77th/76th Street Corridor - Richfield / Edina

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HiawathaGuy
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77th/76th Street Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby HiawathaGuy » March 27th, 2014, 12:52 pm

Mar 27, 2014, 12:18pm CDT
Honda dealership plans 'jewelry box' display along 494

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... along.html

Richfield Bloomington Honda wants to build a three-story dealership with a "jewelry box" display that would be visible from Interstate 494. The proposed design, which still needs approval from the city of Richfield and American Honda Motor Co., would allow the dealership to prominently display four cars on the second floor and four more on the third floor. The latest plan also adds service parking on the roof for as many as 130 cars.

"It's going to be very unique to the Honda system and to the community," RB Honda General Manager Tim Carter said.
Most of the other Honda dealerships in the Twin Cities have traditional one-story structures. BMW operates enclosed two-story facilities in Bloomington and Minnetonka, but neither has a window display like the one RB Honda plans to build. ...

Images:
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... ge_gallery

http://pictures.dealer.com/r/richfieldb ... a0b7ex.jpg

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Re: Richfield Bloomington Honda

Postby mattaudio » March 27th, 2014, 12:58 pm

Regarding uniqueness to the Honda system... Burnsville Honda had a ramp up to a second floor mezzanine showroom space two decades ago. But they never seemed to use it for vehicle display. Not sure if there's even remnants of the vehicle ramp now that the dealership has been extensively remodeled.

Speaking of car dealers on the 494 strip, BMW Motorwerks is adding two more levels (up to 6) for their indoor garage/showroom.

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Re: Richfield Bloomington Honda

Postby HiawathaGuy » March 27th, 2014, 1:02 pm

Speaking of car dealers on the 494 strip, BMW Motorwerks is adding two more levels (up to 6) for their indoor garage/showroom.
That'll be cool. But their showroom is only 2 levels, the parking garage is 4. I'll have to dig into the details a bit more. Thanks.

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77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 10:38 am

77th and 76th Streets run across the north edge of 494 from E Bush Lake Rd to 24th Ave, covering pretty much the same length as American Blvd on the south side of 494. Although it is a continuous route between Bush Lake Rd and Old Cedar Ave, the name switches from Edina Industrial Blvd to Parklawn Ave to 76th to 77th. Richfield has been pushing for a while to provide one name for the route.

The front-runner for a new name has been Lindberg Blvd -- named for Charles Lindberg, the WWII veteran, not to be confused with Charles Lindbergh, the aviator, after whom MSP's main terminal named a mile away.

Here's an email sent out this morning with additional names they'll be asking the community for input on:
The Richfield City Council is proposing to rename 77th Street/76th Street to better reflect the essence of our community. Much like American Blvd. in Bloomington, the goal is to establish a sense of place.

At the November 18, 2014 City Council work session, the Council Members identified four possible names for the community to consider.

The names are reflective of the area’s business vibrancy, proximity to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport or in honor of individuals instrumental in the development of Richfield or who have received special recognition.

Chuck Lindberg Boulevard (Richfield resident and one of the original flag raisers at Iwo Jima during WWII)

Martin O. Sabo Boulevard (long-serving Congressman who secured millions of dollars for the 77th St. project & the adjoining Lynd

Wold Chamberlain Boulevard (in reference to the original airport adjoining Richfield)

Skyway Boulevard (referencing the proximity to MSP)
In the past, a more Edina-centric Centennial Lakes Parkway was suggested. The goal is to get one name across the two cities.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby twincitizen » January 20th, 2015, 11:21 am

My idea is International Boulevard. It compliments Bloomington's "American Boulevard" and also references the international airport without sounding tacky like "Skyway". I suppose it also references Richfield's growing "international" population. Richfield has the highest percentage of Hispanic/Latino residents in the metro (though obviously Mpls & St. Paul have higher total numbers).

Personally, I hate the ideas to name it after a person. Also, I feel like Edina would probably reject all of those.

International meets all of the requirements it seems they're going for:
references the airport
references American Boulevard
is compatible with westward extension through Edina

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby mattaudio » January 20th, 2015, 11:29 am

Canadian Boulevard. It's north of American Boulevard, very American, yet slightly nicer and more livable.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby blobs » January 20th, 2015, 11:44 am

Ugh, you city leaders, just rename to 77th and 76th consistently, don't need another stupid name like "American Boulevard" which is fat, gluttonous and embarassing anyway. I do like Canadian Boulevard though lol.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby mattaudio » January 20th, 2015, 11:48 am

I do think that it's a fair concern that 76th west of Humboldt/35W is an extension of 77th Street in east Richfield, not 76th Street. It should, in theory, have a continuous name. But such names are so cheesy.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby mister.shoes » January 20th, 2015, 11:49 am

Ugh, you city leaders, just rename to 77th and 76th consistently, don't need another stupid name like "American Boulevard" which is fat, gluttonous and embarassing anyway. I do like Canadian Boulevard though lol.
They are consistent with their location on the grid. The problem is that the major route shifts from one to the other so many times: 76th turns into 77th just east of 35W, for example. The only way for the route to be consistent is to give it a non-numbered name.

Edit: I, too, found Canadian Blvd to be funny.
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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby mister.shoes » January 20th, 2015, 11:51 am

But such names are so cheesy.
I don't think that names in general are cheesy. Poorly-chosen names (I've always hated American Blvd as a name) are the problem.
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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby MNdible » January 20th, 2015, 12:33 pm

I agree that there's value into having these streets named continuously. I wonder if eventually, they'd extend the renaming down 24th Avenue South?

