Southdale Area - Edina

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EOst
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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby EOst » January 18th, 2018, 9:57 am

Hey, do that and you won't need the workout.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Qhaberl » January 18th, 2018, 11:07 am

Does anyone have any links to any renderings of what the fitness center will look like on the outside?


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sdho
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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby sdho » January 18th, 2018, 12:42 pm

Ah yes, the Regional Fitness Center, where everyone drives their car to destinations where they can be active.
Yep. Describing basically every Lifetime Fitness ever. Even when I used to go to Target Center Lifetime downtown, they had no bike racks, but did prominently advertise a discounted parking deal they had with a nearby ramp.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby RailBaronYarr » January 18th, 2018, 1:28 pm

I mean getting a bit of physical activity as part of living in an urban environment is certainly a plus, but I'm not sure it should be one of the biggest selling points. Many people walk farther from their downtown parking ramps to the office than people who get off the local/express routes do. Biking is great, but a 2-3 mile bike commute to/from work doesn't provide nearly the amount of physical activity humans need in a given day. Everything helps, obviously, so it's great when people can bike or walk to a workout and save some time on the warmup. But people need gym time mostly because our lives (beyond driving) are sedentary and our diets aren't optimal. Sorry for being contrarian :/

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby sdho » January 18th, 2018, 1:44 pm

I mean getting a bit of physical activity as part of living in an urban environment is certainly a plus, but I'm not sure it should be one of the biggest selling points. Many people walk farther from their downtown parking ramps to the office than people who get off the local/express routes do. Biking is great, but a 2-3 mile bike commute to/from work doesn't provide nearly the amount of physical activity humans need in a given day. Everything helps, obviously, so it's great when people can bike or walk to a workout and save some time on the warmup. But people need gym time mostly because our lives (beyond driving) are sedentary and our diets aren't optimal. Sorry for being contrarian :/
I think this is a good point. And the reality is that many (most?) people going to a gym are not doing the exact kind of activity an automotive lifestyle impedes. Like: most people don't pay $150/mo to only go and walk on a treadmill. (Some do.) But things like weightlifting, rowing, etc are different kind of activity than walking around the city for 10,000 steps a day.

What's a shame from my perspective is that gyms don't promote *both* of these kinds of activity. Lifetime SLP is right on an awesome regional trail (S Cedar Lake Trail), but there was no access to the gym except by an illegal rail crossing or winding around a frontage road. I had to lobby for over a year to get them to buy a single bike rack that you could actually lock to with a U-lock -- including a live demonstration with the general manager to show him what was wrong with his unsecured wheelbender. Why not be front and center in encouraging members to bike/walk/bus? They can get their warmup on the way to the gym, and get down to business when they come through the doors.

In the case of this new Lifetime Southdale, they could at least insist on a strong pedestrian connection to York and 66th to get people to walk from the 1000+ apartments within walking distance. In the long term, they should advocate for extension of the Edina Promenade, and protected bike lanes on York and 66th.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby RailBaronYarr » January 18th, 2018, 2:47 pm

I'm not in disagreement with your strategies by any stretch. I just think that a common 'urbanist' trope to lob rocks at folks who drive to whatever physical fitness they'll partake in, or over-sell the health benefits of, say, walking 1.5 blocks to a bus to sit and read on your phone until you get to your destination (vs driving, obviously). I don't even know that a leisurely bike ride to my gym would qualify as a warmup for me, especially once I lock my bike, check in, drop my bag in a locker and change shoes, (drop my kids at the daycare center), etc. I'd still need to hit the treadmill for 10-15 minutes.

It is probably an overall sound strategy to work with managers individually, and also lay out goals/designs/etc at the policy level, that appeal to business cases. Like you say, there are plenty of places where gyms (or restaurants, etc etc) are located directly adjacent to trails or high density housing and would really benefit from just a little infra/signage/bike parking/building design/whatever to make it the natural choice for people to walk/bike, and especially people who aren't customers but might be convinced given the convenience.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby LakeCharles » January 18th, 2018, 3:26 pm

The Mayo Clinic suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (a brisk walk qualifies, and they suggest spreading this out throughout the week) and 75 minutes of strength training. I get 100 minutes of moderate activity a day in the winter walking to/from the bus to work, spread out as they suggest. I then bus to Vertical Endeavors twice a week to get my strength training, and get another 20 minutes of brisk walking that way. I then need to fit just 30 minutes of moderate exercise in per week to hit the minimum.

Similarly, in the summer, I bike to work, which gives me something like 150 minutes of moderate and 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week, as I bike in moderately, and bike home very hard.

So I relatively easily fit the Mayo requirements by busing and biking. I could also do it by driving to the gym, but I save a lot of time this way, and a lot of money! I'm not throwing rocks at you for driving to your gym, but I think you are ignoring the very real health benefits of an urban lifestyle.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby xandrex » January 25th, 2018, 12:28 pm

We're very off topic at this point, but it's interesting to finally see this topic addressed.

