Penn and American - Bloomington

Twin Cities Suburbs
Mdcastle
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby Mdcastle » February 1st, 2016, 10:40 pm

Yes, i assume most of us if we didn't want ""suburban" would have bought houses in the city. I have nothing for or against Penn American, I guess if people want to live and shop there then whatever. There's still no shortage of strip malls for me to drive to.

mattaudio
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby mattaudio » February 2nd, 2016, 8:23 am

That's a rather elitist perspective, no? Unfortunately, "good urbanism" is a luxury proposition in our current time: City homes are very expensive. Even in Minneapolis or St. Paul proper, the most urban places are the domain of the rich.

Increasingly, as urban neighborhoods gentrify, poorer people are getting displaced to suburban areas, especially less kept corners of inner ring suburbs. On one hand, I'm very skeptical of wholesale redevelopment of these areas, because it seems like a convenient way for suburbs to get rid of the small "a" affordability for smaller/older homes and apartments, and storefronts and business spaces.

Yet I'm also concerned for a region in which the rich are the only ones who can afford to have an urban lifestyle, who can afford not to "need" a car for their routines. Throughout most of human history, it was usually the elites who were able to move away from crowded urban areas. Post WWII, urban areas generally remained affordable even as opportunity decreased, due to white flight and rapid suburbanization of the working class. So now we're moving to the first time in human history when many urban areas are simply unaffordable to the working class, and that's particularly concerning.

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sdho
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby sdho » February 2nd, 2016, 10:36 am

Even in Minneapolis or St. Paul proper, the most urban places are the domain of the rich.
I mean. Stevens Square or Elliot Park are a helluvalot cheaper than streetcar-suburban Linden Hills. I think, rather, the most fashionable places are the domain of the rich and in most cases right now, those places are the traditionally urban. (The contrast across the border in Edina is particularly interesting to me, where the most expensive homes are split between the relatively traditional streetcar-suburban Country Club district, and the unabashedly suburban Interlachen area.)

But in general, I agree with mattaudio, we need to provide affordable, walkable, dignified places to live everywhere in our region. Mdcastle, I believe even you have said family factors are a major reason why you live in Bloomington. Many, many people move to places like Bloomington -- even places like Apple Valley or Maple Grove -- because of factors that have nothing to do with density or driving/walking balance. People pick school districts, what's close to their job, and of course, what they can afford. The fact that that balance leads them to places outside of the central cities does not mean they should be sentenced to driving everywhere.

Penn-American strikes a compromise, in that it doesn't radically challenge anything about driving culture, but is at least somewhat more walkable, dense, and transit-friendly than prevailing development. Still, I think we could do vastly more while still allowing people to drive.

RailBaronYarr
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby RailBaronYarr » February 3rd, 2016, 2:02 pm

Two weeks ago my dad said he couldn't wait for Penn-American area to fail (my mom was talking about how she drives up from Lakeville for Fresh Thyme). When I asked why, he said "that area makes far more sense as a car dealership zone."

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby HiawathaGuy » February 5th, 2016, 1:13 pm

StuartCo pays $8M for four Penn-American sites
http://finance-commerce.com/2016/02/stu ... can-sites/
*LOCKED*

Cool news.
Apartment developer StuartCo has shelled out $8 million in cash for a stretch of retail property in Bloomington’s Penn-American district that’s close to one of its new complexes. Knox & American I LLC, an entity related to the Bloomington-based developer, bought four contiguous sites totaling 9.75 acres along the 1900 block of American Boulevard from the ...

twincitizen
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby twincitizen » February 8th, 2016, 3:37 pm

The 4 parcels are those between Morgan & Knox, American & 81st (or where 81st would be).

The full article states StuartCo does not have a redevelopment plan at this time, but views the purchase as a "protection of their investment" in Genesee. They aren't ready to build more apartments yet, but felt the $8MM purchase was worth getting control of the land to prevent something else from going in there. Article also includes references to "substantial involvement" by the city being needed if they were to move forward with development. Namely the city would need to acquire and construct 80 1/2 Street through the site, and possibly a N-S street as well, if desired. The article didn't speculate any further, so I will - StuartCo will also do some fishing for substantial Met Council & Hennepin County TOD grants while they work up a development plan.

Also, Red Lobster and Savers' leases run thru 2017 with options for 5 year extensions, so perhaps redevelopment is not exactly imminent...but I'd bet it won't be too far behind the Orange Line. Met Council and Bloomington will both be very happy to see more development right next to their brand new BRT station.

grant1simons2
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby grant1simons2 » February 19th, 2016, 2:49 pm

This thing is really weird.

