Development News

A group of University of Minnesota student-community liaisons are calling for a new mural in the Como neighborhood as a way to improve the landscape and bring people together.

Adam Arling, a recent university graduate who works for the school's student and community relations office, says, "We've been interested in using art as a device for building community" and as "a tool to brand our community."

It's where the idea came for a mural on a retaining wall in a highly trafficked crossing along 15th Avenue Southeast. This intersection "acts as a gateway corridor to campus and to Como," he says.

The poorly lit, somewhat dangerous intersection often gets tagged with graffiti. "We thought this would be a good opportunity to get the community to work together toward a common goal that's safer and more aesthetically pleasing."  

Local artists Sara Udvig and Carly Schmitt will work together on the mural, which will span 3,000 square feet along four walls, or a full block.

His office has been working to get feedback from community members about what common themes and values should be included in the design.

Many people have brought up the area's green spaces, Dinkytown, Bunge Tower, bike-ability and history.

Arling hopes the community will also help create the mural through a handful of workshops that are being planned.

Although the student-community liaisons have already been able to secure some grant money for the project with the help of the Southeast Como Improvement Association, the group needs neighborhood and city approval.  

And more funding is needed because "The original budget didn't account for this big of a process."

Source: Adam Arling, student liaison, Student and Community Relations at the University of Minnesota
Writer: Anna Pratt

A year after the 1910-vintage Banks Building in Minneapolis's Warehouse District installed a tenKsolar array on its rooftop, the savings are already starting to show up.

Dan Schaffan, who is the building's property manager, says that owner Schafer Richardson wants to find ways to save energy that go beyond building maintenance. 

When Schafer Richardson looked at the holdings in its portfolio, the five-and-two-story office complex turned out to be the most doable in terms of solar power. "You have to consider things like the age of a roof," Schaffan says. 

The solar array cost the company about $13,000 to install, though it would have been closer to $65,000 without the subsidies that it was able to get, he says.

Although it takes almost a year to show results, the solar array saves the building about $3,500 a year in electrical charges. At that rate, the technology will pay for itself in about four years, he says, adding that it's expected to last 30 years. 

He says the company likes this system because "[The panels] sit on top of the roof with some ballasts. They're designed to stay on top of the roof even during strong winds....They collect solar energy and turn it into electricity, using a converter."

The company has an agreement with Xcel Energy, which will buy any extra solar power that the array generates.

The building's tenants have been supportive. "All of the tenants are concerned about the common area's maintenance charges and what the owners are doing to lower their cost," says Schaffan.

Source: Dan Schaffan, building property manager, Schafer Richardson
Writer: Anna Pratt

When Peter Haakon Thompson stepped in as the curator and host for Intermedia Arts’ new coworking area, called ArtsHub, he focused on getting the place physically ready.  

He wanted to do away with its office look to create a more welcoming workplace for artists, organizers, and others who are interested in social change. “A big part of what I did was create a 'place' out of 'space',” he says.

ArtsHub, which opened last month following a September preview, is housed both within Intermedia and in a separate building behind it, which is referred to as ArtsHub West. Both spaces have conference rooms and a kitchen, although ArtsHub West is geared more for small groups. From either location, people can copy, print, and access the Internet. 

Inside Intermedia, the mezzanine-level ArtsHub has a warm, cozy feeling. With an exposed ceiling and a balcony, it feels like a boat, Thompson says. “I like the idea that it’s an enclosed space that overlooks the lobby.”

It’s furnished with vintage tables and chairs that come from the University of Minnesota’s ReUse Center. Some of the tables look like they came from a biology classroom. Each table has a desk lamp.

In setting it up, Thompson paid attention to light, and how the eclectic furniture works together. “I felt like a curator of desks and chairs,” he says, adding that he hopes people will find a favorite nook.

He also placed one table in the gallery area. How that table gets used is “going to develop as time goes on, when ArtsHub is more part of the building.”

ArtsHub West involved more construction. Thompson took down the walls to make one large open space and installed items for a kitchen. The space also got a new coat of paint--inside and out--which is accentuated by stencil work.  “It has a funky artistic look,” he says.

Artist Ethan Arnold, who painted the lime-green exterior, has artwork showing inside.   

Now, Thompson is focused on programming for the spaces with skill-shares, table tennis, “grant jam days,” happy hours, and more--to facilitate interaction. “We want to provide another way for people to feel like they’re part of a community of other creative types.”
 

Source: Peter Haakon Thompson, ArtsHub curator, Intermedia Arts
Writer: Anna Pratt

To help make the city of Minneapolis stand out to tourists and convention planners, it's being rebranded as a 'City by Nature.'

