on the west side of the intersection. Buses and cars really like to pressure you and often have limited visibility due to the double turn lane. Plus, there are the wild left-turners from NB Hennepin who try to catch the arrow before the SB traffic gets the green. It's a horrible intersection in general, and I always appreciated having the SB bus stop between Lake and Lagoon for that reason.

Don't know about the numbers, but it's an attractive stop for those getting off to shop or eat in Uptown, because you don't have to cross at Lagoon, which is both dangerous and uncomfortable on the west side of the intersection. Buses and cars really like to pressure you and often have limited visibility due to the double turn lane. Plus, there are the wild left-turners from NB Hennepin who try to catch the arrow before the SB traffic gets the green. It's a horrible intersection in general, and I always appreciated having the SB bus stop between Lake and Lagoon for that reason.

It's too bad pedestrian bridges just wouldn't work here (think Vegas strip). They'd make this crossing a lot safer and push more cars through. Something has to eventually be done though. Moving forward there's only going to be more pedestrians and automobiles getting entangled. Aside from the safety issue crossing Lagoon, the sidewalk moving westward on the south side of Lagoon isn't very pedestrian friendly. Maybe eliminate parking on the south side and bump out the sidewalk? The parking lot west of the Uptown Theater will eventually be redeveloped and storefront businesses will want pedestrian friendly access on Lagoon.

I'd venture that 90+% of the automobile traffic going west on Lagoon intend to drive past the north end of Lake Calhoun. If there was some way to funnel more of that in the right direction prior to the Uptown core it would alleviate a lot of congestion and make Uptown more pedestrian friendly in general. For northbound Hennepin, maybe add a few well timed traffic lights to 31st, take out any islands that impede the additional traffic, and make Calhoun Pkwy double laned and one-way from 31st to Lagoon. Going south on Hennepin might be a bit more contentious sending traffic west on 28th (or 27th) and then south on Lake of the Isles Pkwy and then Calhoun Pkwy to Lagoon. Pedestrian bridges might actually work in the Lagoon/Lake/Calhoun Pkway area for pedestrian safety and to keep the lights green and sync'd better, or maybe even eliminated. There's lots of room for that kind of construction. If cars going down those alternate routes could get past Lake Calhoun quicker than the existing route then it would be an all around win for everyone (except of course residential directly next to the new routes that would fight tooth and nail against it).

There really isn't a better route through that area than Hennepin + Lake/Lagoon. 31st/Calhoun is a nonstarter, and all there are few wide streets.

As much as I hate to say it, sometimes I wish the so-called Southwest Diagonal highway through Kenilworth had been built. It would have relieved a tremendous amount of vehicle pressure on Uptown while only requiring a relatively small number of demolitions.

Going south on Hennepin might be a bit more contentious sending traffic west on 28th (or 27th) and then south on Lake of the Isles Pkwy and then Calhoun Pkwy to Lagoon.

The standard maneuver is 28th-Humboldt-The Mall-Calhoun Pkwy-Lake. Sometimes you take Lagoon instead of The Mall depending on traffic and lights.

How many people to/from the (south)western burbs through Uptown are going somewhere along Lake, e.g. the Allina complex? It seems like Midtown LRT + a park & ride at West Lake (difficult) or Beltline/Wooddale/Louisiana could help a lot. We'd want to interline Midtown with SWLRT a bit to reach those park & rides.

People coming to/from downtown and the southwest burbs are probably trying to avoid congestion on 394/100. The upgrade of 100 might help a bit with that.

It seems like Midtown LRT + a park & ride at West Lake (difficult) or Beltline/Wooddale/Louisiana could help a lot. We'd want to interline Midtown with SWLRT a bit to reach those park & rides.

Now that's an interesting angle. I've thought that a full interlining of Midtown all of the way out to EP (that some here had been advocating) never made much sense, but extending it just one stop could have some real utility.