MINNEAPOLIS | Projects & Construction

[Big J]

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/251992.html

Council panel OKs riverfront towers
Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune

The Mississippi Riverfront is on the way to getting a new, taller look.

The Minneapolis City Council's Zoning and Planning Committee agreed today to allow developer Shafer Richardson to build four towers as part of a $400 million mixed-use development including the historic Pillsbury A Mill.

The project, across the Stone Arch Bridge from downtown, was controversial because of concerns about the towers, but neighbors supported the project because it makes a connection to the riverfront.

Council members on the committee say if the height on the towers is the cost for preservation of the mill complex, then it's worth it.

The full council is scheduled to vote on the project Feb. 24.

OH MY!!!!

[Stephenapolis]

I guess the council listened to the people instead of the special intrest group (heritage council) for a change. Good for them.

[Mpls750]

This move by the council will definately add some definition to the skyline.

[Stephenapolis]

I for one support high-rises by the river. By the lakes is another story. There I would only support midrises that are designed well. One reason is jealousy. I could not afford the view. The main reason is that this area is already heavily congested. Adding high-rises would make it that much worse. If we had a decent rail system through this area, high-rises would be more acceptable.

[yahdwyn]

Originally Posted by mpls

as for the le parisien, what self respecting architect would throw up that pile of shit? anybody else notice the scooter in front aswell?

A friend of mine works at Miller Hanson Partners, the firm responsible for completing this project. He told be two interesting things...First, the firm is only involved because the developer fired the last architect for failing to meet building code. They basically inherited a fully-designed project soley for the purpose of working out the kinks and finishing the drawings.

Secondly, he told me some interesting details regarding the building's detailing. Apparently, Mark Dzuke (the crazy developer) is driving the whole look and--when offered aesthetic suggestions--has gone as far as to say something along the lines "I understand this won't look good in a technical sense, but it will look french."

I've got to defend my buddy in this case, any blame for the looks of this thing should rest squarely on the shoulders of the developer, not the architect.

I also found a new (and city-approved) rendering of the Lagoon-Irving condos on their website (under "On The Boards") at:
http://www.millerhanson.com
Looks pretty cool to me. Definitely in the style of the neighborhood, and a hell of a lot better than the crapshacks on that corner now.

[Ecker]

STAR TRIBUNE

Minneapolis Council OKs riverfront towers

Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune

February 24, 2006

Four towers can rise on the Mississippi Riverfront in Minneapolis near the historic Pillsbury A Mill complex.

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously and without discussion Friday approved 15, 20, 24 and 27 story buildings for the $400 million condominium project by Shafer Richardson.

The decision overturned an action by the Heritage Preservation Commission, which had determined the towers to be so tall that they would dwarf the mill, a National Historic Landmark.

The next anticipated step is for Shafer Richardson to return to the preservation commission to work on the design of the towers. The developer also will need approval from the Planning Commission as the project proceeds.

David Frank, project manager for Shafer Richardson, said construction could begin by the end of the year, although the entire development is expected to take years of work on the 7.9-acre site.

The Pillsbury A Mill, erected at St. Anthony Falls, was once the largest flour mill in the country and the flagship of C.A. Pillsbury and Co., which was founded in the mid-1870s. Flour milling stopped for good there in October 2003.

[Nordeast Homer]

These buildings along with Pheonix (18 & 6 floors) right next door and Cobalt(12 & 6 floors) 2 blocks away will really change the look and feel of this area. I'm really excited!

[Stephenapolis]

I am glad to see Old Saint Anthony get more development. With Cobalt, Phoenix, and A-Mill along with numerous smaller projects. This area will start getting more of the attention it deserves. The area still needs work further up Central Ave, but that is coming soon enough too.

[Avian001]

Originally Posted by Stephenapolis

...The area still needs work further up Central Ave, but that is coming soon enough too.

Yes, I just saw the new ads for "Archive," the condo renovation of the three buildings at Central Avenue and 7th, near the White Castle. You can already see the new sales center in the windows facing Central.

Last I heard was two floors will be added to the southernmost building.

[Stephenapolis]

Like I have said in other forums. I am glad that the Archieve is getting a new life. Those building have sat there for over 30 years with their windows painted over. They always had tennants, but I guess they did not want to enjoy the view.
I think someone needs to update the project list again. We also have the Sexton II getting ready to put its chips in place. Bland as it is, it will serve an important clientle in dt. Also the park and other smaller projects. I was going to do it last night but ran out of time. I probably won't get a chance for awhile either.

[MNMike]

Two Twenty Two (Whole Foods/Condos)
Two Twenty Two project drives ahead
By Burl Gilyard, F&C Real Estate Writer
March 9, 2006

The Seattle-based Milliken Development Group has unveiled the project name and Web site for its redevelopment of the Downtown Jaguar car dealership at Washington and Hennepin avenues.

The project has been dubbed Two Twenty Two, in reference to the address of 222 Hennepin Ave.

Plans call for about 300 luxury condo units and a 76,000-square-foot Whole Foods store.

