MINNEAPOLIS | Projects & Construction

[kenratboy]

Originally Posted by IMBY

Thanks, always, for the updates. A transit center at 35W/Lake? A light rail line down Lake Street? Orange Line?

You are correct on Orange Line...but Bus Rapid Transit. Dedicated freeway lanes for 35W, but still some surface streets to deal with. As such, should be able to keep a pretty decent schedule.

I'm mixed on how it will do. Despite the route being heavily-developed, there is not a ton walking distance from the stations (especially if the weather is bad) so you might be able to get *close* to your destination, but not close enough. It does make some sense for people who want to get downtown from 'south of the river' (Burnsville, MN) if you can park, take a reliable bus downtown. The traffic can be horrendous if there is snow, a wreck, and the dedicated lanes would solve that.

It gets back to the 'curse' of a large, spread out city. There are not many slam dunk 'hubs' to connect and you just keep getting back to cars. Park n' Ride is as close as you can get (which in fairness looks to be an option in Burnsville).

I think Vancouver got as close as possible with the Expo line. If you look at the stations, there has been some serious vertical development near the stations. I think this is the plan for the real light rail in Minneapolis. You need to build the rail, have appropriate zoning, and let things work out there.

[MPLS_Const_Watch]

Thanks!

Originally Posted by IMBY

A transit center at 35W/Lake? A light rail line down Lake Street? Orange Line?

There are currently several simultaneous projects going on in the 35W corridor through South Minneapolis. 35W is being completely reconstructed between 46th St and Downtown. With the reconstruction, the SB side is being widened for a new transit/HOV lane along the full length (NB already has one), and both NB and SB are being widened to add another general traffic lane for a short length. New exits are being added from SB 35W to Lake St and from NB 35W to 28th St, and there are a couple big changes to the 35W/94 interchange as well. The METRO Orange Line BRT is also being constructed, running from Downtown out to Burnsville. The biggest components of the Orange Line project are the Lake/35W Transit Center, dedicated transit-only on/off ramps on the Downtown end, and a dedicated transit-only tunnel under 494 in Richfield.

Here's a link to the 35W Project: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/35w94/

Here's a link to the METRO Orange Line project: https://www.metrotransit.org/orangeline



Metro Transit has also been working on building out what they're calling their "aBRT" network, which they're calling part of the METRO network and assigning letters to lines. The amenities on the aBRT routes are similar to MTA's SBS. Currently, the A Line (46th St Blue Line in Minneapolis to Rosedale via 46th St & Snelling Ave) and C Line (Downtown Minnneapolis to Brooklyn Center via 7th/8th Sts, Olson Memorial Highway, Penn Ave, and Brooklyn Blvd) are operational, and the B Line (West Lake Green Line in Minneapolis to Downtown St. Paul via Lake St, Marshall Ave, and Selby Ave) and D Line (Mall of America to Brooklyn Center via American Blvd, Portland Ave, Chicago Ave, 7th/8th Sts, Fremont/Emerson Aves, 44th Ave, and Brookyln Blvd) are fully funded. The D Line stations are going to be build summer 2021, and the B Line stations summer 2022. The 4th/Lake and Nicollet/Lake B Line stations are being built early because the street is being reconstructed as part of the 35W reconstruction.

Here's a link to the METRO B Line project: https://www.metrotransit.org/b-line-project

[Busy Bee]

Originally Posted by MPLS_Const_Watch

Are you kidding me with all those bath and kitchen vents all over the street facing facade? It's otherwise a nice looking building. No way they couldn't figure out a way to funnel all the venting onto the roof. This just reads as ridiculously cheap.

[MPLS_Const_Watch]

Originally Posted by kenratboy

I'm mixed on how it will do. Despite the route being heavily-developed, there is not a ton walking distance from the stations (especially if the weather is bad) so you might be able to get *close* to your destination, but not close enough. It does make some sense for people who want to get downtown from 'south of the river' (Burnsville, MN) if you can park, take a reliable bus downtown. The traffic can be horrendous if there is snow, a wreck, and the dedicated lanes would solve that.

It gets back to the 'curse' of a large, spread out city. There are not many slam dunk 'hubs' to connect and you just keep getting back to cars. Park n' Ride is as close as you can get (which in fairness looks to be an option in Burnsville).

I think Vancouver got as close as possible with the Expo line. If you look at the stations, there has been some serious vertical development near the stations. I think this is the plan for the real light rail in Minneapolis. You need to build the rail, have appropriate zoning, and let things work out there.