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sdho
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby sdho » February 19th, 2016, 3:53 pm

The whole development?

grant1simons2
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby grant1simons2 » February 19th, 2016, 4:16 pm

The newest piece. I can't exactly put my finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that the sign that's right on the corner looks tacky when paired with a red robin right next to it. Or maybe it was the fact that I could barely tell there was a Fresh Thyme there because it was so tucked back. Or it could have also been the collage of materials used.

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby HiawathaGuy » February 19th, 2016, 4:39 pm

The newest piece. I can't exactly put my finger on it. Maybe it was the fact that the sign that's right on the corner looks tacky when paired with a red robin right next to it. Or maybe it was the fact that I could barely tell there was a Fresh Thyme there because it was so tucked back. Or it could have also been the collage of materials used.
I love it. We frequent Fresh Thyme often (we live by Minneahaha Park), and I love what this area is becoming - compared to the awful car lots that once lived here. I loved leaving Fresh Thyme a week ago and seeing a mother and her young son carrying a few bags of groceries. I watched them walk to the apartment building (phase I) and go in. That's what we're all wanting, right?!
I personally like the collage of materials used and think that this whole addition is a great thing for an old suburb like Bloomington.

twincitizen
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby twincitizen » February 21st, 2016, 7:54 pm

I've been to/around Penn-American dozens of times, but went today for the first time since Phase 2 was constructed.

1. There is a lot of retail in this development! I already thought the amount of retail space in Phase 1 was overkill. The hotel building now has a cellphone store (in addition to Red Robin full-service restaurant anchor). It looks like there's additional retail space at the southern end of the hotel building, though that could've been hotel-related. I didn't know Phase 2 was going to have any retail space at all, besides Fresh Thyme and Red Robin. If future redevelopment of nearby Southtown reduces retail square footage in favor or residential/hotel/office space, everything will probably work out.
2. With only Phase 1 in place, I thought the retail in Phase 1 was oddly positioned. I do think it makes a lot more sense now that it faces the "courtyard" parking lot of the completed development. The on-street angle-in parking on 80 1/2 Street was never used before. It was full today around noon, as was the surface lot.
3. Yes, there are a lot of weird materials going on, from the hideous green color used on the residential buildings, to the farm-y architecture of Fresh Thyme, to the very modern hotel. It's a f***ing mess architecturally, no doubt.
4. Fresh Thyme is a pretty great store. It covers all the bases for me, personally. I'll elaborate in the "Grocery Stores" thread.

twincitizen
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby twincitizen » April 29th, 2016, 11:14 am

Image

From the Bloomington City Manager's Facebook page:
Now we are sharing a Phase III concept plan with the City Council for redevelopment of the area in the SW corner of American Boulevard and Knox Avenue. The HRA bought the properties recently which will benefit from being adjacent to the Met Council's planned Orange Line BRT.

Here is the concept drawing for a new hotel and two market affordable rental apartment buildings (with low-income affordable components). Patrons of Red Lobster fear not; the restaurant (in the NW piece of the area) has a lease through 2022.

EOst
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby EOst » April 29th, 2016, 11:27 am

Look at all that potential... surface parking lot.

min-chi-cbus
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby min-chi-cbus » April 30th, 2016, 8:51 am

It's a vast improvement over what's there now though.

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sdho
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby sdho » April 30th, 2016, 11:27 am

I'm glad they're looking to move ahead even if Red Lobster is to stay. Note that the middle "surface parking lot" is actually a street, 80th 1/2. It's actually pretty nice when using in real life.

twincitizen
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby twincitizen » July 15th, 2016, 8:27 am


Tyler
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby Tyler » July 15th, 2016, 10:02 am

Extra hilarious because its repeated in the photo caption and in the story itself.
Towns!

QuietBlue
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby QuietBlue » July 15th, 2016, 10:07 am

Wow. That's an interesting concept of geography they have.

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby HiawathaGuy » June 12th, 2018, 12:03 pm

I'm hopeful that this area redevelops into something far nicer than what's there now! Taller towers with more green space, featuring housing, office & retail space seem to be a best bet.

Developers figuring out what retail will be
*LOCKED*
Kraus-Anderson has started "reimagining" its sprawling Southtown Center in Bloomington, where Herberger's is about to close.

Image

HiawathaGuy
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Re: Penn and American - Bloomington

Postby HiawathaGuy » June 18th, 2018, 4:21 pm

Looks like the Knox/American area discussion is heating up again.

StuartCo, Boisclair pitch proposals for Bloomington
*LOCKED*

Two projects could transform an important commercial block in northern Bloomington in the next few years.

Image
Minneapolis-based Boisclair Corp., the owner and builder of the Knox Landing senior apartments at 8100 Knox Ave. S. in Bloomington, wants to build a five-story, 144-unit addition on the north side of the existing tower.


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