urbanMSP

Proposal at France & Lake/Hwy 7

http://www.southwestjournal.com/news/de ... -highway-7

Took me a second to zero in on this spot

http://goo.gl/maps/sqTLb

God I hate that area.

Plans: http://www.stlouispark.org/webfiles/fil ... sheets.pdf
Traffic study: http://www.stlouispark.org/webfiles/fil ... y_2015.pdf

Public hearing tomorrow May 6 at 6pm

Nice building, but without improvements to France/CSAH 25/Minnetonka Blvd, I feel like it's an island of bad mid-century highway design.

I do like that they kept the building line such that 30th 1/2 St could be extended in the future without impacting it. Although I don't love the suburban-looking dropoff in front.

Can't fault the developer for the errors of the streets. But, *seriously*, Hennepin County?

CSAH 25/CSAH 5 merge point: new countdown pedestrian heads, new pavement and crosswalk markings. Yet no way to get across the ditch median between the two halves of the intersection. There's some really nice small retail between France and Joppa, but getting to it looks like a nightmare.

Can't fault the developer for the errors of the streets. But, *seriously*, Hennepin County?

CSAH 25/CSAH 5 merge point: new countdown pedestrian heads, new pavement and crosswalk markings. Yet no way to get across the ditch median between the two halves of the intersection. There's some really nice small retail between France and Joppa, but getting to it looks like a nightmare.

Last night I attended the planning commission public hearing about the plat approval for this development. I was already there for excelsior/grand so thought I would make it a two-fer. I brought copies of your photo and shared them with the members of the planning commission. Essentially my comments were 1) I have no problem with the plat change 2) Please continue the work on connecting France to 31st street (apparently the city met with Mpls this week and Mpls is not interested in using its ROW to open up France to 31st. SLP and Mpls ownership of France is split down the middle of the street) 2) This intersection is a nightmare for all users, and a complete redesign should be evaluated with a focus on pedestrian connections.

I left after my testimony so I am not sure what the final vote was, but given the mood prior to my testimony I am pretty certain the plat request was granted. There will be 10,000 feet of medical space, 10,000 feet of office space that the developer will move into, and apartments above.

Extending France would take out a lot of trees and put the road closer to the existing apartments on the east side of the street. That would be a bummer for those folks living there now. I'm not saying it shouldn't be done - it probably should - just that I can see why Mpls would be less than enthused. Plus they'd be building a block of street from scratch...that's gonna cost something. With St. Louis Park approving this huge development, with no direct fiscal impact on Minneapolis - SLP should probably be on the hook for the bulk of the project costs. Tough to make the case that MPLS should kick in several hundred thousand (or more?) dollars to a project that they don't really need. The increased development on the SLP side is what will drive additional traffic, etc...even though current Mpls residents in the area would obviously benefit a little (aside from the handful losing their shade trees).

No property would need to acquired however, as the ROW has always been platted: http://gis.hennepin.us/property/map/def ... 2824220026

What really needs to happen in this area is a Park Glen - 32nd - France connection (T-intersection) on the other side of the railroad tracks. Currently all 3 are dead end streets. France will probably never be connected over/under the RR tracks (even less likely after SW is built) so this is the next best thing.

Very little controversy around this SLP proposal. Council approved, and approved some TIF. Historical marker on site honoring the building that nearly was preserved, multi-use trail as a France Ave cut through

http://sailor.mnsun.com/2015/06/16/bade ... -blessing/

Hennepin County has been trying to get rid of the last of their incandescent signals (a project to be completed this year). If it's a 9" or 12" housing they replace them with a 16" housing. Countdowns are required for most new installations, they don't make them for 9" housings and most agencies here (city St. Paul the exception) choose not to retrofit 12" housings. So it's unlikely it was done with the specific goal of accommodating pedestrians here.

TIF plan approval at recent SLP Planning commission meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YwgNIqmW50

Big crane is in place. Buildings long since demolished of course.

Every time I drive past its after dark. There is more elevation change through the site than I thought.

This photo shows the elevation change. Big wall on the south side.

Shoreham St Louis Park construction 1-28-16 by Matt Bappe, on Flickr

Lotsa neighbor anger the construction workers are starting construction as early as 5:40am to 6:00am.

That does suck, but I assume they have a permit/right to do so, set by the city.