urbanMSP

Mod note: Jump ahead to Page 3 for updated plans; the hotel project moved across the street.


Looking at the CoW agenda for next week, it looks like Doran isn't the only one who thinks the University area needs another hotel. This one would be "a five-story hotel with 123 rooms and one floor of underground parking."

Looking at the map, it looks like this is those three houses on Essex closest to Huron, across the street from the Stadium Village Apts, as well as the house on Huron and the northernmost of the three identical apartment buildings on Huron between Essex and Fulton.

Staff report is finally up:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 119700.pdf

Pretty nondescript. Curb cut for garage/ loading zone will be mid block on Essex.

I'm sure the city is trying to concentrate commercial development along Washington, but it feels like there's now enough density along this stretch of Huron (and much of it is far enough away from Washington) that there should be at least some level of convenience retail here.

I hope the city preserves that short stretch of RR ROW between Huron/Essex and 27th Ave SE. It could replace the freeway entrance as the primary "main street" of development south of Essex... a greenway/plaza that helps development continuity towards Franklin.

Looks like all the rooms have kitchenettes, which makes sense if is is aimed at hospital patients and/or their families.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/m ... ty-of.html
Rendering of the hotel proposal.

I think it would make a lot more sense for this building to be oriented towards Huron rather than Essex because a) it would provide more activation for a desolate stretch of Huron, b) the drop-off as depicted is a significant conflict with the bike lane on Essex, and c) boulevards should be made of plants not asphalt.

Here's an update on the hotel - no objections from neighbors. wow. : http://www.mndaily.com/news/campus/2014 ... es-forward
It's on the May 1 Mplz. zoning committee agenda http://www.minneapolismn.gov/meetings/zp/WCMS1P-123832

And we wonder why Stadium Village is booming quietly much faster than the core of Dinkytown.

Meh.

I know this is the way our society is going as a whole, but Stadium Village is almost entirely restaurants right now -- minus the two chain drugstores, is there any retail left there? To my taste, as impressive as the added density along Washington is, I think it's actually pretty soulless.

The flower shop in Stub and Herb's is still there, as is the liquor store, Smokedale, and I think the game store is still by Burger King. There's also a US Bank, a print shop, FedEx/Kinko's, and Great Clips, though those are more services than retail. It's restaurant-heavy, no doubt, but it's not that bad.

Dont forget Gold Country when that comes back.

Meh.

I know this is the way our society is going as a whole, but Stadium Village is almost entirely restaurants right now -- minus the two chain drugstores, is there any retail left there? To my taste, as impressive as the added density along Washington is, I think it's actually pretty soulless.

It's been that way since at least 2003 when I moved to Stadium Village.

I think the video game store next to Burger King went out of business.

"The only hang-up from the city involved the entrance to the hotel’s 41-stall underground parking ramp, Oberpriller said, which has since been changed."

For a hotel with 123 rooms doesn't that seem like a very low number of parking stalls?

It does, but apparently the city only requires one stall per three rooms. I guess they're planning for a lot of people to come via LRT?

I'd guess taxi and chartered bus as well. The Commons (nee Radisson) has Chartered buses for sports teams all the time.

So is this a go for sure? Any fence up or work on the site been done yet?