A neighborhood group and the developer of an ambitious mixed-use redevelopment project in northeast Minneapolis met Wednesday for the second time to discuss one of the most challenging aspects of the project: how to design an urban bank building that doesn't look suburban.
Golden Valley-based M.A. Mortenson wants to build a 20- to 30-story tower with 200 to 300 market-rate apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail next to a one-story building that would replace an existing U.S. Bank branch.
When Mortenson first presented its plans for the half-block site, response to the tower portion was generally favorable.
Victor Grambsch, president of the Nicollet Island-East Bank Neighborhood Association (NIEBNA) and co-chair of the U.S. Bank/Mortenson Task Group (USMTG) said that in all major respects the the design meets the requirements of the group's Small Area Plan and will likely garner full NIEBNA support.
"It's perfectly in line with what our small area plan is all about," said Grambsch.
However, the initial plan for the U.S. Bank portion of the site, now surrounded by a parking lot at the corner of Fourth Street and First Avenues NE., had been more contentious.
Grambsch said the proposal looked too "suburban" and focuses too much on cars and is inappropriate for the site and the neighborhood.
"If they want parking, it should be disguised," he said.
On Wednesday, David Stahl, associate principal at the Cuningham Group, presented a revised plan that pushed the building to the corner of the lot, reduced the number of parking spaces and included more and bigger windows that would create a stronger connection between passersby on the sidewalk and people inside the bank.
Members of the task force said that they'd prefer to incorporate the bank into the tower portion of the project.
But David Wright, vice president of asset management for U.S. Bank, said that budgetary constraints made such a proposal impossible. And the modifications to the original plan, he said, will make it unique.
"This is one-of-a-kind design for the bank, and we will likely never use this design again," he said.
After a lively discussion that included bank officials and architects, members of the task force said they generally support the new plan, but decided to withhold their vote until they see plans for the tower at the next task force meeting on July 20.
"This is certainly better than their previous design," Grambsch said.
In addition to the bank, the site now also includes a Papa John's and a surface parking lot for bank customers.
The remaining portion of the block is home to Surdyk's Liquor and Cheese Shop and West Photo, which have anchored the block for several decades.
Jim Surdyk said that an upgrade to his building is unnecessary and that he has no plans to participate in the redevelopment.
The site is owned by U.S. Bank. Hennepin County tax records say the current market value for the property is $1.3 million plus $1 million for the land.
It's among several key parcels that have been in play on that side of the river, which has become a hotbed for developers.
The tower is the fourth proposed for the area.
Last week developer Bob Lux of Alatus paid almost $2 million for two parcels, including the Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home, signaling an intention to continue plans to develop the project, which is just a couple blocks from the U.S. Bank site. Lux said he plans to build a residential tower with up to 40 floors.
And earlier this year Lennar Corp. paid $13.7 million for the two-block Superior Plating site, which is across the street from the U.S. Bank site, where the company is about to begin construction of a two-phase development including a 20-story tower with 278 apartments and 22,000 square feet of commercial space.
The fourth proposal is from Minneapolis-based Schafer Richardson, which has partnered with the owners of the Nye's Polonaise Room. The team proposed incorporating two of the historic Nye's buildings into a 30-story tower with retail/commercial space on the lower floors. Though a NIEBNA committee gave an earlier proposal its approval, the group recently said that it had rescinded its approval of updated plans. The proposal has also met with some resistance from some members of the adjacent Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, who are concerned the tower isn't appropriate for the area and construction would cause significant damage to the 158-year-old historic structure.
As it has done with other significant developments in the area, NIEBNA formed its task force to represent the interests of the neighborhood, which is in the midst of a growth spurt and supports high-density projects that will increase the population of the neighborhood to support high-quality retail, but have elements that encourage people to walk and use public transportation.
Cameron Snyder, a spokesperson for Mortenson, stresses that the plans are still preliminary. In addition to its NIEBNA meetings, Mortenson has already met with city officials to discuss the project and potential pitfalls. The U.S. Bank site is outside the St. Anthony Falls Historic District and won't require any height variances.
Jim Buchta • 612-673-7376