On the east side of downtown Minneapolis, a new wave of development begins

[M II A II R II K]

On the east side of downtown Minneapolis, a new wave of development begins


April 11, 2015

By KRISTEN LEIGH PAINTER



Read More: http://www.startribune.com/local/min...299384281.html

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For years, there was an unspoken frontier downtown that excluded its east side — a huge, loosely defined district made of three distinct neighborhoods: Mill District to the north near the river, Elliot Park to the southeast and then the barren gulf in between.

- The departure of the Star Tribune from its nearly century-old building cleared the way for the Wells Fargo towers and a two-block park being called the Commons that will begin to narrow that gulf. “If the Commons is as successful as [the city] wants it to be, it will be the renaissance of the entire neighborhood,” Runck said. --- The city of Minneapolis has hired Hargreave Associates to oversee the landscape design of the 4.2-acre park. The San Francisco-based firm revealed four possible approaches to the park design last week and received more feedback on its public survey than for any of its other park project across the United States. At its second public meeting on Wednesday, several people voiced concern over the lack of safety to the south of the park.

- Several property owners along Portland Avenue have been drawn into a discussion to create what is loosely being dubbed the Portland Residential Corridor. --- “Portland runs right into the park, and there’s enough underdeveloped land that it could quickly evolve into a great street,” said Breitlinger, who is also a Cushman & Wakefield/NorthMarq broker representing Thrivent Financial Corp. in a potential land sale on Portland. --- “The next place for Minneapolis to really find itself is along these east downtown corridors of Portland and Chicago,” said David Graham, architect and urban designer at ESG Architects, which has offices in the Mill District.

- While the stadium construction set off a ripple effect of projects on the east side of downtown, a change in the priorities at HCMC, the biggest employer and dominant landowner in the neighborhood, may have an equally sizable influence. Hospital leaders hope to overcome the imposing shape of HCMC, which they believe discourages community interaction, by better engaging with the neighborhood. --- “The old hospital is fortress-looking, it’s intimidating and uninviting, which is the complete opposite of who we are. We have this building that isn’t reflective of us at all,” said Jon Pryor, HCMC chief executive. The hospital will soon begin work on a new $191 million ambulatory center, which will consolidate several of its clinics currently scattered throughout its sprawling campus. It will then turn its attention to reimagining the use of space on the entire campus, becoming a catalyst for development in its own right.

- For all the talk of vision that closes the gaps in housing and flow of downtown’s east side, the normal economics of real estate will ultimately guide what happens. That includes the prices set by the current owners of property when they sell to developers, the decisions of lenders and the availability of tax breaks and other public incentives. --- “Right now, the power struggle is whether we are going to be pragmatic or holistic,” Collison said, referring to the tension between individual projects and the big-picture planning.

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[montréaliste]

Loox neiss. They even managed to sneek some food trucks at the bottom of the evocation.

[M II A II R II K]

Looks kind of Central Park-esque

[mello]

Damn I'm moving to the East Side.

[Busy Bee]

Movin' on up

[Austinlee]

American cities are finally starting to live up to their potential. And the thing that is bringing out that potential are functional parks and bike trails connecting neighborhoods.

Surprisingly, mid-century wind swept corporate plazas was NOT the answer.

[fflint]

Minneapolis has so much potential. I consider M-SP the 'second city' of the Midwest.

[Leo the Dog]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

American cities are finally starting to live up to their potential. And the thing that is bringing out that potential are functional parks and bike trails connecting neighborhoods.

Surprisingly, mid-century wind swept corporate plazas was NOT the answer.

Example: GOVERNMENT CENTER in Boston. Worst example of urban renewal by demolishing a dense, vibrant red-light district into a lifeless bricked over public space.

[mhays]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

American cities are finally starting to live up to their potential. And the thing that is bringing out that potential are functional parks and bike trails connecting neighborhoods.

Surprisingly, mid-century wind swept corporate plazas was NOT the answer.

Parks and bike trails are helpful, but only one factor. Much of the bike and park gains also came decades after the resurgence of many downtowns started.

I'd say factory closures, cleaner air, office jobs, and the addition of amenities has all been part of the upward spiral in people wanting to live in/near downtowns, and vist them. Just some of several factors. Much of the point is establishing the trend, because once established it tends to build upon itself, as more residential turns into more ambiance and services, which draw still more people...

[chris08876]

Lots of potential. Growing something like 5%..

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Austinlee

American cities are finally starting to live up to their potential.

(again)

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Leo the Dog

Example: GOVERNMENT CENTER in Boston. Worst example of urban renewal by demolishing a dense, vibrant red-light district into a lifeless bricked over public space.

Hey, at least it was brick and not concrete for a change...

[Austinlee]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

(again)

They will actually be better this time. Without overcrowding; dirty slums they will should be reaching new peaks of livability in their history after suffering for over half a century of the aftermath of mid century "scarification" from highway building.

[Don't Be That Guy]

Originally Posted by fflint

Minneapolis has so much potential. I consider M-SP the 'second city' of the Midwest.

Or the 'First City' of The North

They are a little sensitive about being labeled Midwestern, dontcha know.