Block E (archive)

[John]

Here are some thoughts about Block E, just playing around, without particular thought about who might pay for these improvements:

3. Block E Part 3

The mid-block street-level entrance from Hennepin should lead to a passageway leading all the way through to First Ave., opened as much as possible to the existing skyway level corridor, arcade style. That dead-end entrance to Block E from Hennepin is almost as much a killer for Block E as the banal architecture.

Yes, poor pedestrian circulation is one the major problems with this building, and having an arcade style design opening up to Hennepin would work better. Keep the interior simple, airy, open, and with good sight lines.

[Wedgeguy]

This was a case of horrible urban design, the developer deserved to lose his shirt on this one. Ugly exterior, lousy pedestrian flow once inside the building. Only a total gut job will make it work again. There needs to be an honest street enterance from 1st Ave into the rest of Block E, and a way to access the skyway from both the Hennepin and 1st Ave ground floor doors. Get rid of the ugly fack historic facade, figure new signs and lighting with LED to say electicity and create billboards that can have miltiple uses.

They will have to spend real money to get this back into a workable building again that will draw people into it. A cheap patch work will only make it worse.

[John]

This was a case of horrible urban design, the developer deserved to lose his shirt on this one. Ugly exterior, lousy pedestrian flow once inside the building. Only a total gut job will make it work again. There needs to be an honest street enterance from 1st Ave into the rest of Block E, and a way to access the skyway from both the Hennepin and 1st Ave ground floor doors. Get rid of the ugly fack historic facade, figure new signs and lighting with LED to say electicity and create billboards that can have miltiple uses.

They will have to spend real money to get this back into a workable building again that will draw people into it. A cheap patch work will only make it worse.

Yes exactly. If they don't reconfigure the space drastically, it is doomed for failure again and again. The same prognosis goes for City Center.

[seanrichardryan]

Looks like the theaters will close in September. A quote from the article about digital conversion- http://m.startribune.com/entertainment/ ... 253335&c=y

" The cost of outfitting 15 screens with all new digital equipment was among the complex of issues facing the 10-year-old AMC Block E. Minneapolis' only downtown movie theater will close in September."

[John]

That's sad , but I think inevitable given the developers desire to overhaul the complex. My hunch is they are trying to lure a tenant who needs office space. Their "Plan B" (sans casino) has been to create office space with retail on the first floor. I think with the growth of the downtown residential population to about 40,000 by 2020 we may see another movie theater complex go up somewhere downtown. We certainly are creating the market for it. Maybe it will be in a location closer to the Vikings Stadium?

[Lancestar2]

Another huge step backwards! ...is there still talk about the casino getting approved or has that ship sailed? Nothing could bring more value to downtown than a casino at this location! I just don't understand it sure it's politics but don't the majority of people support a casino..

Also does anybody follow state politics much? and if so do you think there is a chance that the DFL will take control of the house and senate and be able to fast track it come Jan 2013 ?

[Nick]

http://alatusllc.com/

Pretty sure their website is indicating they're working on a non-casino use for the building, but then again they also seem to misuse the word gentrification on the Block E page of the site so who knows.

[min-chi-cbus]

That's sad , but I think inevitable given the developers desire to overhaul the complex. My hunch is they are trying to lure a tenant who needs office space. Their "Plan B" (sans casino) has been to create office space with retail on the first floor. I think with the growth of the downtown residential population to about 40,000 by 2020 we may see another movie theater complex go up somewhere downtown. We certainly are creating the market for it. Maybe it will be in a location closer to the Vikings Stadium?

More like 60K-65K by 2020 (remember, the goal was 75K by 2025)! We may be close to 40K by the end of THIS year, with the couple thousand units that have come to the market since the Census was taken (which measured ~35K)!

I have very little doubt another theater can and will go up somewhere downtown, and probably within the next couple of years.....either at the revamped Block E, elsewhere along Hennipen [sic], or nearer the Mills District or Short North/Target Field (like next to the trainsit station?).

[min-chi-cbus]

Another huge step backwards! ...is there still talk about the casino getting approved or has that ship sailed? Nothing could bring more value to downtown than a casino at this location! I just don't understand it sure it's politics but don't the majority of people support a casino..

Also does anybody follow state politics much? and if so do you think there is a chance that the DFL will take control of the house and senate and be able to fast track it come Jan 2013 ?

I don't support a casino downtown.....

They don't generate new revenues for the city/county/state, they just redispurse it. They take money from those who need it most (poor/middle class) and give it to themselves (the rich). They often attract crime, even if it's petty crime, as any place where people are walking around with hundreds/thousands of dollars (possibly drunk) would do. They don't make good neighbors, especially for residents, as they are loud and attract loud people at all hours of the night. In essance, I find that cities with downtown casinos are, by and large, the most desperate cities in the country who will go to almost any lenghts to attract people to the city (see Cleveland, Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, Buffalo, or the original.....Atlantic City). I'd like to see a "progressive, healthy" city successfully lure a casino AND remain a popular attraction first before saying Minneapolis should get one.

My $0.02. There is no political agenda behind any of this, btw, which if you knew me that'd be obvious, but sometimes it's hard to tell online.

[Konante]

I can't say I'm terribly sad about the theater closing. If anything, this should help force the developers hand into getting something done sooner rather than later.

[Nathan]

I can't say I'm terribly sad about the theater closing. If anything, this should help force the developers hand into getting something done sooner rather than later.

