urbanMSP

This project got underway yesterday after 2 years of delay (and a moratorium, partly instigated by the developers previous project at the SW corner of Finn & Grand). Two homes and a duplex were demolished in the middle of the block on the South face of Grand Avenue between Finn St and Cretin Ave. Hopefully it's not as ugly as Graham Merry's previous project but the renderings don't look hopeful. In their variance request they seem to think fiber cement board is a 'quality material'

http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentCenter/View/71754

http://www.stpaul.gov/DocumentCenter/View/77007

Four stories, 48 bedrooms in 14 units. 28 parking spaces with car elevator.

Good god it's ugly and cheap looking! I would think Grand Ave would have some fairly stringent design guidelines for developers.

Developer: So I built is this hideously ugly, badly proportioned student ghetto with all

Those who complain about the "ugly" developments that are going up in Minneapolis should rethink their use of the word. This is simply embarrassing. If I was a developer, I'd be ashamed to have my name on this project.

What a disappointing design for the project. This a case where the city needed to challenge the developer and subsequently the architect to come up with something better. Grand Avenue is a great place within the city and more should be expected.

What a disappointing design for the project. This a case where the city needed to challenge the developer and subsequently the architect to come up with something better. Grand Avenue is a great place within the city and more should be expected.

Where is the city? How did this get past the neighborhood groups? Do things work differently in St. Paul?

Can someone explain to me what's so wrong with this project? Looks to me like an unassuming development with much-needed 3- and 4-bedroom units that will provide an affordable option (at least relative to the ubiquitous luxury 1BRs being built in droves elsewhere) for students and families alike. And the units aren't even crammed into narrow side-by-side stalls featuring windowless bedrooms! I get that it's mildly boring in appearance but in function this looks to me like exactly the sort of smaller-scale density that everyone says they'd prefer over massive full-block redevelopments.

Agreed, good points. Can't complain about this... There is no question this is a definite improvement over old houses with college students and it looks nice thus far.