Meet Minneapolis introduced the tagline at an Oct. 27 press conference in the IDS Center's Crystal Court in downtown Minneapolis. 

Melvin Tennant, who is the CEO and president for Meet Minneapolis, a nonprofit organization that promotes the city (and is also a sponsor of The Line), says that the rebranding came about because “We need better positioning for the city and more consistent messaging to visitors.”

The tagline is accompanied by a broader brand position, ‘Metropolitan by Nature,’ along with a logo that depicts the city with a silhouette of skyscrapers and trees reflected on water.

Each aspect of the plan is deeply rooted in research that began in early 2011, he says.  

When researchers gathered feedback about the city, they found that adjectives such as “friendly, beautiful, and down-to-earth,” often came up, he says.  

Those are attributes that the marketing strategy will help the city to build on, he explains.

As it is, too few people see the city as a vacation destination, Mayor R.T. Rybak adds.

In a survey of top cities to visit, Minneapolis was under the radar for those who’d never been to the area, he says. But for people who had spent some quality time in the city, it shot near the top. “To know us is to love us,” Rybak concludes.

It’s a big deal, considering that 18 million visitors who arrive to the area every year spend $6 billion annually, he says.

The press event also kicked off a social-media-type “virtual destination tour” around town.

Using their smartphones, people can scan QR codes in and around such local landmarks as the IDS Center, Minneapolis Convention Center, Stone Arch Bridge, Guthrie Theater and Target Field, for informative videos and links, according to Meet Minneapolis information.

Source: R.T. Rybak, Minneapolis mayor, and Melvin Tennant, Meet Minneapolis president and CEO
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Weisman Art Museum (WAM) in Minneapolis, which recently reopened with a new addition, wrapped up a design competition last month that re-imagines the plaza outside its front entrance.

A nine-member jury chose as its winner a proposal jointly from VJAA (Jennifer Yoos and Vincent James), HouMinn Practice (Marc Swackhammer and Blair Satterfield), and artist Diane Willow, according to WAM information.

The plaza, which overlooks the Mississippi River, stands on the eastern edge of the Washington Avenue Bridge, which links the east and west banks of the University of Minnesota campus.

Over 2,000 people cross the plaza daily, and with the completion of recent construction projects, including the Weisman expansion, that number is probably going to go up, according to museum information.

WAM spokesperson Erin Lauderman explains that the design competition was a way to “re-envision our front yard,” which, she adds, is important because “We’re the figureheads for people coming onto the campus as they cross the river.”

The idea is to make the busy plaza more of a gathering space where people will want to linger. “Right now it dumps you on the campus,” she says.

To address that, WAM's Target Studio for Creative Collaboration required that submissions come from interdisciplinary teams with experience designing public spaces.

She says that the winning team’s design helps redirect the flow of traffic to make it safer, keeping pedestrians and bicyclists separate.

It also makes way for an interactive public space with digital walls where passersby “can stop and interact, sort of like a call and response.”

For example, images of people walking across the bridge could appear on the digital walls.

The next phase involves public meetings. “It needs to be vetted for what’s realistic and what the community wants it to be,” Lauderman says.


Source: Erin Lauderman, spokesperson, Weisman Art Museum
Writer: Anna Pratt

For a decade, a memorial to honor Latino veterans in St. Paul has been in the works, and last month, it finally became a reality.

American Veterans Memorial--Plaza de Honor recently had its ground-breaking on Harriet Island Regional Park’s Great Lawn near the river walk.

The $265,000 memorial will feature a gathering area with several flagpoles around it.

“The design and construction of the memorial will tie into the recently completed renovations of the island,” a prepared statement about the memorial reads.

Brad Meyer, a spokesperson for St. Paul parks, says it helps that Harriet Island already has a smaller- scale flagpole memorial. “A new, larger memorial could use existing materials and space,” while also improving upon the original, he says.

The park was also an ideal setting for the memorial because of its high visibility, he says. Besides the thousands of visitors who come to events on the island, it receives plenty of “passive use” year-round.  

And nearby is the home of the American Veterans--Mexican American Post #5, which he says was instrumental in bringing the memorial to fruition.

With the help of the veterans' group, “We were able to secure the funds necessary to complete the project,” he says via email.

The city, along with the American Veterans--Mexican American Post #5 and U.S. Bank, contributed funds to the project, which secured both grants and private donations, according to city information.  

“A lot of thought has gone into this project, and we are very pleased with the final design and are looking forward to celebrating the grand opening” next spring, Meyer says.