I also have mixed feelings on the Orange Line. I think it will be pretty successful as far as BRT is concerned-- the Red Line really showed us how bad poorly-planned BRT can be. The Orange Line is a much better route. It will awesome to have that kind of connection to Downtown from Lake St, good for 46th, 66th, and the 494 strip stations too. South of American Blvd it will be nearly entirely commuter traffic, but I think it will be fairly successful in that role.

It will be interesting to see what ridership ends up being like, but it will for sure destroy the embarrassment that is the Red Line.

[MPLS_Const_Watch]

L&H Station Phase 2A -- 6 floors -- apartments -- Corcoran/East Lake -- 12/13/20



Bessemer at Seward -- 5 floors -- apartments -- Seward -- 12/13/20

[MN/WI]

Great updates. Lots and lots of infill. Some areas just are becoming unrecognizable from just a few years ago. Despite what people say about so many people leaving the city this simply is not and will not be the case.

[MPLS_Const_Watch]

Center for Performing Arts -- 4 floors -- arts center/venue -- Kingfield -- 12/19/20





Sabathani Senior Housing -- 3 floors -- apartments -- Central -- 12/19/20

[BG918]

Originally Posted by MN/WI

Great updates. Lots and lots of infill. Some areas just are becoming unrecognizable from just a few years ago. Despite what people say about so many people leaving the city this simply is not and will not be the case.

Is Minneapolis is losing people to warmer climates?

[MN/WI]

Here's a list of where people from Minneapolis are moving too. It also lists how many people from that area are moving to Minneapolis. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wh...id=hplocalnews

[MPLS_Const_Watch]

Originally Posted by BG918

Is Minneapolis is losing people to warmer climates?

Generally, no. The city has been growing rapidly over the past decade. There are of course significant numbers of retirees that leave Minnesota for Florida and Arizona, but this is the same as it's been for a couple generations.

What I think MN/WI is referencing are all the doom-and-gloom formulaic stories in the media about people leaving the city for the suburbs in droves due to rising crime. There may be some fragments of truth involved in this- the Downtown condo market is not as strong as it was a year ago. However, the single-family home market across the city remains very tight, and apartment construction has not slowed down at all.

[kenratboy]

Originally Posted by BG918

Is Minneapolis is losing people to warmer climates?

I work at the corporate HQ for one of the very large companies in Minnesota, and it is shocking how many people are from the surrounding states. It is a regional brain drain. Son or daughter grows up in N/S Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, goes to college, moves to Minneapolis for work, and stays because of the work, stuff to do but is still driving distance from their family.

I know that doesn't answer your question, but it feels like one reason this city is successful if we suck in a lot of talent vs. stagnating.

And no joke, in just one generation winters have gotten significantly warmer and shorter. Obviously it is not warm, not even close, but looking at the average winter now vs. 30, 40, 50 years ago shows a huge change.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/0...-it-used-to-be

"But overall, winter [in Minnesota] is warming fast — by more than 5 degrees since 1970. Alaska and Vermont have also seen winters warm by more than 5 degrees, according to NOAA data.

Minnesota's winter season has gotten shorter since 1970, too, with an average of 16 fewer days from the first frost to the last, and about 12 days less of ice cover on the state's lakes."

[MN/WI]

We are the biggest economic draw in a 5 state region. No doubt about it.

[kenratboy]

Originally Posted by MN/WI

We are the biggest economic draw in a 5 state region. No doubt about it.

What about the new Foxconn facility

[MN/WI]

Originally Posted by kenratboy

What about the new Foxconn facility

Another Republican lie. You'd think people would learn.

[MN/WI]

So glad Walker is gone. Still have an overwhelming majority state government and supreme court that is on the wrong side of everything that is good.

[MN/WI]

Looks like Alia 2 is still in the works. The neighborhood has an upcoming meeting with the developer early next month. Good news. Maybe they will come back and restore it to the original height.

[MN/WI]

I actually hope Alia 2.0 does go back. The area across the river from downtown has so many buildings that are all pretty close to the same height creating a plateau type effect. Something taller could really help to break that up. And besides the height has already been approved once.

[Nordeast Homer]

Originally Posted by MN/WI

I actually hope Alia 2.0 does go back. The area across the river from downtown has so many buildings that are all pretty close to the same height creating a plateau type effect. Something taller could really help to break that up. And besides the height has already been approved once.

The key is going to be demand. It sounds like vacancies are still low, but there will be a lot of higher price point units opening before this one. This area may benefit from the fear that some have of moving downtown right now. It's still close enough that people could walk or bike downtown, but still not downtown proper.

I think they could pull off a larger building if they market this right.

[MN/WI]

Let's hope so. I'd like to see around 3 40 story buildings on that side of the river. Nothing necessarily higher. 3 would be a nice balance.

[MN/WI]

https://www.startribune.com/detroit-...lis/573491652/