NorthStar

According to the Associated Press, Minnesota will get $3.5 billion in federal transportation money. The state will receive more than $400 million for statewide transit projects over the next five years. The bill includes: *$80 million for the Northstar Commuter Rail project, which will connect downtown Minneapolis and St. Cloud. *$50 million for converting the St. Paul Union Depot into a new transportation hub. *25 million specifically for bike and pedestrian trails in the Twin Cities. one of only four areas of the country to get this special funding. The article lists other major projects funded in the transportation bill. Projects include: -$50 million for lane construction on Highway 53 between Virginia and International Falls. -More than $20 million to improve safety on Highway 169 from Virginia to Ely/Winton; -$17 million for Phase III construction of Highway 610/10; -$13 million for the St. Croix River Crossing; -$13 million for the Lyndale Avenue Bridge in the Twin Cities; -$9.8 million for construction of a bus rapid lane on Cedar Avenue Highway in Dakota County; -$9.66 million in Lake County: for reconstruction of Highway 61 from Split Rock River to Silver Bay in Lake County and construction of a Gitchi-Gami Spur Trail between main trail and Silver Bay Marina along Highway 61; -$9.5 million to purchase buses and bus facilities for the Metro Transit bus service; -$8.8 million for construction of Eighth Street north of St. Cloud; -$7.2 million for construction of an interchange at Highway 65 and Highway 242 in Blaine; -$7.1 million for construction of the Highway 23 bypass of Paynesville

Future Transit Projects: The Central Corridor

Here's the status of several projects throughout Minneapolis. I'm certain there's more development going on, but I don't have the time to look into everything. Continue to add information about projects as you find them. Under Construction Name - - Buildings - - Stories - - Units -The Carlyle - - 1 - - 39 - - 255 -Grant Park - - 1 - - 27 - - 318 *Tower is completed, but town homes are still under construction. -The Falls & the Pinnacle - - 2 - - 19 & 28 - - 257 (conversion) -RiverWest - - 1 - - 18 - - 410 (conversion) -1016 Marquette - - 1 - - 10 - - 8 -The Lofts at IMS - - 1 - - 10 - - 97 -720 Lofts - - 1 - - 8 - - 99 -Bookman Stacks - - 1 - - 8 - - 45 -The Sexton - - 2 - - 7 - - 141 -The Groveland - - 1 - - 7 - - 132 -5th Avenue Lofts - - 1 - - 4 & 7 - - 138 Construction Starts Soon Name - - Buildings - - Stories - - Units -The Nicollet - - 1 - - 54 - - 341 -Skyscape - - 1 - - 27 - - 252 -Ivy Hotel & Residence - - 3 - - 24 - - 88 -Fifth Avenue Gateway - - 1 - - 20 - - 138 -Phoenix on the River - - 1 - - 5 & 17 - - 70 -Cobalt - - 1 - - 10 - - 96 - - will include a new, Lunds grocery store -Flour Sack Flats Phase 1 - - 1 - - 6 - - 45 -Flour Sack Flats - - 1 - - 5 - - 58 -Mill Trace Condominiums - - 1 - - 4 - - 50 Has City Approvals Name - - Buildings - - Stories - - Units -Pillsbury

All I know is that it's on hold. The location is perfect being it would be located at 5th and Nicollet; right next to the light rail. I would like to see a mixed-use tower rise there. Maybe condos and a hotel or condos and office. Anyway, here are a couple renderings:

Target is planning a downtown store near the Xcel arena. The site is known as Cleveland Circle, the site of the Ice Palace during the 2004 Winter Carnival. This would be a great addition to all the new development taking place in downtown St. Paul and I'm sure the 7,000+ downtown residents would love to have the store within walking distance.

Metro Transit has released 1st-year figures for the Hiawatha Line and they have beat predicted ridership numbers by 61 percent!!! Here are some other figures: *6 million estimated through June *Average ridership from January through May: -Weekdays 19,700 -Saturdays 17,600 -Sundays 10,400 *Metrodome events: Nearly 1 million riders took trains to Twins, Vikings and Gophers games and other special events downtown. *Fare evaders -Ticketed: 2,460. -Warned: 4,672.

Light rail photos:

Metro Transit is the largest operator of bus service in the seven-county region. The service has includes: *875 buses, including 140 articulated buses *130 routes, *Hiawatha Line light rail corridor. The transit system is reportedly the 18th largest in the country, with roughly 200,000 rides provided each weekday. SouthWest Metro Transit Commission (SMTC) has a fleet of more than 50 buses and offers service to Downtown and Uptown Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, along I-494 to Normandale Lakes Office Park and Normandale Community College, as well as local service in Chanhassen, Chaska, and Eden Prairie. The Minnesota Valley Transit Authority (MVTA) operates in five suburbs south of Minneapolis and St. Paul: Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, and Rosemount in Dakota County, and Savage in Scott County. Hiawatha Light Rail Transit The Hiawatha Line is a 12 mile corridor connecting downtown Minneapolis to the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. Groundbreaking for the line took place on January 17, 2001. Regular service began on a first phase of the line on June 26, 2004, with the second phase opening later that year on December 4

I had renderings posted, but they were no longer showing up. Here are some:

According to several news sources, the U.S. Postal Service is moving its downtown St. Paul operations to Eagan. I think this is a good move because it will free up the 12-acre riverfront area. Plans for the site include condos and a transit hub at the old St. Paul Depot train station across the street.

Are you not from Minneapolis?

Yeah all this new housing is horrible for Minneapolis. It should all go to the suburbs. Then you would really have to be concerned about the environment. Face it, people want to live in or near downtown just as you do so, stop being a hypocrite.

Sunday's Star Tribune released a map that includes images and locations of all the new towers under construction or about to start construction in downtown Minneapolis. I noticed that some of the details are wrong. For example, the Nicollet will be 53 stories, the location of some of these projects are mixed, and the paper didn't include the Grant Park tower, which is still under construction. Whatever the case, nine high-rise towers, all over 20 stories, isn't bad. Stephenapolis over at TwinCityScape scanned the map.

The Bridges of St. Paul is a $1.5 billion project on the city's 32 acre West Side Flats. Plans include: *1,122 residential units *2 25-story residential towers *30-story hotel *Gourmet marketplace *12-theater cinema *indoor conservatories *marina *fountains *rooftop gardens *more than 50 shops and a *cultural facility "dedicated to the joy of life and being human." *Units will range from about $170,000 to $1.5 million and from 700 square feet to more than 3,000.

^ Thanks for the update.