Source: Brad Meyer, spokesperson, St. Paul Parks
Writer: Anna Pratt

A new design for the aging Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis incorporates everything from a 20-foot water wall to flexible performance spaces.

Tom Oslund, who is the principal of oslund.and.associates, a local landscape architecture firm that took into consideration all kinds of public feedback in coming up with the design, says it modernizes the plaza.

The existing plaza, which notable landscape architect M. Paul Friedberg designed in 1974, doesn't meet modern accessibility requirements. Also, too much water goes down the drain--literally--and the plaza lacks an efficient stormwater management plan, Oslund says.

More broadly, the plaza has evolved into a hub for outdoor performances over the past several decades. "There's a shortage of infrastructure to hold more sophisticated performances."

Additionally, the way the plaza recesses below-grade has posed numerous safety concerns.

The new design divides the plaza into several "rooms," at different elevations, including a street-level area and garden and performance space, all of which are accessible via a ramp.

It features a couple of pools with dancing fountains, a shady pergola, a sound garden, and green spaces, according to project information.

Seating can be configured according to the use, with shallow pools that can be turned off to make room for 1,500 chairs.

A video screen that a video artist will help program will broadcast Orchestra Hall performances.

Although the $8-$10 million project depends on fundraising, the ideal timeline is to have it reopen with the $50 million reconstruction of the adjacent Orchestra Hall. At this point, the groundbreaking is planned for the spring of 2012.   

He says that while change is hard for some people, the design has been well received.

"I think the new design is reflective of how 21st-century space should be articulated," he says. "There's a significant program component to it and a significant sustainable strategy," including economically.

Source: Tom Oslund, principal, oslund.and.associates
Writer: Anna Pratt

Shea, a marketing and design firm, is relocating from its longtime home in Butler Square just blocks away to the old Shinders space in downtown Minneapolis, which has been empty since 2007.

Recently the firm signed a lease for the two-story building, which faces Hennepin Avenue, while the design is in early planning stages, according to Shea spokesperson Andy McDermott.

Shea's offices will go on the second floor, with a ground-level reception area, taking up 8,000 square feet of the building's 22,000 square feet total. A restaurant will share part of the first-floor space, for which the details are still being worked out, he says.  

Although most of the 1947 building will get a facelift, original stone on its exterior and interior terrazzo floors will be preserved, according to company information.

Over the past decade, the company has worked with many businesses from one end of Hennepin Avenue to the other. "We encouraged clients to take a chance on [the street] even when developers weren't interested," he says. 

Currently, Shea is working on the new Lunds store and a restaurant called Butcher & Boar at 12th and Hennepin.

"For whatever reasons, there's been a glut of space there for a while," he says. "But we've always seen it as a great central location with good demographics, a great office population, and a scene at night."

It's why the company nabbed the highly visible corner space on the avenue. "We're seeing a resurgence on Hennepin," he says, adding, "We're happy to be a part of it."

Construction will start in January, and Shea will be in the new space by July 2012, according to company information.

Source: Andy McDermott, spokesperson, Shea
Writer: Anna Pratt

Architecture Minnesota, which last year hosted a popular video contest that centered on skyway travel, is gearing up for another round of Videotect.

The topic this time is sustainable transportation and "its enhancement through quality design," according to Chris Hudson, who is the editor of Architecture Minnesota magazine.

Hudson says that the video competition was successful earlier this year, with over 1,600 people casting votes for their favorite videos online, and the Walker Art Center screening filling to capacity.

However, Hudson says. it was also a learning experience: "We knew what we wanted to improve on."

For this round, videos will be shorter, between 30 and 120 seconds as opposed to two minutes. Now, people also have three months to produce a video entry, compared to five weeks the first time. "Last time it was a crunch. We didn't want to stress people out like that," he says.

He's hoping that people will take advantage of the window of time to film before winter creeps in.

Another perk is that with the help of a couple of sponsors, Architecture Minnesota is able to offer more prize money, with $6,000 to be given out.

Through the contest, "We want to spark a public dialogue," about the built environment, he says, but adds that the contest is not limited to strictly architectural topics.  

Such is the case with the sustainable transportation theme, where design plays an important role. In considering possible topics, "We couldn't think of anything bigger or hotter," he says.

Right now there's all kinds of pressure to build highways "to keep things going," while light rail transit and bike amenities are also coming up a lot.

Everything from planes to bikes is fodder for the contest. "We want people to focus on what are the most sustainable forms of transportation, and conversely, to make some critiques of sustainable transportation options." 

The topic is open-ended "to allow people to approach it however they want."

Entries are due by Jan. 23, with online viewing and voting happening in early February.  

