urbanMSP

Ah, here we go:
http://blogs.mprnews.org/cities/2014/05 ... paul-park/

Here's the Pedro Park thread. I added the link over there.
https://forum.streets.mn/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=227&p=54445

Lunds opened at 10am today. They have a cake shaped like the State Capitol.

I swung in today. The store was PACKED! They also had amazing free samples.

Video of the opening from the city -- 90% the normal speech-a-thon, but there's a brief clip of the crowd inside at the end:

From this morning:


img_8219-edit by Mulad, on Flickr

It certainly achieved awkward.

The base looks pretty nice, but man they should have stuck with two materials for the upper floors. Wow.

Sigh. This building is just all kinds of wrong.

At least we got a downtown supermarket out of it.

Sigh. This building is just all kinds of wrong.

At least we got a downtown supermarket out of it.

The architects BKV also attempted this collage style of design with both The Walkway and their Lake and Knox apartment projects. I give them credit for trying to make something look fun, however, they all feel too busy and somehow need a better a sense of unity. Plus they use too many cheap looking materials which don't play off each other very well and look a little strange ( considering how expensive and upscale these apartments are supposed to be). They should have studied the collage artist Kurt Schwitters.

I agree with many of the previous comments. However, I have to question the comment of too many "cheap" looking materials. Many of the these 5 over 1 buildings seem to have the similiar palettes because the pro forma doesn't allow for more. Occasionally more masonry can be found in historic districts. Hopelfully we see more condos in the future allowing for more robust exterior designs.

This project might look a tad busy in these photos, but I suggest walking around it. It's really quite pleasing to be near. The buildings around it, on the other hand...

I like The Walkway. The mix of colors and textures there totally plays up the intent - fun, brash, loud. There's a place for that, especially in Uptown.

The main problem with this building is it wants to preserve history and be new, bold, exciting at the same time. Pick one or the other. They do not work together!

By the way, talking to the management, they say they got something like twenty-some move-ins here in the last week. Touring the building, you could tell there was actually some life here, unlike a month ago. The Lunds is super-nice, as well. I especially like that some NW facing units have views of the Capitol, the Cathedral and a great view of the Green Line train rolling past.

This very well may be one of the ugliest buildings I've seen.

Its what's on the inside that counts.

I'm really not complaining, but to think that this is almost what got built instead:











http://en.phorio.com/the_penfield_condo ... ted_states

This very well may be one of the ugliest buildings I've seen.

Tiny bit melodramatic

I'm really not complaining, but to think that this is almost what got built instead:











http://en.phorio.com/the_penfield_condo ... ted_states

Okay, I admit I haven't been following this project (or much of st. paul for that matter) at all... but what happened to the tower portion? Not enough demand? Too expensive?

The recession happened.