Definitely agree with RBY. I've seen more than a few urbanists sneer at people driving to gyms to workout, touting the fact that they don't need to go to the gym because they walk and bike places. And yet when I've seen these same urbanists in person…a lot of them are not particularly fit.

There are massive benefits to a non-gym active lifestyle that urbanists brag about, and they should be encouraged. When I worked in Minneapolis, I got plenty of it by walking to/from transit or biking into work. I still walk around my neighborhood for groceries, food, nightlife, etc. Now that I work in St. Paul, I drive and actually get more walking in than I would if I took transit. But all of that I really see as a complement to stuff that can really only be done at the gym, like weight lifting or group classes. And, because of the economics of gyms, they're going to lean toward regional-ish things that mean some people are going to drive.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 13th, 2018, 7:25 pm

Aeon proposing “affordable rentals”. 90 units at the corner of Valley View and W 70th.

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/02/ae ... -in-edina/

1 block from France Ave.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby twincitizen » February 20th, 2018, 11:58 am

Edina is planning to add a small water treatment plant just north of the existing water tower in the SW quadrant of Southdale.
http://www.startribune.com/visually-app ... 474519113/

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby BenFranske » February 20th, 2018, 12:11 pm

That's an interesting project and much nicer looking than most infrastructure projects these days. Having toured some water works facilities in Europe as well as some east coast cities, or event seeing the plant in NE Minneapolis it's interesting how so many of these have become simple 'bunkers' rather than something more interesting. I expect that Southdale and Restoration Hardware are having some influence here in making this look a bit nicer.

It's also interesting to note the City is going to have to give themselves a setback variance on France because they can't meet the 35 foot setback given some of the discussions here about the France setbacks.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby sdho » February 20th, 2018, 3:15 pm

I think the water treatment plant (and water tower) is sort of an unfortunate use for the heart of Edina's regional downtown. But I do love how they've made it more of an exciting, interactive thing -- not just a blank concrete building behind a tall fence.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 22nd, 2018, 5:14 pm

Shinola and Filson closing North Loop space, relocating to Galleria.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... -will.html

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 22nd, 2018, 9:28 pm

Lifetime is going to add co-working space to their Southdale Center project.

https://finance-commerce.com/2018/02/li ... -in-edina/

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 23rd, 2018, 2:46 pm

Edina city council said the proposed treatment plant wasn’t attractive enough. Wants more fancy.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... nough.html

I’d frankly like less utility doors and railings along France Ave and more windows. I don’t need to have store fronts, but even as much as windows that let folks look in at the mechanicals of water treatment going on inside from people walking along France.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby sdho » February 23rd, 2018, 3:50 pm

Edina city council said the proposed treatment plant wasn’t attractive enough. Wants more fancy.

https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... nough.html

I’d frankly like less utility doors and railings along France Ave and more windows. I don’t need to have store fronts, but even as much as windows that let folks look in at the mechanicals of water treatment going on inside from people walking along France.
That headline. Love.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 23rd, 2018, 9:23 pm

Fischer suggested teaming up with the city's Arts and Culture Commission and placing public art along the property. Hovland and Staunton pointed to structures such as the Crown Fountain in Chicago's Millennium Park and sleek parking garages in Miami as inspiration for the project.
http://www.startribune.com/for-edina-s- ... 475009333/

The city leaders do sound rather impressed with what is proposed. They are asking for a moonshot it seems. I don’t know that they understand what can be done when it’s surrounded by parking lots on the south and east with an unpleasant stroad to the west.

If only the water tower could be wrapped up to look like an old style tower that people to climb up to the top of for viewing.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Multimodal » February 23rd, 2018, 9:36 pm

The city leaders do sound rather impressed with what is proposed. They are asking for a moonshot it seems. I don’t know that they understand what can be done when it’s surrounded by parking lots on the south and east with an unpleasant stroad to the west.

If only the water tower could be wrapped up to look like an old style tower that people to climb up to the top of for viewing.
The Chicago water tower is pretty cool, too. Remember, this is going to be next door to the amazing new Restoration Hardware edifice. The area surrounding Southdale Mall is all parking now, but much of it will eventually be redeveloped, with a new street grid in the Southdale Area Plan.

And climbing up the tower is the coolest idea! Maybe build a smaller one on the other side of France, and we could zip line across, instead of a bridge. Image OK, let’s just stick to the first idea.

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Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » February 23rd, 2018, 10:12 pm

I kind of had the Witches Hat in Prospect Park, but also the historic Washburn tower (though it can’t be climbed up) in mind. I think a shell/tube around the water tower that has steps going up with a viewing platform ringing the top could possibly be inexpensive enough to not break the budget and make this a landmark the council is asking for.

I thought I recalled the north side of RH Gallery (just to the south of the water tower) was going to have parking.

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Re: Southdale Area Development - Edina

Postby Anondson » March 12th, 2018, 1:18 pm

Demo progress today. Lots of kids brought to the mall are gawking at the bigger machines crunching and scraping.
Image


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