nickmgray

glad to see this under way. It's been a long time coming. Anyone know what the projected completion date is? I'd imagine we will watch this go up for a few years.

As a former member of twincityscape.com it makes me kinda sad to see that everryone has scattered in different directions. I'd like to see the same rate of discussion in this forum as there was there. Everyone want to create theri own thing it seems and in my opinion, it is just reducing the quality of content shared. It's not about the place, more about the people and information.

I agree that the added population to the core of the city will make a significant change. The new residents will need added amenities which include late night eating, entertainment, and shopping. I would not be surprised to see a few convenience stores open up that offer 24 hour service. This will draw more people out to the streets when they know there is actually something they can get to after 7:00 PM.

I was in S.F. this past week for business and had to ride the BART a few times. The BAR offers a lot more than our Lite Rail does, but the sports are all just slabs of cement with no decoration and the trains are the original trail installed when the system was started. Though I don't think we have the best transport system ever, it feels a lot nicer and safer than BART (Bay Area Rail Transit)

Theatre, Hotel, Book Store, across frmo the stadium... Kinda sounds familiar I hope it does not turn into "Block E St. Paul" It's nice to have all these amenities, but spread them out over a few city blocks so that it doesnt just become a place to congregate! The site could hold so much more. Add on another 40 floor condo tower and it might be a little more appealing.

Please don't get me wrong. I lived in Rome for 10 years and know what its like. They have a city wide ordinance that allows 12 story buildings to be the tallest and only 8 in the downtown area (mainly so that the church domes and spires dominate the skyline). You have to remember though that the main industries in Paris and Rome is tourism. Here our industry is corporate business. Sprawl does not help this as it consumes a lot of land space without maximizing potential usage. If St. Paul was more of a tourist attraction, I

The thought of covering the freeway never crossed my mind. Could be a feasable option, but in my opinion, it'll never happen. They've spent too much money on it to make it look as good as it does (much nicer an anything going through Minneapolis).

With all the development going on in MInneapolis and St. Paul, I find it a little disappointing that St. Paul approved the current riverfront projects that are being contructed or that have just been completed. I believe the last thing that the city needed was more townhomes and lowrise apartment buildings. St. Paul has a great opportunity to really build up it's riverfront, but missed it's only opportunity. It'll be half a century till they get a chance to tear it down and do it over. The city have no more room in its downtown core left to grow now and is going to have to expand by tearing up occupied housing blocks to the south.

Just read the The Eclipse on Hennepin just passed the environmental assesment and now is going to try to get city approval. This will be a great adition to the city sky line, coming in over the river. you can read the whole article here http://www.skywaynews.net/articles/2005/08...news/news05.txt