Two Twenty Two is also slated to include a 1.25-acre “oasis,” including a putting green, picnic areas, a dog walking area and barbeques. All of the parking for the project will be underground.

Don Milliken, owner of the Milliken Development Group, credits Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods with drawing his attention to the site and bringing him to Minneapolis.

“They called very early last year and said they had a good site in central Minneapolis under contract and [asked], ‘Were we interested in doing a large mixed-use development?’” Milliken said. “I loved the location right off the bat.”

“They originally had the property under contract, and we took the contract over,” Milliken said. “We see a lot of similarities between the Minneapolis marketplace and the Pacific Northwest marketplace.”

Whole Foods has two local stores — one near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis and one on Grand Avenue in St. Paul — but the downtown store would be substantially larger than either of those stores.

”Our style of development is very service-oriented; we have yet to build just a condominium building. We have tended to include very significant retail,” Milliken said.

“We like the style and quality that they bring to their operation. We’re excited about bringing that to downtown Minneapolis.”

Hennepin Street Project LLC paid $14 million in November for the 2.5-acre site.

Condo units in the project will range from 600 to 2,700 square feet.

“At this point, it’s going to be in the vicinity of $300,000 to $2 million,” Milliken said of the condo prices. “It’s going to be very high quality. The end product of Two Twenty Two is going to be a very high-end development.”

“We are doing probably three levels of underground parking,” Milliken said. “We resisted the urge to do above-grade parking. It’s more expensive to do it underground, but I just like the look and feel of underground parking.”

Milliken said the first level will be for retail parking, with the two levels below reserved for condo residents. Milliken said the project has the capacity for 300 parking spaces per level of underground parking, or as many as 900 spaces total.

The Minneapolis office of the Durrant Group has been named the project architect. McGough Construction will be the general contractor. Sales will be handled by the Seattle-based Urban Realty Group.

Even though he personally offices in Vancouver, B.C., Milliken tries to keep tabs on the Minneapolis condo market.

“We’ve had a good look at developments that are under way or planned or talked about,” Milliken said. “I’m of the opinion that not all of those discussed developments are going to happen.”

The Downtown Jaguar dealership can continue to lease its space through May 2007, but Milliken noted that they may leave a little earlier.

“Our intention is to start slightly more than a year from now. We’d like to be in position to start construction immediately,” Milliken said. ”It looks like about two years to build this development. We should be open before summer of 2009.”

[MNMike]

Starwood Hotel Near Guthrie
By Burl Gilyard, F&C Real Estate Writer
March 9, 2006

Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates is in talks with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. to build a 150-room hotel within a block of the new Guthrie Theater.

The hotel is a new element of Sherman’s plans for 900 Washington Ave. S., which also call for two condo buildings with 150 to 160 units.

“The hotel itself is a real identity hotel, which is a new concept for Starwood. It’s going to add great diversity. It’s going to draw some attention along Washington Avenue. It’s just a great location,” said Brian Gorecki, project manager with Sherman Associates.

Gorecki said new development in the so-called Mills District of Minneapolis makes the hotel a perfect fit for the area.

“This is going to be geared towards businesses [during the week] and then regional recreation for the weekends. The proximity couldn’t be better,” he said.

The concept follows Sherman’s 311 Superior project in Duluth, which pairs a 147-room Sheraton with 33 luxury condo units in a single tower. Sheraton is one of many brands under the umbrella of White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood.

“It really is based on the success that we’ve had up in Duluth with the success of the condo and hotel project,” Gorecki said.

Construction began in January on 311 Superior; the project is slated for completion in the summer of 2007.

“The synergy and the financing work very well together,” Gorecki said of the combination of condos and hotels.

Recent Starwood projects in the Twin Cities include the 136-room Midtown Sheraton Hotel which opened in December in south Minneapolis at the Midtown Exchange complex. A 136-room Starwood Luxury Collection Hotel is under construction at the Ivy Hotel + Residences in downtown Minneapolis.

Several other hotel projects are in the pipeline downtown, including the 60-room Chambers Hotel at 901 Hennepin Ave. and the conversion of the F&M Bank Building into a 214-room Westin Hotel, another Starwood brand.

Hospitality development represents a new product type for Sherman Associates, which is best known as a multi-family housing developer.

“It’s a newer concept for us,” Gorecki said. “There are more and more opportunities to do hotels that are not 350-room hotels. They need to be manageable for us, they need to be in key locations for us and there needs to be partnerships.”

Originally, project plans called for more condo units — more than 200 — in conjunction with as much as 70,000 square feet of commercial space on the site. But the addition of the hotel means fewer overall housing units and just a small amount (5,000 square feet) of additional retail space.

The condo project has been dubbed Zenith.

Sherman Associates will acquire two parcels for the project. Gorecki said the firm plans to close on the purchase of 911 Second St. S., currently home to Precision Powerhouse recording studio, in the next 60 days.