Too bad Yankee Doodle Road is already taken.

But seriously, I actually like having roads named after people, and Chuck Lindberg would be a really good candidate if not for the fact that everybody would assume you're talking about the other Lindbergh.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 12:45 pm

I agree that there's value into having these streets named continuously. I wonder if eventually, they'd extend the renaming down 24th Avenue South?
The long-term vision is to build an underpass under the Cedar Fwy and extend the name. So yes, in the very long term it would be a route from 34th Ave S all the way to E Bush Lake Rd.
Too bad Yankee Doodle Road is already taken.
-1. Maybe Johnnycake Ridge Road? Shit, Dakota County beat us to the punch there too.
Last edited by sdho on January 20th, 2015, 12:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 12:48 pm

They are consistent with their location on the grid. The problem is that the major route shifts from one to the other so many times: 76th turns into 77th just east of 35W, for example. The only way for the route to be consistent is to give it a non-numbered name.
Then again, W 7th Street really makes no sense outside downtown St. Paul, nor does it stay on the same plane. Vernon Avenue in Edina runs a diagonal that ventures far, far out of its proper point in the alphabet. On the other hand, 25th/26th Ave in Riverside and Seward seems to do just fine despite the number change.

I like the spirit of twincitizen's International Boulevard. But at eight honkin' syllables, I think I'd just keep saying 77th St.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby twincitizen » January 20th, 2015, 12:51 pm

I agree that there's value into having these streets named continuously. I wonder if eventually, they'd extend the renaming down 24th Avenue South?
I've wondered that as well. It would seem to make sense, as 24th Ave already turns into Old Shakopee Road just south of the Mall, at Killebrew Dr.
As it is today, 24th Avenue is the odd very major street that is also very short in length (< .75 mi).

If it were a good name like "International Blvd", I'd support extending the naming scheme to the junction where it becomes Old Shakopee. The obvious benefit is you can have a single street name on the freeway exit. in an area that has a ton of non-locals, this benefit cannot be overstated.

However, if the renaming does extend south of 494 into Bloomington, they'll have to do something about their existing (short, dead-end) International Dr: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Inter ... bb322c99bd That street could/should just become 33rd Ave S anyways.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 12:55 pm

I agree that there's value into having these streets named continuously. I wonder if eventually, they'd extend the renaming down 24th Avenue South?
I've wondered that as well. It would seem to make sense, as 24th Ave already turns into Old Shakopee Road just south of the Mall. As it is today, 24th Avenue is strangely very major street that is very short in length. If it were a good name like "International Blvd", I'd support extending the naming scheme to the junction where it becomes Old Shakopee. However, if the renaming does extend south of 494 into Bloomington, they'll have to do something about their existing (short, dead-end) International Dr: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Inter ... bb322c99bd That street could/should just become 33rd Ave S anyways.
But that wouldn't be at all consistent with Richfield's vision of a street to the airport. Right now 24th/77th/Longfellow is like one bent N-S street. If they actually got the underpass, I think the preferred option would to have things realigned so that 24th dead-ended at (To-Be-Name) Boulevard, which continued along Airport Lane to 34th Ave. Although I'm skeptical of the value of economic development to come from offering people a slower, less convenient way to get to the small second airport terminal, that is probably a better terminus than 24th and OSR.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby twincitizen » January 20th, 2015, 1:04 pm

I can't see how any changes to the configuration of how 77th St currently meets 24th Ave are even possible. The runway is right there, with the stroad neatly snaked through the gap. I don't think there's room for anything but what exists today. Not to mention, with Richfield struggling to come up with money to pay for the 77th St underpass itself, asking for additional changes would be asinine.

From a standpoint of developing the SE corner of Richfield and the 77th Street corridor, what could possibly be more helpful than "take the exit for MOA, but take a right." I don't know why they (whoever they are) are so obsessed with a non-freeway connection to the airport terminal. Directly tying 77th Street into the MOA district would seem far more beneficial for economic development.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby mattaudio » January 20th, 2015, 1:05 pm

Does Richfield actually think there's demand to get from the 494 strip to the cargo side of the airport in a way that bypasses the existing freeway a block to the south?

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 1:12 pm

I don't think any of these changes would necessarily be part of the underpass project. I'm just saying, the stated long-term goal is access to the airport, not necessarily MOA. In the near term (if there is a near term with the underpass) it would run down 24th.

If the goal were better access to/from the MOA district, wouldn't an overpass to reconnect Old Cedar Ave across 494 be a lot more valuable anyway? This would actually connect the businesses and thousands of apartment residents who live in the American/77th corridor.

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby MNdible » January 20th, 2015, 1:22 pm

I guess I'm not tracking you -- isn't that what 24th does?

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Re: 77th/76th Corridor - Richfield / Edina

Postby sdho » January 20th, 2015, 1:36 pm

I guess I'm not tracking you -- isn't that what 24th does?
It does for cars, but it involves traversing a much longer distance, and basically unwalkable/unbikeable wasteland of American and 77th east of Cedar (assuming you want to reach the more likely destinations west of Cedar). For example, the many hotels near Cedar and American, as well as the large clinic, and even IKEA.

Or, look at it this way: the Old Cedar corridor is consistently destination-rich in both Bloomington and Richfield. 77th, on the other hand, has no destinations at all (other than airport uses and an MTC garage) east of Cedar. Doesn't it make more sense to connect the destinations to each other -- and allow 77th traffic to merge onto American to travel east of Cedar?


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