Downtown Post Office

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
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Nathan
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby Nathan » April 3rd, 2018, 8:39 am

I am very on board with removal of the parking ramp, but it almost seemed that Frey is down to tear down the historic building if there wasn't opposition, and I'm extremely against that. It would be so easy to turn the arched openings on the river road into housing units or retail bays. This building is an extremely good example of art deco and historic for the city, so aside from a respectful renovation I'm pretty sold on keeping the post office there and just creating better access to the parkway where it's not intrusive.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 3rd, 2018, 9:33 am

My read was that Frey wants the function of the Post Office gone, not the building. Except for the parking ramp, which everybody except for the Post Office very much wants gone.

The images that I saw on Twitter that suggested anything more radical than that would seem to be the product of excited design students, not the wishes of the mayor.

The 1980's addition gives the building very very deep floorplates, which will make a repurposing more difficult than if it were just the original building.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby dajazz » April 3rd, 2018, 9:44 am

I have to chuckle because every few years there is a push to do something with the site/building and each time the Post Office comes out and says they're not going anywhere. I'm sure eventually they'll move and it's always good to prepare for that since it is a prime piece of property but still.... When that day comes I look forward to the parking garage coming down, keep the building and repurpose it but the ramp has to go. I'd love to see an open connection to the river, at least the Federal Reserve on the other side is set back and has a nice river walkway down to the river.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby SurlyLHT » April 3rd, 2018, 10:29 am

My read was that Frey wants the function of the Post Office gone, not the building. Except for the parking ramp, which everybody except for the Post Office very much wants gone.

The images that I saw on Twitter that suggested anything more radical than that would seem to be the product of excited design students, not the wishes of the mayor.

The 1980's addition gives the building very very deep floorplates, which will make a repurposing more difficult than if it were just the original building.
I agree, unless you threw in an interior atrium with skylights or etc. it'll be hard to do much with it.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 3rd, 2018, 11:00 am

For as long as we've been having discussions about this, do we really not have a dedicated Post Office thread?

Here are a couple of issues I see with tearing down the 1980s addition:

1. You'd have to recreate the old facade of the original building (and probably have to do it with historic accuracy), and in all likelihood it wasn't nearly as sympathetic to the river as the addition was (likely just a blank retaining wall facing the railroad tracks with a couple of portals for unloading).

2. What would you do with the site of the addition afterwards? Do you really build something new between the post office and the river? If you leave it as open space, it's a big, flat old railyard. I guess if properly programmed, it could be nice, but I think we probably already have enough park space along the river.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby Silophant » April 3rd, 2018, 11:33 am

Yeah, I'll work on splitting stuff off when I'm at a real computer.

I'm fine with the 1980's addition staying, because, like you say, what do you do with that space and the giant hole in the older building when it's gone? Me, I'd be content for now with just having the promenade and arches opened up. Were they ever open, or were they gated off the day they were built?
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 3rd, 2018, 12:09 pm

My recollection from somebody who told me once (so take with a huge grain of salt) was that the Post Office never wanted the arcade to be built in the first place, but it was a city requirement that they grudgingly went along with. Before they could find anything to occupy the space, something happened (possibly the OKC bombing?) and they locked them down for good.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby Tyler » April 3rd, 2018, 12:21 pm

For anyone wanting preservation here I assume you're talking about the smaller eastern building as well? (Is that all-original?)

For the record I don't really agree with the sentiment of "just open up the loggia and have thriving retail" It feels desolate down there and not just because the arches are empty. There has to be a bigger idea here if you want a successful result, in my opinion.
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby amiller92 » April 3rd, 2018, 1:44 pm

Agreed, if and when the Post Office decides to move, it will take careful thought as to how to make whatever is next into an active place. It won't be automatic.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby EOst » April 3rd, 2018, 1:51 pm

Both the main building and the smaller building to the east are protected by the St. Anthony Falls historic district, so I wouldn't worry much about demolition.

Here's a view of the original back:
Image

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 3rd, 2018, 2:09 pm

Sweet. Do you have a link to a high res version of that photo?

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby EOst » April 3rd, 2018, 2:11 pm


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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby seanrichardryan » April 3rd, 2018, 8:27 pm

The 80s addition just enclosed the loading dock- Not too difficult to undo, but what's the point?
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 4th, 2018, 9:12 am

There must be more in there than a loading dock, right? It effectively doubled the size of the building.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby rhettcarlson » April 4th, 2018, 2:41 pm

Anyone know what that massive building at 3rd and 1st in the picture is?

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby grant1simons2 » April 4th, 2018, 2:57 pm

Where the Carlyle is? Or the Centurylink building pre-antenna?

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby EOst » April 4th, 2018, 3:04 pm

Janney, Semple, Hill & Co warehouse: http://collections.mnhs.org/cms/display ... n=10718521

Image

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby MNdible » April 4th, 2018, 3:13 pm

I feel like we just discussed this somewhere recently?

It's the Janney, Semple, Hill & Co. building.

EDIT: Beat to the punch.

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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby seanrichardryan » April 4th, 2018, 4:25 pm

There must be more in there than a loading dock, right? It effectively doubled the size of the building.
Work used to take me in there weekly (20 years ago)- quite a bit of the riverfront section is an enclosed double height dock designed for tractor trailers. I marked the approx. size here. There is a lower level dock, and a street level dock- all in all about 3 stories of truck circulation.

Image

Image
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Re: Downtown Minneapolis General Topics & Development Map

Postby Didier » April 4th, 2018, 6:12 pm

And all these years I've envisioned seanrichardryan as being like 28 years old. What's next, MNdible is a teenager?!


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