urbanMSP

According to the Longfellow news letter the new post office on minnehaha will break ground this summer. Looks like the Kmart might be on track for late 2023 demo?

https://twitter.com/WedgeLIVE/status/15 ... FhVH9sJgTw

From WedgeLIVE - Doran is planning 275-300 units of affordable housing w/underground parking in two buildings on the E. Lake Target parking lot. Project is affordable to 60% AMI with 20% of units "even deeper affordable limits."

As far as I know the remediation grant was approved. Is there any way to know when this will go forward? Then what? I know this stuff takes years and years of diligence and such before something concrete is even proposed but this is such a high profile development that would be so good for the city.

New concepts for Hi-Lake intersection. Find more information and survey at link below.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fd ... 488f850a5c

New concepts for Hi-Lake intersection. Find more information and survey at link below.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fd ... 488f850a5c

Thanks for sharing.

These designs are good. Would've liked to see bus lanes on the B Line underneath the bridge. Also like the skate park option. It would be a good source of consistent eyes on the street.

I would post this in streets, road, and highway projects.

Speaking of the Hi-Lake area. What is the deal with the Coliseum? Fencing went up and for lease signs posted but now the signs are down and it doesn't appear anything has been done with the site in a while.

On the plus side the bank on the next block is coming down, the Walgreens is being rebuilt and that building on Lake and 17th seems to be making progress (at least faster than before).

FKA US Bank building just east of Lake and Minnehaha. Took this a couple weeks ago, the site is now more or less cleared.

MPD definitely has a PR problem (among other issues).

A Met Council pre-design grant was authorized for the former site of El Nuevo Rodeo. It doesn't say who the owner/developer would be. Probably a strong chance that a building of at least 4 stories will replace the 4-story structure that was lost to arson.

Rodeo Plaza, Minneapolis: $150,000 for design and planning for the redevelopment of a site on Lake Street that was destroyed by civil unrest in 2020. Planning includes housing, including affordable units, and commercial space targeted to Latino-community-serving businesses.

Small music venue coming to East Lake St. With the occasional shows at Urban Forage, plus Hook and Ladder and Moon Palace relatively nearby, it would be great if this area reaches a critical mass to become an unofficial district for smaller venues.

https://racketmn.com/cloudland-music-ve ... ake-street

Presentation on city department options for the former Third Precinct coming up at today's council Committee of the Whole https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Download ... shared.pdf

It would certainly be a more accessible place for the elections office.

For south Minneapolis, certainly.

I know elections are important, but... is this really the best use of this piece of property?

Not disagreeing, but what do you have in mind?

I'm guessing the politics on the Council are probably such that selling the property for private-sector reuse is out of the question, aside from something like a medical clinic serving low income folks, etc.

So the staff are limited to fairly unimaginative reuses like moving government offices in. Even with that limitation, I could think of other city departments that might make more sense to house here than elections, due to the available parking (e.g. inspections) or more public-facing stuff like Animal Control, a satellite impound lot, etc. Not saying I want any of those things, just trying to think of existing city functions that could use a building that has secured surface parking, transit access for residents/customers of the facility, etc.

EDIT: I missed the presentation upthread. I really like the idea of getting Mpls Traffic Control out of the Border Ave facility. While clearly not ideal to put it here, that Border Ave building absolutely needs to come down someday, in order to facilitate pedestrian movement from the Royalston LRT Station to the Farmers Market. It's very much in the way and the whole building needs to come down (along with a couple private properties) to accommodate the grade changes in that area between Royalston and Border Ave.

I don't know if it's politics, or lack of imagination, or what. But with the visibility and symbolism of this site, let's get some foundations on board and make this the best dang affordable housing project this city has ever seen. Mixed use, good design, something that helps super-charge the re-imagining of this part of town. Spend too much money on it -- this isn't a site for a profit driven 5+1.

Back of house city employee office space is just a huge disappointment.