urbanMSP

It hit me the other day that downtown Minneapolis lacks a museum like most other large cities which usually have art, science or children's museums in the central business district. Mill City Museum is pretty close, but not exactly central downtown. Both the Walker Art Center and MIA aren't that far away, but definitely not downtown. It seems the City has a lot of other cultural institutions like theaters, performance venues and sports facilities, however. Maybe this is a big "duh", but it just seems weird when I think of other big and medium-sized places. I'm not advocating for anything, just pointing it out. Minneapolis officials did push for a Planetarium atop the Central Library several years back, which possibly would fit the description, but that didn't go anywhere...

I drew up plans to do some wacky aquarium on one of the empty lots on Hennepin when I was like 17. Maybe we could do that.

If the Post Office ever vacates one of their riverfront buildings, my dream is that someone turns it into a really fancy spa/bathhouse. Sort of a Therme Vals operation. Not a museum, but a big attraction certainly.

Imagine soaking in a big warm pool in an art deco room with windows out onto the Mississippi.

I’ve always kinda thought that splitting cultural amenities between the two downtowns is an underrated con of having the two downtowns. If you could have plopped the Science Museum and the Historical Society next to the Mill City Museum, not split basketball/hockey and similar sized concerts between Target Center and Xcel Center, etc, you’d have a lot more reasons to go (one) downtown on a weekend.

If the Post Office ever vacates one of their riverfront buildings, my dream is that someone turns it into a really fancy spa/bathhouse. Sort of a Therme Vals operation. Not a museum, but a big attraction certainly.

Imagine soaking in a big warm pool in an art deco room with windows out onto the Mississippi.

I love this idea! I imagine it being similar to a Japanese Onsen.

https://tcbmag.com/downtown-minneapolis ... ows-again/

Downtown added 3000 more residents and grew 5.6% to 56,000 people in 2021.

That would make Downtown Minneapolis the 17th largest city in the state, just ahead of Apple Valley and Minnetonka.

If they reach their goal of 75k, they'd be the 9th largest city, just behind Woodbury.

https://tcbmag.com/downtown-minneapolis ... ows-again/

Downtown added 3000 more residents and grew 5.6% to 56,000 people in 2021.

As a downtown resident, this pleases me. Especially since it debunks all these suburbanites claims that no one wants to live here!

All 4,000 City employees will be required back in the office starting Monday.
Ameriprise has brought there downtown workforce back in the past week. Xcel Energy will be brining back all of there downtown workers March 7th. Wells Fargo and US Bank will be brining there back March 14th.

"We have started moving toward more regular business operations, and we would expect more employees to be working onsite in a hybrid manner for important moments and activities with their teams beginning later in February,"
https://www.startribune.com/some-minnes ... 600145692/

Overall this should bring a alot of activity back to the CBD during the work week

Eagle Brook, famous for their chain of suburban megachurches, has purchased First Baptist Church which occupies the full city block bound by Hennepin, 10th, Harmon and 11th: https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... hurch.html

Eagle Brook has deep enough pockets to fix up the building, so I guess that's a plus. Sounds like it has some pretty costly mechanical upgrades to continue operating. No word on how/if they plan to use the attached Jackson Hall structure at 1020 Harmon. My uneducated guess is they'll probably find a charter school to lease it to. The property will remain tax exempt, though they would have to pay taxes for any non-religious revenue-generating uses of the property, such as operating a for-profit parking lot for non-church-related events. I have zero faith (pun intended and double entendre for my own lack of beliefs) that anything will happen development-wise with the massive parking lot fronting on Hennepin, which is a damn shame.

Maybe they'll follow St Olaf's example and serve the community by building an affordable housing tower on the parking lot. Probably not though.

Speaking of that parking lot, it's frustrating that the city couldn't eliminate the Hennepin Ave curbcut during the reconstruction.

Off the Rails opened last week in the former Bus Stop Brewhouse space in street level of the eastern Wells Fargo building on 4th between Portland and Park. Staff confirmed same ownership/management of the Blarney and Pog Mahone's. It's pretty bare bones in there right now but staff said they're still in process with the interior with pool tables and darts coming "in time for Vikings season."

https://www.otrmpls.com/

Off the Rails opened last week in the former Bus Stop Brewhouse space in street level of the eastern Wells Fargo building on 4th between Portland and Park. Staff confirmed same ownership/management of the Blarney and Pog Mahone's. It's pretty bare bones in there right now but staff said they're still in process with the interior with pool tables and darts coming "in time for Vikings season."

https://www.otrmpls.com/

There menu looks good, might have to go there tonight!

Drive Shack will lease 20,000 square feet of the retail space in 270 Hennepin. It will feature three nine-hole putting courses, bars and multiple lounge.
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... polis.html

Drive Shack will lease 20,000 square feet of the retail space in 270 Hennepin. It will feature three nine-hole putting courses, bars and multiple lounge.
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/ ... polis.html

oh that is fantastic, love me some mini golf!

I live in LA now so most of what I see in the news is LA centric (sorry), thought it was cool to see Minneapolis at 10th on this list of apartment units built in its downtown over the past decade!

https://la.urbanize.city/post/study-dtl ... ast-decade

More than Chicago? Huh!

And Seattle not even on the list? Feels sus.

Wild that Minneapolis is only 1200 units short of Denver, but even wilder that Atlanta built more than Minneapolis and Denver combined.

More than Chicago? Huh!

And Seattle not even on the list? Feels sus.

It's core downtown stats only, that might be why.