Loring Vue Apartments - (415 Oak Grove Street)

Downtown - North Loop - Mill District - Elliot Park - Loring Park
minneapolisguy
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minneapolisguy » July 2nd, 2012, 6:41 am

Okay - now it's crystal clear -

So my initial comment about the thin vertial window next to the somewhat larger window still baffles me -why not just have one larger window - from the standpoint of getting window treatments one would think it would be easier to get one to fit one large window than two - espeically when one is slimmer than the other - who knows, I'm sure it will look real nice when it's done regardless.

I'm more anxious for them to finish the seventh floor to get a real feel for the height - I'd be happier if it was even taller but this will be interesting to see on that corner.

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woofner
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby woofner » July 2nd, 2012, 9:25 am

I'd wager you $100 that the "small windows" you're seeing are actually the locations of future "magic packs" -- vents for heating and ventilation units. The sure sign of high quality construction...
Sorry because I think you've given more detail about this in the past, but is your disdain for "magic packs" based in aesthetics or in functionality? Obviously a central HVAC system likely works better (although mine is a POS), but how do magic packs function compared with wall wart AC units? Surely they're aesthetically preferable to wall warts?
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MNdible
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby MNdible » July 2nd, 2012, 11:21 am

Yes, they're superior to a window AC unit, no doubt. I don't think any developer today could get away with building a new unit and telling their tenants to go buy a window unit.

My disdain is largely based on aesthetics, as you suggest. The whole facade gets pock-marked by nasty vents, and every one of these is a penetration through the building envelope -- an opportunity for leaking, etc.

There are advantages to them, no doubt. They're surprisingly efficient, all things considered, and because they're mass-produced, they're cheap (as opposed to a central plant that is much more customized and purpose built). Landlords and condo boards like them because it makes it easier to meter who's using how much heat/cold (although anybody who has lived in a big building knows that you can turn your heat off and leach off of your neighbors). If a magic pack breaks down, it's only one unit that doesn't have heat. If the central plant breaks down, you're in trouble.

The big downside, though, is that a big central plant can be much more efficient. It allows the load to be distributed around the building, especially in the 'shoulder' seasons, when one part of the building might be demanding heat while another is demanding cold.

Finally, magic packs and their ilk are basically glorified compressors, and they're loud. If you've ever lived in a unit with one of these (or a hotel room with one, for that matter), you definitely know when they kick in.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby mulad » July 2nd, 2012, 11:41 am

My main complaint with in-unit cooling systems like these is that they often aren't positioned intelligently. These have to be placed along the outside wall and require a closet to be built around them, which often intrudes into the living space in an odd way. I'm sure that's been true of many types of HVAC systems over the years, but these seem to be handled poorly on a pretty consistent basis.

Magic-Pak is a vendor of the technology. They've got integrated heating (either gas or electric) and they've got better cooling capacity than typical wall warts, ranging from 1 to 3 tons of cooling (12,000 to 36,000 BTU). Most window and wall-wart A/C units are in the range of 1/2 to 1 ton, only able to cool one or two rooms. Other than electricity, they might only need a gas line (if the gas heat option was taken), as compared to whole-building HVAC which would require chilled/heated and return piping to be brought to every housing unit. They're easier to install and can be maintained individually, but having the decision to use them be left up to individual users can have drawbacks -- I once lived in an apartment that was practically a greenhouse, and we had our A/C freeze up once in the early spring when the outside temperature dipped.

[Oh good god, they actually have a "case study" on that place! University Village! I lived in the 3rd-floor unit just under the tower. Windows on 7 sides...]

These have got to be more efficient than wall warts, since they're actually connected to a forced-air ventilation system, helping to get cool air distributed more effectively. I don't know how they compare with whole-building HVAC systems on either efficiency or reliability. Certainly there are a lot of buildings out there with crappy heating and cooling of all kinds. My own apartment is definitely an example, with its hot-water/chilled-water heat exchanger system (which requires everyone to get heat, cold, or occasionally nothing) with vents that only extend about 6 feet in any direction from the exchanger unit itself. I wouldn't be surprised if it's more efficient on the whole (hard to say considering the likely age of the huge chiller out in the parking lot), but the reliability and usefulness varies depending on which part of the building you're in.