The other parcel, a surface parking lot along Washington Avenue, is owned by the Hennepin County Regional Rail Authority, which is selling the site to the city of Minneapolis, which in turn will sell it to Sherman Associates. The parking lot is also known in city planning parlance as “Parcel F.” A closing is scheduled for the end of June for $2.52 million.

The new Guthrie Theater complex is slated to open this summer.

Sherman Associates will own the hotel, which will be managed by Minnetonka-based Wischermann Partners Inc.

“I think it will be a fantastic addition to this whole Mill District,” Paul Wischermann said. “I think it fits 100 percent into the makeup of this new emerging community. It will be the first of its kind here for Minnesota. The location from a business traveler standpoint has been proven by the Courtyard [Marriott hotel] at the Depot. It will have great visibility.”

Meanwhile, the city of Minneapolis has received several proposals for what it calls the Riverfront East Parcel at Second Street and 11th Avenue South, adjacent to the Guthrie.

The city received three proposals by the March 2 deadline.

A proposal from a joint venture between Brighton Development and Norway House calls for 144 units of housing and an American-Norwegian cultural/business center, while a pitch from Hunt Associates and North America Partners outlines plans for 196 residential units plus commercial space.

The William W. and Nadine M. McGuire Family Foundation proposes an 8-acre city park along the riverfront. William McGuire is the chair and CEO of Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group.

Gorecki is enthusiastic about the McGuire park proposal.

“There’s a huge need for green space. This is a fantastic opportunity. When you start creating the type of density that’s there, there needs to be that green space element. For us, it really creates a fabulous front door to the Guthrie and to the river,” Gorecki said.

Sherman Associates has been engaged in preliminary talks about the hotel project with neighborhood representatives and city officials and will ultimately need to go back before the Minneapolis City Council for approval.

“The height and the overall density that we’re creating meet all of the district guidelines,” Gorecki said, noting that the hotel will be five stories. “We hope to get through the whole city process by the end of June this year.”

Current plans call for completion of all elements of the project by mid-2008.

“If all goes well, we’d like to be in the ground by the end of this year,” Gorecki said.

[Ecker]

To: Jeff @ minnescraper.com

From: Ecker (a/k/a ErkU3)

Re.: City of Lakes Redevelopment

I haven't attended any Stevens Square Housing & Development Committee meetings lately, but the minutes from the meetings are posted on its website.

Here's a link to that page: http://www.sscoweb.org/What_We_Do/Ho...utes/index.htm

Here's what happened... The Heritage Preservation Commission did not approve of the demolition of the Janney Building nor the construction of the 23-story tower. The neighborhood supported an appeal of the HPC's decision regarding the Janney Building, but did not support appealing the decision regarding the tower. The Planning Commission did not support the demolition of the Janney Building. The PC did not consider the proposed tower.

In short: the developer has gone back to the drawing board.

Despite what Bapster said earlier in this thread, the registration problem at minnescraper.com hasn't been fixed (at least not for me). Since I can't register there, I can't post there.

The PM you sent me at mnpulse.com must not have worked.

Feel free to post this over at minnescraper if you'd like.

[Stephenapolis]

There are two more developments in the work now too.
One is the Monte Carlo block redevelopment. Most of the existing structures would remain but be refurbished. In addition there is a 40 story condo tower being added to this development on one of the sites parking lots.
The other new one is a 35 story mixed-use tower. This will be in the Midland Building. The first 10 floors of the building would remain as a hotel, with the upper stories being new construction added on to the original building.

[Avian001]

Originally Posted by Stephenapolis

There are two more developments in the work now too.
One is the Monte Carlo block redevelopment. Most of the existing structures would remain but be refurbished. In addition there is a 40 story condo tower being added to this development on one of the sites parking lots.
The other new one is a 35 story mixed-use tower. This will be in the Midland Building. The first 10 floors of the building would remain as a hotel, with the upper stories being new construction added on to the original building.

Is the Midland a 35-story condo tower on top of the 10-story existing structure? In other words, is the Midland proposed to be 45 stories?

[Stephenapolis]

^
No. It will be built next to the Midland. I just read more about it over at Minnescraper. It would be built to the east of the Midland. The one drawinf we have seen looks as if it is a napkin sketch. Not very good, and the number of floors does not correspond with what they are proposing.

[CHAPINM1]

Even thought this not may be for a long time, I don't care how it sounds. Minneapolis needs to get a 1,000 footer!!! We need to get a new tallest once again even if it may not be quite 1,000 feet, but at least 800 feet, but a 1,000 footer would be cool! It's too bad the IDS Tower 2never went up that would have been over 900 feet.

[Stephenapolis]

IDS 2 would have been 965 feet.
An 800 footer would not stand out enough IMO. I want 900 to 1000 feet. But as in life there are many things that I want that I will probably never get.

[CHAPINM1]

Just a question, but who thinks Trump may come build here in MSP?

[Stephenapolis]

Unless he comes up with a grand design and breaks 1000 feet. I would say no. If he wants to meet my stipulations, then please come and build.