Exactly I think Block E needs and intervention. If it hit's rock bottom, it'll be forced to do something to better with it's life. HA. Maybe we could all be members of the panel who writes it letters asking it to go to rehab? I could definitely push out a few tears for dramatic effect...

[MNdible]

I can't say I'm terribly sad about the theater closing. If anything, this should help force the developers hand into getting something done sooner rather than later.

To be clear, the developer wanted the theater to close and in fact went to court in order to break their lease.

We should also remember that St. Anthony Main has a functional movie theater.

[Didier]

I think we have to untangle a few things here.

First, a movie theater on Hennepin Avenue and a movie theater in a residential area like Mill City aren't really the same thing. Are you guys saying downtown needs a destination movie theater (Block E), or that it needs a movie theater for downtown residents (Mill City)?

Second, does downtown really need a movie theater? If we're talking about a smaller, more modest movie theater geared toward local residents, at least in the Mill City area, why not just walk across 3rd Avenue Bridge and go to St. Anthony Main? If we're talking about a destination movie theater in a prominent location, how and why would it be successful? There are nice movie theaters everywhere, and an upscale movie theater is usually a novelty. With one of the cheaper movie theaters nearby (St. Anthony Main), an upscale Block E theater likely wouldn't even have a monopoly on downtown residents. So what could an upscale downtown theater offer that Icon or MOA could not, and would that be enough to keep it viable?

Of course having a downtown movie theater would say great things about downtown's growth and viability, but I feel like a lot of these posts are more wishful thinking.

[Wedgeguy]

I think we have to untangle a few things here.

First, a movie theater on Hennepin Avenue and a movie theater in a residential area like Mill City aren't really the same thing. Are you guys saying downtown needs a destination movie theater (Block E), or that it needs a movie theater for downtown residents (Mill City)?

Second, does downtown really need a movie theater? If we're talking about a smaller, more modest movie theater geared toward local residents, at least in the Mill City area, why not just walk across 3rd Avenue Bridge and go to St. Anthony Main? If we're talking about a destination movie theater in a prominent location, how and why would it be successful? There are nice movie theaters everywhere, and an upscale movie theater is usually a novelty. With one of the cheaper movie theaters nearby (St. Anthony Main), an upscale Block E theater likely wouldn't even have a monopoly on downtown residents. So what could an upscale downtown theater offer that Icon or MOA could not, and would that be enough to keep it viable?

Of course having a downtown movie theater would say great things about downtown's growth and viability, but I feel like a lot of these posts are more wishful thinking.

Downtown people can take the 6 bus to Uptown and have the New and improved Uptown theater their at their disposal. There is not really a market downtown for anything over 6-8 screens and surely not as large as the persent theater. Need to be more like the LAgoon in size of auditoriums and mabe wide screens and shalloweer auditorium depths to keep the seating with in reason.

[nickmgray]

When I lived downtown, I frequented the Block E theater at least twice a month. When block E has good tenants, it was extremely successful. I remember going to movie openings and the place was completely packed on a Friday night. I think what really hurt was when AMC stepped in and puchsed the theatre. Before that, ticket prices were extremely reasonable. The most I ever paid was $8, but when AMC stepped in, prices went up $2-3 per ticket, forcing movie goes to look elsewhere.

[reeckman]

Since this digital technology upgrade issue will affect all theaters, what is the status/future for other smaller theaters being suggested as alternatives? Is St Anthony Main converted/ing?

Living downtown it will be disappointing to take buses or drive somewhere else to see a movie, when we're used to enjoying a theater. I'd rather pay $2 more to see a movie downtown than pay to get on a bus and back. If Block E is out, I agree the theater should go near the Armory and fill up an empty block over there. Walkable, and a great asset to have available to U of M students via the green line.

If it's accurate to say downtown doesn't have a market now for 6-8 screens, what about in 2014? New residents and student access will increase the market we know today.

[MNdible]

Since this digital technology upgrade issue will affect all theaters, what is the status/future for other smaller theaters being suggested as alternatives? Is St Anthony Main converted/ing?

Living downtown it will be disappointing to take buses or drive somewhere else to see a movie, when we're used to enjoying a theater. I'd rather pay $2 more to see a movie downtown than pay to get on a bus and back. If Block E is out, I agree the theater should go near the Armory and fill up an empty block over there. Walkable, and a great asset to have available to U of M students via the green line.

If it's accurate to say downtown doesn't have a market now for 6-8 screens, what about in 2014? New residents and student access will increase the market we know today.

I don't know the answer as to whether or not St. Anthony will be upgrading. That's a good question.

The movie theater business has gotten more and more cut-throat. It's really difficult to predict what will happen down the road, but I have a hard time envisioning somebody building a new stand alone theater downtown. Maybe the Skyway will reopen?

[nasa35]

The original Skyway theater was perfect. Saw Alien there...oh well.

[MNdible]

And I'm not sure that I'd say that the fact that the Block E theater is closing is proof that there isn't a market for a downtown theater, although people will certainly read it that way. In my case, I wanted to go downtown to the movies, but the experience at Block E wasn't a good one (on many levels), and I found it to be easier and more enjoyable to go elsewhere.

I probably would have felt differently if I lived downtown, but from where I live, it's about equidistant to Block E, Southdale, and the West End.

[dmdhashw]

The original Skyway theater was perfect. Saw Alien there...oh well.

Would be awesome if someone would reclaim that space. New theater downtown, and Barfly gone? Sounds like a win-win to me.