Source: Chris Hudson, editor, Architecture Minnesota magazine
Writer: Anna Pratt

This summer, the Alliance Française in Minneapolis's Warehouse District spruced up its cobalt-blue façade.

Now, it's shifting its focus to some "much-needed renovations" inside, according to Christina Selander Bouzouina, who leads the Alliance.

As it is, guests have to ring the buzzer to enter the 1880s building. Although the buzzer is a security measure, "It's not the most welcoming introduction to the organization," she says.  

Once someone does get into the building, a large staircase confuses matters. "People aren't sure which way to go," she says. "It's kind of off-putting."

To address those issues, the Alliance wants to relocate the second-level reception area to the ground floor to greet people right away when they walk in, she explains.

However, this change means, "We'll lose the beautiful classroom that you can see from the sidewalk," which, she adds, is the only accessible classroom in the building.

As a result, the Alliance will need to install an elevator.

Other questions center on whether classrooms should be added to its existing 11, and, in particular, if more space should be devoted to its growing list of children's offerings.

A room that's equipped for cooking lessons is also under discussion.  

The renovations are part of a long-term strategic plan that goes back to when the Alliance bought the building in 1998.

Although the details are still up in the air, Bouzina estimates that the project will run around $500,000, for which a capital campaign is in planning stages.

The idea is to aim for a "goal that's achievable, that we're excited about and that meets our purposes," she says. "We want to be sure it's meeting our needs but that there's no empty space."   

Source: Christina Selander Bouzouina, executive director, Alliance Française of Minneapolis St Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis won $110,000 to restore part of its 1915 building through the Partners in Preservation (PIP) competition that wrapped up last week.

Twenty-four other local landmarks competed for grant money through the contest from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

It involved nearly 28,000 people, who weighed in on an online poll over a three-week period, according to contest information.

PIP, which started in 2006, has given out $5.5 million to 56 historic preservation projects nationwide. Another $10 million will be doled out through the program over the next handful of years, according to contest information.

At the basilica--the oldest in the country, which French architect Emmanuel Masqueray designed--the grant will help spruce up everything from decorative ceilings to paint and gold leaf throughout.  

Chris Morris, a spokesperson from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, says that the basilica hopes the upgrade will lead the way for additional building improvements. “It’s nice that we can act as a catalyst, giving confidence to tackle big projects in the future," she says. 

More broadly, she says, the contest successfully raised awareness about many area preservation projects and “the impact it can have on sites that are meaningful to people in their neighborhoods.”

Additionally, through creative open-house events, people “tried to involve the community and do good work.”

The Hennepin Center for the Arts, which has been renamed the Cowles Center for Dance & Performing Arts, for example, had some community members knit scarves for a performance art piece. (The scarves also related to “yarn bombing” actions around town.) Afterward, the scarves were donated to people in need. “It was a fabulous act of generosity,” Morris says.   

Also, Emerge Career and Technology Center had a barbeque that got people excited about its redevelopment project in North Minneapolis. “It’s a great way to make strong connections with people in their own community,” says Morris.  

Next, an advisory committee will meet in November to determine how the remaining $900,000 grant will be divvied up among the other 24 competing projects.  

 
Source: Chris Morris, representative of the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Writer: Anna Pratt

As the latest development in a larger project to go green at the Saint Paul RiverCentre, this week an 82-kilowatt photovoltaic solar installation was shown off on its parking ramp.

The 348 solar photovoltaic panels will produce 100,000 kilowatts of energy--or enough to run about nine homes each year, according to city information.  

Anne Hunt, who works for the city, says that when it comes to energy efficiency, “I’m not sure people think of a parking ramp," adding, "This is definitely the greenest ramp in the metro area."

It complements the $2.5 million solar thermal array that went onto the RiverCentre’s rooftop earlier this year, which is considered to be the largest of its kind in the Midwest, according to city information. (See the story from The Line here.)

The two installations, which use different solar technologies, will help the RiverCentre to dramatically reduce its carbon footprint by 2012, she explains.  

Looking all over the country, “I can’t find another public building that has two different solar technologies,” she says.

Other related energy-efficiency work has recently been underway at the parking ramp as well.

For example, high-pressure sodium lights were swapped out for energy-efficient fluorescent lamps, while a couple of electric-car charging stations have also been added, she says.  

Already, the building gets power from District Energy St. Paul, which “operates the largest, most successful, biomass-fueled hot water district heating system in North America,” its website states.

As one more layer to the project, the RiverCentre complex is part of the special Energy Innovation Corridor that highlights various energy projects along the in-progress Central Corridor Light Rail line.

Funding for the $750,000 worth of energy-efficiency measures at the ramp comes partly from the federal stimulus package.  

