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Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 10th, 2017, 7:33 pm
by MNdible
Gets moved to the site of the grain elevators that they're demolishing. Which raises a question I've had -- will the relocated sports dome interfere with the planned extension of 27th Ave SE?
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 10th, 2017, 7:45 pm
by Mikey
How much life does the U's coal plant have? It sure would be nice to get rid of that spur through Dinkytown
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 10th, 2017, 10:10 pm
by min-chi-cbus
Here's a bad picture of the 401 University proposal. N'hood didn't like the fact that it was 5 stories (especially because it's CPM). They want something around 3-4 like they mention in their master plan. They also don't like seeing car parking line 4th Ave. Want something a little bit more active. There were other weird things mentioned. Like the fact that they're not using any brick, compared to other apartments on University (even though there's almost nothing new).
401University by
grant.simons, on Flickr
That's a slick box -- I'm surprised the neighbors are complaining! However, if it were trimmed to 4 floors it wouldn't detract from its key qualities.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 1:33 pm
by amiller92
How much life does the U's coal plant have? It sure would be nice to get rid of that spur through Dinkytown
Didn't they just expand/renovate or something? There was construction that disturbed the bike/led path.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 2:25 pm
by grant1simons2
Yeah. It's not coal is it? I know my sister did very extensive work to divest from coal. The rail spur in dinkytown is not determined by the plant either. It's Minnesota Commercial storage.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 4:19 pm
by MNdible
That looks an awful lot like coal to me.
The Old Main Steam plant is the one that they just completed renovations on, and is now a natural gas only co-generation facility (steam and electricity).
I'm not clear what the University's plans are for Southeast, but one of the reasons that they recommissioned the Main plant is that they felt that they needed a back-up in case Southeast went down. Since the entire East Bank is heated by the steam plants, a failure during winter could be catastrophic.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 4:29 pm
by MNdible
Although
this article suggests that the coal fired burners at Southeast should have been decommissioned once the Old Main plant was reopened.
There's also suggestion that there is additional space at Old Main to add more natural gas units (which are much smaller than the coal units they replaced), so it may yet be that Southeast could be re purposed.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 4:31 pm
by RailBaronYarr
Gets moved to the site of the grain elevators that they're demolishing. Which raises a question I've had -- will the relocated sports dome interfere with the planned extension of 27th Ave SE?
Some very rough Google Mapping says the current dome + baseball field as laid out could fit where the grain elevators are with room to spare assuming an extension of 27th Ave. I don't personally think one football/soccer field and one baseball field is enough for intramural + random activities for a school of 30,000 undergrads. I'm also not wild that their location is shifted away from the student population center of gravity, but it is what it is. Van Cleve + River Flats + West Bank Fields will have to do to pick up the slack.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 9:40 pm
by Mikey
Yes, it was the Old Main plant I was asking about, didn't know they had just converted it. I wonder how much longer the coal storage building will stick around - they just built it when I was at the U ≈ 15 years ago
Still though, getting rid of those storage tracks would be great
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 12th, 2017, 10:08 pm
by seanrichardryan
They still burn coal during the coldest days as Xcel diverts supplies to residential customers during peak demand.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 13th, 2017, 10:13 am
by MNdible
I'm scratching my head about your comment, Sean. It makes sense that they'd need more steam to heat buildings on the coldest days, but I don't think that Xcel should have anything to do with it -- it's closed system that only feeds the University, no?
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 13th, 2017, 10:36 am
by FISHMANPET
Is Xcel not feeding them enough natural gas on the coldest days?
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 13th, 2017, 10:40 am
by Silophant
When demand exceeds supply for natural gas, utilities are required by law to prioritize residential customers over commerical and industrial customers. Though, to be nitpicky, Centerpoint is the natural gas utility in Minneapolis.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 13th, 2017, 11:07 am
by MNdible
Ah, that makes more sense. Although it's sort of troubling that we'd be running short of natural gas...
So, regarding the coal storage building -- my understanding is that it was never feeding Old Main, which was de-commissioned and idle for the preceding fifteen years or so until the new boilers were installed over the last couple of years. I understand that it was a transfer point from the trains into a conveyor belt that feeds the coal bin that's adjacent to Southeast.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: February 13th, 2017, 5:07 pm
by go4guy
Gets moved to the site of the grain elevators that they're demolishing. Which raises a question I've had -- will the relocated sports dome interfere with the planned extension of 27th Ave SE?
Some very rough Google Mapping says the current dome + baseball field as laid out could fit where the grain elevators are with room to spare assuming an extension of 27th Ave. I don't personally think one football/soccer field and one baseball field is enough for intramural + random activities for a school of 30,000 undergrads. I'm also not wild that their location is shifted away from the student population center of gravity, but it is what it is. Van Cleve + River Flats + West Bank Fields will have to do to pick up the slack.
I think this is actually a better location, since it is closer to the light rail stop.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: April 24th, 2017, 1:09 pm
by Didier
The steel silos appear to be gone now.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: May 24th, 2017, 9:33 am
by versitalex
Electric Steel Grain Elevator Demolition, May 22, 2017 (not my video):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tclxzIdKwo
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: May 26th, 2017, 10:17 am
by LakeCharles
New climbing facility proposed at 518 Malcolm:
http://www.startribune.com/just-listed- ... 424425193/
"[T]he climbing facility would have a dramatic, sloped roof inspired in part by the Sawtooth Mountains near Lake Superior and would be clad in mostly metal panels. The second portion of the building that would make up the main entrance will resemble a small box."
Haha, glad they clarified the shape of the second portion.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: May 27th, 2017, 3:26 pm
by Squidward
http://finance-commerce.com/2017/05/min ... ding-bill/
Nearly $1B bonding bill includes (finally) $66.7M for the Health Sciences Education Center.
Nearby, the Pioneer Hall renovation has started.
Re: University of Minnesota - General Topics & Development Map
Posted: July 31st, 2017, 9:33 am
by Navin
Linking an update about the Bell Museum (in the St. Paul forum) just because it's a U project....
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1316&p=133260#p133260