Downtown MPLS. - 3rd Grocer Announced

[NorthStar]

Whole Foods Market has purchased the site where Luther Automotive Group's Jaguar dealership sits. It will be a few years before Whole Foods opens being Luther has plans to build a new dealership. There is talk that the Whole Foods will be part of a large mix use development.

[bobliocatt]

Impressive. What's the population of downtown Minneapolis? How's downtown St. Paul doing these days?

[NorthStar]

Impressive.  What's the population of downtown Minneapolis?  How's downtown St. Paul doing these days?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Minneapolis has a downtown population somewhere between 30,000-35,000.

Downtown St. Paul is coming along nicely too. It's current downtown population is over 15,000. There is also plenty of development going on, but not on the same scale as downtown Minneapolis.

[stp007]

I heard that Target has three sites picked out for downtown Saint Paul, and that a high-end grocery store was coming to downtown! Can anyone verify this?

[bobliocatt]

Wow, I never realized the downtown's of both cities had such a high number of people living in them. This metro would be the first place on my list to visit, if a girl I messed around with in college didn't live there.

[mpls]

I heard that Target has three sites picked out for downtown Saint Paul, and that a high-end grocery store was coming to downtown!  Can anyone verify this?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

regarding the high end grocer - i think you may be talking about a recent hines proposal for a state office building combined w/ retail and housing; this proposal was nixed.

as for the target, i'd be surprised - st. paul lacks the huge dt residential population of minne but, more importantly, it has half as many office workers.

[NorthStar]

regarding the high end grocer - i think you may be talking about a recent hines proposal for a state office building combined w/ retail and housing; this proposal was nixed.

as for the target, i'd be surprised - st. paul lacks the huge dt residential population of minne but, more importantly, it has half as many office workers.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, according to the latest issue of the Business Journal, Target is considering a downtown St. Paul store.

[mpls]

just saw it, definitely surprised.

this would be a huge boost for st paul, esp its ego!

[sushisimo]

I'm quite happy about the Whole Foods news, being I live extremely nearby. Tres convenient! The drawback is that it will take awhile to get there.

[sushisimo]

Oh, another thing about the Whole Foods/Luther location is that its technically in the North Loop neighborhood, which has an 8-story height restriction (something to think about if the mixed-used plans become large). The Eclipse, which is right across the street, isn't in that neighborhood, and thus can have the two rising towers.

[NorthStar]

8-story height restriction! That's crazy because the property is in a prime location. City officials have to loosen the restriction in order for quality development to take place.

[sushisimo]

8-story height restriction!  That's crazy because the property is in a prime location.  City officials have to loosen the restriction in order for quality development to take place.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, that particular street corner comprises the extreme lower corner of the neighborhood boundaries, which are created by Washington and Hennepin. That north (northeast-ish?) quadrant falls into North Loop, which I believe is trying to preserve the historical scale of the warehouses in the area.

[bluefansmc]

I'm just happy to see more grocers coming to downtown. I was THRILLED when the Target store opened, since it was just awful finding diapers when my rugrat was little - and Walgreen's overcharged. Target is reasonable on most foods but produce and fruit and such will be nice to find. Churchill Market does okay, but I sometimes wonder how fresh things are there.

As for the height, I just don't get it. If the Carlyle can go up high, what's the big deal?

[Taxman]

"As for the height, I just don't get it. If the Carlyle can go up high, what's the big deal?"

There is no height restriction on the Eclipse project across Washington. (setbacks are their problem)

From speaking with Peter Brown the Pres. of the board, Schaefer Richardson is looking at a 13 story building next to Basset Creek Lofts. I think there may be some HPC limitations as you get closer to the river and the shore overlay district but no blanket 8 story limit in the hood.