urbanMSP

The new Post Office? Like, an additional location, or is one of the existing downtown locations moving?

I think it replaces the one that closed in Baker Center a few months ago.

Ah, I had not realized that that one closed.

I tried to go to Barre five weeks ago and it was closed. The Journal is right on top of things. Apparently no one else noticed as well, which is probably why they closed.

The ICCM Inner City Church building (this thing: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.96482,- ... 312!8i6656) on Park is getting a much needed facelift, adding some big windows facing the street.

I tried to go to Barre five weeks ago and it was closed. The Journal is right on top of things. Apparently no one else noticed as well, which is probably why they closed.

I didn't even know the name changed to Barre. Went to Mason's a handful of times, food was always good.

I went there a couple times. My wife experience was the food and service not being good at all. I never went back.

The ICCM Inner City Church building (this thing: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.96482,- ... 312!8i6656) on Park is getting a much needed facelift, adding some big windows facing the street.

Aww I've always liked that funky building as is.

The ICCM Inner City Church building (this thing: https://www.google.com/maps/@44.96482,- ... 312!8i6656) on Park is getting a much needed facelift, adding some big windows facing the street.

Aww I've always liked that funky building as is.

It almost has an opposite Mies van der Rohe vibe without the windows. http://www.archdaily.com/59816/ad-class ... n-der-rohe

I recall that new workforce housing is planned for the First Covenant Church parking lot, across from US Bank Stadium. Part of the financing deal, if I remember correctly, was that the housing would be done by the time of the Super Bowl and used initially as lodging for people associated with the event. Let's see, that leaves about 9 months to build the thing. That seems awfully fast. I wonder if those plans fell apart. If so, too bad. That seems a great place for workforce housing.

CHDC is the developer, they are still working on this. I agree that it seems unlikely they're still planning on Super Bowl-related lodging.

I'm a bit perplexed at what they're doing to the 5th Street Towers. It's great that they're opening up the elevator lobbies, but cutting punch holes in the stone work so you can cover it up (with what?) does not seem like good decision-making to me.

Right? I mean, hopefully the new wall covering is enough of an upgrade over the granite(?) that it's worth it, but idk what that would be.

Cool lights, though.

Noticed a renovation happening across from KA Block. It really opens the space up to the street more and I'm hoping it's a good tenant that moves in.

20170328_142650 by grant.simons, on Flickr

20170328_142627 by grant.simons, on Flickr

I walked/bike by that one a few times and wondered what the plan is. Agree it's a major improvement and should be an appealing space.

A big slate of projects up for DEED grants and Met Council TBRA grants:

The projects include some that are already approved and a few that we're hearing about for the first time. Here's a document with a brief description of each project and the grant funds requested. http://www.minneapolismn.gov/www/groups ... 196358.pdf

The couple of non-downtown projects that we're hearing about for the first time include Calhoun Towers and Superior Plating (Nord Haus) Phase II. I'll post about those in their respective threads.

Right? I mean, hopefully the new wall covering is enough of an upgrade over the granite(?) that it's worth it, but idk what that would be.

Cool lights, though.

They've put in wood paneling in the 5th Street Tower skyways. Looks kinda cheap to me. Makes me think the elevator banks are going to get same/similar paneling, over the stone.

They've also begin putting a white, contact-paper like covering over the stone trim thingies (technical term, but the low bits around the outside) of the lobby. Why would you do that? I get thinking the color of the stone is a bit dated, but you're covering good, pricey materials with cheap, dull ones.

I can't decide if the lights are cool or not. They project out squares that kind of make what isn't a drop ceiling look like a drop ceiling.

Gotta be like North Loop. Nevermind that we could embrace the modernism of downtown and how different companies still want that.

Shameless plug here, but we at the Business Journal just published Crane Watch, an interactive map of development projects under construction or proposed in the Twin Cities. Below is a link. It's free (no subscription required). I welcome any feedback or projects I should be including.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/f ... rane-watch

Thanks,

Nick Halter