Alia Tower - 200 Central - 483' / 40 Stories

[nickmgray]

If we're using Latitude 45 as a comparison - first rumors started in late June of 2013 with construction kickoff in March 2014.

[uptown067]

Updated rendering (and decent article about NE)

http://tcbmag.com/Industries/Real-Estat ... Side-Story

[TommyT]

Anyone notice the mural on the parking garage? I wonder if that's actually planned or if it's just to spiff up the rendering a bit. Looks nice and would be cool to have some giant public art there.

[acs]

If change is inevitable, other long-time businesses may be on the bubble. “I think Surdyk’s is next,” Grambsch says of the liquor-store icon on a suburban-style lot. “I love the store, but the wine and liquor market is different now that Total Wine is in the Twin Cities. Selling that land could provide a pretty comfortable retirement.” He thinks Kramarczuk’s may face a similar dilemma.

I've said it before and I'll say it again here. While I applaud the neighborhood's push for density and good urbanism, they risk repeating the exact same mistakes that make the suburbs so undesirable right now. I do like how Frey expands on this idea in the following paragraph.

[Nathan]

Anyone notice the mural on the parking garage? I wonder if that's actually planned or if it's just to spiff up the rendering a bit. Looks nice and would be cool to have some giant public art there.

I don't know that mural makes me nervous it looks like a parking garage addition. The current one is purely a rectangle, unless I didn't see more parking in the original rendering.

[ncd]

If change is inevitable, other long-time businesses may be on the bubble. “I think Surdyk’s is next,” Grambsch says of the liquor-store icon on a suburban-style lot. “I love the store, but the wine and liquor market is different now that Total Wine is in the Twin Cities. Selling that land could provide a pretty comfortable retirement.” He thinks Kramarczuk’s may face a similar dilemma.

I've said it before and I'll say it again here. While I applaud the neighborhood's push for density and good urbanism, they risk repeating the exact same mistakes that make the suburbs so undesirable right now. I do like how Frey expands on this idea in the following paragraph.

I agree, but (unless Grambsch knows something that none of us know) I think he is crazy to suggest that Surdyk's will go anywhere. They've opened several new shops in the last few years, and they are almost always packed with customers. The owners kids are also very involved, so I doubt they would sell, rather than pass it down a generation. I could see Surdyk's selling the land to be re-developed, but figuring out a way to keep their store open on the base floor. Some people might not like the idea of living above a liquor store, but (qualitatively, at least) Surdyk's is different.

On top of that, the neighborhood is still completely full of local businesses. Essentially none of them have closed. I don't know how the Noodles and Company stays in business, because they are always close to empty relative to every other restaurant on the block. For every place that closes, it seems like a new place opens. As an example, New Bohemia is a fantastic addition to the neighborhood: unique, fun, lively, and packed every night of the week.

[lordmoke]

Yeah, that thing really looks like a parking ramp.

Which means that the Washburn-McReavy building would really be getting demolished so they can build a ramp, not for the tower, which doesn't seem to take up much space on its own. Gross.

[xandrex]

There's a better rendering here: https://imgur.com/80EWPE6

I kind of wonder if it's just there to block the parking ramp to make the site look prettier in the rendering. Earlier renders had those three residential-looking buildings right by the ramp. Now they're by this block thing. But there really isn't enough room for a new parking ramp and the rest of this on the site.

[tab]

Maybe I'm looking at the rendering incorrectly, but isn't that parking ramp already there?

[TommyT]

There's a better rendering here: https://imgur.com/80EWPE6

I kind of wonder if it's just there to block the parking ramp to make the site look prettier in the rendering. Earlier renders had those three residential-looking buildings right by the ramp. Now they're by this block thing. But there really isn't enough room for a new parking ramp and the rest of this on the site.

Is that a... No. PLEASE!!! GLASS SIDED POOL!?!?!?!?

I really hope this isn't the trend Minneapolis is going to be known for, a la The Walkway hot tub :-/

[Nathan]

In the better rendering you can see for sure it's an additional ramp.

[xandrex]

^Assuming it is a ramp, I have to wonder if that bodes well for redevelopment of the one right next door? Maybe we'll see the resurrection of Rampton?

[Silophant]

Wait, I thought the whole point was that they were going to use the existing ramp and not have to build additional parking.

[mister.shoes]

Wait, I thought the whole point was that they were going to use the existing ramp and not have to build additional parking.

This. What the hell?

[FISHMANPET]

Rampton was gonna reuse the St Anthony Main parking ramp, not this (or at least that's what I thought).

[mattaudio]

No, I'm pretty sure the original plans (which I have saved into my Evernote and can view later) did not show new above ground parking expansion.

[twincitizen]

FMP- they were definitely going to use the existing ramp. And they were going to do the townhomes lining the ramp, though not nearly as many units as Rampton would have. Liner townhomes were always included on the "interior" part of the lot between the ramp and proposed tower. The difference now is the additional structure between those liner townhomes and the existing ramp.

Earlier in this thread, I'm sure we noted how many spaces this ramp offers, and figured out how many would be needed for this tower. All I remember is that it was over 900 spaces. If this proposal is condos (~185 units, 1.7 spaces/unit) or apartments (~250 units, maybe 1.25 spaces/unit), you're only going to be taking up 315-330 spaces, or roughly 1/3 of that ramp. Presumably the restaurant piece would need another few dozen spaces, since they were talking "destination" and all. Still, no more than 350 spaces in that ramp would be committed to the new tower. Doesn't Alatus own the parking ramp? Anyone have a feel for how full/empty it is at mid-day?

EDIT: It was all right here in this Journal article. They have arranged a long-term lease for 300 spaces in the ramp, which jives with my math above: http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/mo ... tory-tower

Also, these older images may shed some light on whether there is/isn't room for the additional parking structure between the tower and the existing ramp:



I'd guess that you could fit another structure in there, but:
A. It would be narrow, probably just a double row of angled parking & 1-way drive (half width of existing ramp)
B. It would push those liner townhomes awfully close to the tower base.
C. It looks like the entrance drive / woonerf / whatever would have to disappear, and vehicles would instead enter the new ramp structure.

The question remains: why?

[MplsSteve]

Could that box-like thing in the rendering actually be the existing St. Anthony Athletic Club? The size looks right. Maybe they decided to retain and re-face it.

[FISHMANPET]

Ok I guess I just got confused by that imgur rendering because it made it look like the ramp was across the street when in fact it's on the same block. And then I either forgot or didn't remember that they were going to take up space in the ramp.

[twincitizen]

Could that box-like thing in the rendering actually be the existing St. Anthony Athletic Club? The size looks right. Maybe they decided to retain and re-face it.

Doubtful. The Athletic Club is set way back from the street. Plus the thing in the rendering is like 6-7 stories tall.