These initiatives save money while also producing clean energy, Hunt says.


Source: Anne Hunt, spokesperson, City of St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt

The locally-based Greco Real Estate Development has a $32 million apartment building in the works for a vacant lot at 29th and Lyndale in Minneapolis.

The 170-unit complex would include 7,500 square feet of commercial space and 220 underground parking spaces, according to Finance and Commerce.

In the last several years, Greco had explored various development possibilities for the site, including a boutique office building and workforce housing, but those concepts didn’t pan out.

Since then, the plan has been scaled down.

In a recent Finance and Commerce story Greco's Arnie Gregory says that the current design will turn around a piece of land that is “kind of blighted looking.”

Signage for the upcoming project has been put up on the parcel that he describes in the story as the “last big piece of the neighborhood."

It’s an ideal location for apartments because “There’s a very, very high demand in this neighborhood. It’s just kind of the energy spot of town,” he adds.

On the Minnescraper Forums development discussion website, comments about redeveloping the vacant lot are positive: “That’s kinda nice…an improvement I’d say,” says someone who goes by mnmike.

Another comment, from mplser, reads: “I like it. lots of glass and it actually looks different from all of the recently built apartment buildings.”

Construction at 29th and Lyndale could get started as soon as March 2012, according to Finance and Commerce.

Right now, Greco also has a couple of other apartment projects underway in the area, including the resort-like Flux in Uptown and the redevelopment of the Holden Building in the North Loop.

The company was also behind Blue, a 242-unit building nearby that opened its doors in 2008.


Source: Finance and Commerce, Minnescraper Forums  
Writer: Anna Pratt

To design a public art sculpture for the West 7th Community Center Park in St. Paul, local artist Estela De Paola de Lerma collaborated with Girl Scout Troop 52512.

The sculpture celebrates the transformation of the park, which was perceived as unsafe just a couple of years ago. Today, the park includes a jungle gym, swings, and other play areas, according to the Pioneer Press.  

In a first workshop with the children, the artist went over “the basics of three-dimensional art, public art guidelines, and the purposes of public art,” she explains.  

Afterward, the children came up with some ideas that they used to create cardboard models. A final model incorporated everyone’s voices.   

From there, de Lerma crafted a life-sized model out of foam core, adding a base to comply with the city’s requirements.

The resulting sculpture, titled “Our World,” came together through donations, including powder-coating from the city, that covered thousands of dollars of expenses.

The process took about a year. “The girls couldn’t weld, but they did the design. The ideas are theirs,” she says of the eight-foot-tall metal sculpture.

In the piece, Girl Scouts are shown hand-in-hand embracing a yellow globe.

Each row of figures is painted to correspond with a different level of the Girl Scouts.

Their message reflects the fact that they care about the world, according to de Lerma, who has a daughter in Girl Scouts. The figures come in all shapes and sizes. “Everyone is included, that’s why it’s ‘Our World’,” she says.

The girls’ names and troop also appear on the piece.

“My generation wouldn’t believe that a child could be a sculptor,” she says.

De Lerma says she was interested in the project because it proves that public art involving children can “be more than a mural. It’s a nice way of connecting the community with the place and the art” and with self-expression.


Source: Estela De Paola de Lerma
Writer: Anna Pratt

Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee, which had its grand opening on Oct. 8, is the first bike shop of any sort to make its home in North Minneapolis.

Its added emphases on walking and coffee make it a unique hub, with everything from bike paraphernalia to classes on healthy living, according to city information.

Additionally, Venture North's first day of business coincided with the unveiling of new bike lanes on the nearby Emerson and Fremont avenues.

The city is a partner in the shop; it provided startup money for the place through a federal grant, while, further down the line, as much as $350,000 could help sustain the shop, according to MPR.

The city also selected Redeemer Center for Life, a nonprofit community developer that’s based on the North Side, to manage the shop.

“The goal of the initiative is to improve access for affordable physical activity opportunities among north Minneapolis residents,” a prepared statement from the city reads.

Venture North will also be hosting biking, walking and running clubs, along with a jobs program for youth.

The local Dogwood Coffee Co. helped put in place the coffee and espresso bar, according to city information.

Although the shop will cater to people of all ages and athletic abilities, the store’s manager, Jacob Flinsch-Garrison says in a prepared statement that “we will be especially oriented toward serving the needs of those who are getting into bicycling or walking for the first time, or who have not done so for a while."

“Venture North is committed to making each of our store’s visitors feel welcome. Our motto is ‘gratitude, not attitude,’” he says.

Source: City of Minneapolis
Writer: Anna Pratt