urbanMSP

Southdale has needed a quality pizza place.

An outdoor ice rink will open by the water tower. Free for all, bring own skates.

http://mspmag.com/Blogs/Alishops/Octobe ... Southdale/

Warming house in the mall.

A two part story, first part covers the city approval of a new tap room ordinance. But the second half deals with the proposed Bank of America "flagship" branch office that would replace the vacant Think Mutual Bank at 69th and France.

http://current.mnsun.com/2015/11/12/cit ... breweries/

The city council really object to the look.

I wish they would be objecting because it doesn't achieve the France Ave guidelines for some greater density and for more mixed uses along France.

BoA is getting time to redesign.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... icism.html

Still no mention why this gets a pass at fitting the new France Ave development guidelines.

Plus this bonus zinger insult aimed at the architect. "“My thought is when you got into architecture school, I’m guessing you — I hope — dreamed of being an I.M. Pei or a Frank Lloyd Wright or somebody who had some significant architectural impact and created beautiful buildings,” Stewart said. “I’m guessing you didn’t dream of designing shoeboxes that have plumbing that work, which is what the original design was. ...The problem with ugly buildings is they stick around for 50 years.”"

What the heck Edina? This is a simple modern bank design. I thought it just looked like a California brand bank.

I bet the same council would deny the Southdale Library too. (Probably not)

Yeah. That criticism seems a low blow.

So, what could possibly go wrong if we give the city the authority to decide if design is good or bad?

I think we all know the answer... "Make it look like multiple storefronts!" "Give it an olde world feel!" "More cornices and spray-on stucco!"

Is that Paris?!

BoA is getting time to redesign.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... icism.html

Still no mention why this gets a pass at fitting the new France Ave development guidelines.

Plus this bonus zinger insult aimed at the architect. "“My thought is when you got into architecture school, I’m guessing you — I hope — dreamed of being an I.M. Pei or a Frank Lloyd Wright or somebody who had some significant architectural impact and created beautiful buildings,” Stewart said. “I’m guessing you didn’t dream of designing shoeboxes that have plumbing that work, which is what the original design was. ...The problem with ugly buildings is they stick around for 50 years.”"

Wow. Insulting in the extreme. The city council should face a panel of citizens who get to insult their profession every time they put a proposal on the table.

I think we all know the answer... "Make it look like multiple storefronts!" "Give it an olde world feel!" "More cornices and spray-on stucco!"

Wow. It is even worse than I remember. <shudder>

BoA is getting time to redesign.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... icism.html

Still no mention why this gets a pass at fitting the new France Ave development guidelines.

Plus this bonus zinger insult aimed at the architect. "“My thought is when you got into architecture school, I’m guessing you — I hope — dreamed of being an I.M. Pei or a Frank Lloyd Wright or somebody who had some significant architectural impact and created beautiful buildings,” Stewart said. “I’m guessing you didn’t dream of designing shoeboxes that have plumbing that work, which is what the original design was. ...The problem with ugly buildings is they stick around for 50 years.”"

Wow. Insulting in the extreme. The city council should face a panel of citizens who get to insult their profession every time they put a proposal on the table.

Bob Stewart is a new councilmember (took office 1/2015). I hope that the Mayor (who seems like a p. great guy) had some words with him after that exchange. Tactless. Reading that comment, my first thought was "What does Bob Stewart do for a living?" Here's the answer: http://current.mnsun.com/2014/09/19/bob ... y-council/

Wow. Insulting in the extreme. The city council should face a panel of citizens who get to insult their profession every time they put a proposal on the table.

Well he is on Twitter, but inactive. Just sayin'...

Insulting? Sure, but he has shown that he can name an architect other than Frank Lloyd Wright. Surely that alone demonstrates his expertise in Architectural Criticism!

(sarcasm, if it isn't clear)

I'm sure he loves garage-face houses replacing existing homes. Because. They. Stand. Test. Of. Time.

Wow. Insulting in the extreme. The city council should face a panel of citizens who get to insult their profession every time they put a proposal on the table.

Well he is on Twitter, but inactive. Just sayin'...

I love shouting into the void as much as the next guy (every post I write on this forum) but shouting at an inactive twitter account from my Minneapolis address would be even more useless than my usual screeds.

It is difficult to tell from the rendering but regardless of what I think of the architecture, I'd love to debate this Stewart guy on design just to rip into him.

The 66 West project to house homeless teens has received two grants from the Met Council. $900,000 TOD grant for site acquisition. $400,000 Affordable Housing grant for housing with services.

http://metrocouncil.org/News-Events/Com ... ng-to.aspx

Galleria owner going to city to discuss expansion options as soon as next week. Plus Gabberts (now owned by Hom) seeking to raise ceiling heights in its Galleria store to similar heights as other Hom stores, and seems to threaten leaving Galleria if not allowed to.

http://www.startribune.com/gabberts-con ... 361626101/

This seemed inevitable. A proposed hotel in the northeast corner of the Southdale mega block.

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... ml?ana=twt

66 and York filling in quite nice! And the hotel boom goes on...

The preliminary design though... I'll wait on a more final sketch.

Someone in Edina please please please come up with a way to make this corner more walkable if we're gonna have new development on 3 of 4 corners in the next year or two.