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Nick
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby Nick » July 2nd, 2012, 12:08 pm

I've also seen more than one example of rusty water dripping down the side of an apartment building from the Magic Pak hole. A couple of the A/C units in those recently built campus apartments have rust already.
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mplser
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby mplser » July 3rd, 2012, 9:09 am

I've also seen more than one example of rusty water dripping down the side of an apartment building from the Magic Pak hole. A couple of the A/C units in those recently built campus apartments have rust already.
yes, i noticed that yesterday in Dinkytown. you can tell who uses their A/C and who doesn't because all the rust is running down the side of the building under the A/C units that actually get used.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby nickmgray » July 3rd, 2012, 11:38 am

This building is going up fast. Have most buildings this size been put together with pre-fabbed walls?

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby Lancestar2 » July 9th, 2012, 10:45 am

It does seem pretty fast! Although I do remember reading that Loring Vue Apt. and 430 Oak Grove will be owned by the same owner which I'm guessing they will become a single apartment complex most likely having only one office space for a rental office. My guess would be that it would be located inside the Loring Vue given the amenities they will have. And both buildings will be finished somewhat close in time to each other.

minneapolisguy
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minneapolisguy » July 9th, 2012, 1:58 pm

Are you referring to the Loring Vue and the Loring Park office building being owned by the same person?

If that is the case- it was true - but the Loring Park office building was sold to Kraus Anderson for 3 million dollars I belive - so the Loring Vue and Loring Park Office building apartments are no longer owned by the same person.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minneapolisguy » July 12th, 2012, 6:52 pm

The 5th floor on the east side of the building is finished - the west side is also seeing some progress - the front corner of Oak Grove and Clifton Place has the 2nd floor done as well -

Image

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spectre000
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby spectre000 » July 12th, 2012, 7:36 pm

Thanks for the photo updates! I can't wait to see the finished exterior.

minntransplant
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minntransplant » July 12th, 2012, 7:42 pm

wow! This is going up fast. I'm going to have to walk by tomorrow to check it out, because it is starting to look much larger than I originally envisioned (as is the case for most of these projects). Thanks for the photo! What a great vantage point.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby seanrichardryan » July 12th, 2012, 9:57 pm

Fire trap!
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby Lancestar2 » July 12th, 2012, 10:08 pm

Fire trap!
yes, and the hallway looks rather small :? would be very hard to move in and out... unless you had movers do it for you...

minntransplant
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minntransplant » July 12th, 2012, 10:28 pm

Fire trap!
yes, and the hallway looks rather small :? would be very hard to move in and out... unless you had movers do it for you...
It is the perspective that makes them look small. There are building codes for hallway width, so they will be no different than almost every other newer apartment building.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby MNdible » July 13th, 2012, 11:06 am

The minimum width allowed by code feels very narrow. Many nicer apartments will make it wider than required by code, even though it's not leasable space.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby Lancestar2 » July 13th, 2012, 11:37 am

The minimum width allowed by code feels very narrow. Many nicer apartments will make it wider than required by code, even though it's not leasable space.
yes, having a small hallway can make the renter feel somewhat claustrophobic and could cause the potential renter to not like the apartment because of the negative feeling in the hallway. Sure many may overlook this issue, however in this day and age when people are less likely to talk to there neighbors I think the idea of getting "trapped" in a small hallway with that annoying neighbor may be to unappealing and may cause the renter not to rent from that location IF there is a close 2nd the feel has a near equal potential value IMO

Although the many amenities may make up for the small hallway and might even give the renter a cozy feeling if they enjoy there neighbors and the type of people they live with.

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby ECtransplant » July 13th, 2012, 8:13 pm

I think the thin walls of another stick construction project would be more of an issue for those concerned about neighbor relations

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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby Lancestar2 » July 13th, 2012, 11:52 pm

I think the thin walls of another stick construction project would be more of an issue for those concerned about neighbor relations
Yes, but the average renter has no idea how to identify how think the walls are and how well they are at blocking sound from the next apartment... Also for me a some nice background music like smooth jazz streaming or a natural sounds from a white noise machine would easily block most of that out anyways

minneapolisguy
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Re: Loring Vue Apartments

Postby minneapolisguy » July 26th, 2012, 4:32 am

An updated photo of this projecdt - a small portion of the 7th floor wall has been put up on the east side of the building -the building really doesn't look that tall - compared to the way it was pictured in some of the images I've seen - looks good.


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