Lourdes mobilizes against Nye's high-rise proposal

Above: The Rev. Dan Griffith addresses a crowd in the basement of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church.

Opponents of a plan to build a high-rise in place of Nye's Polonaise are getting organized.

More than 150 parishioners and neighbors gathered Thursday night for a fundraiser and meeting in the basement of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, adjacent to the planned 30-story apartment development. Prominent parishioners of the church, the oldest in Minneapolis, are seeking legal and architectural help to challenge the project.

"Many people have gotten the impression that this development is a done deal," the Rev. Dan Griffith told the packed room. "I think the turnout speaks otherwise."

Leaders of a church committee have two primary concerns: That the tower's height will dwarf the church and that construction activity will damage the 158-year old structure.

Above: Nye's Polonaise room, which will close later this year, and Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

"We're living in the oldest neighborhood in the city, the birthplace of the city. This church has been here since before statehood," said former Hennepin County Attorney Tom Johnson, a committee member. "And we're talking about putting a building alongside of it that will totally dwarf and make insignificant what this represents in the community."

Several people pointed to cables running across the ceiling of the basement, a relic of the $230,000 in repairs the building needed after the Riverplace garage was built. "Everybody look at that," said Michael Rainville. "Worse is going to happen if they're allowed to construct a 30-[floor] tower over there."

Dale Herron, who is leading the organizing effort for the church, urged people to contact the City Council and the mayor.

"The current proposal is being driven almost solely by a wish for density," Herron said. "We need to remind everybody in this city that such a drive is important, but it requires different solutions for different neighborhoods."

Above: A rendering of the proposal as seen from above the Mississippi River.

Several members of the opposition cited a maximum height guideline of just four stories for the area. Those guidelines are somewhat flexible, however, and several major towers already grace the riverfront.

Herron said they would welcome a development within the existing guidelines.

"We're not interested in leaving an empty parking lot and an old building there," Herron said. "We know there will be development. So we're actually going to try to help in getting what is allowable design."

The project also has local support, however. Following the recommendation of a special subcommittee, the Nicollet Island East Bank Neighborhood Association recently voted to support the development.

Board president Victor Gramsch said legally the church will be repaid for any repairs if there is any construction damage. "It's well established in construction law how to deal with these things," Gramsch said.

As for the size difference, Gramsch said there are plenty of examples around the world of churches next to larger buildings. A prominent one, not mentioned by Gramsch, is Trinity Church on Wall Street in New York City, which opened around the same time as Lourdes.