Transcript Redevelopment Planning

Geography of the Twin Cities
Development
Part 9: Redevelopment Planning
David A. Lanegran
Geography Department
Macalester College
A 1964 view of the Metropolitan
building, formerly the Guarantee Loan
Building, in downtown Minneapolis.
This building was torn down to make
way for new development. Its
destruction was a significant event in
the planning and redevelopment of
Minneapolis. The new plans had no
place for historic preservation. The
modern schools of architecture and
planning were uncontested for three
decades between the end of World
War II and the mid-1970s. However,
the destruction of the Metropolitan
Building was such a dramatic event
that the preservationists began to
organize to save other monuments.
The planning debates of the 1960s centered on finding a
compromise between maintaining the property values and
tax base of the city centers and the strong pull of suburban
development which was fueled by lifestyle preferences of
the population. The result was this general model called
the Constellation City Model. Some humorists have called
it "Dayton's Plan for the City" because it called for
shopping malls in the suburbs that were being developed
by Dayton's Property Division. The various centers were to
be linked by transportation corridors. A close examination
of this map shows that the planners of the 1960s thought
the city would grow much faster than it actually did; this
miscalculation can also be found in the 1917 plan for the
city. However, the metro area in 2004 will look similar to
this plan for 1984. A major component of the plan was the
creation of a large regional park at the edge of the Metro
Area. These parks were developed in the same spirit that
produced the Minneapolis Parks. The open space was
secured well in advance of the population growth.
Plan of shops in Southdale Mall. In many respects, the
Constellation City Plan was an attempt to catch up with what
property developers had already created. The concept for the
enclosed, climate controlled shopping mall came from
commercial designers working for profit-making corporations
rather than planners working for the common good.
The Cedar Riverside Associates, a group of investors associated with the University of Minnesota,
worked with the City of Minneapolis HRA to develop a "New Town In Town" adjacent to the West Bank
Campus of the University of Minnesota. Designed by the head of the U of M Architecture school, Ralph
Rapson, the design was quintessentially modern, with direct links to the new towns of Northern Europe.
Developed in the mid 1960s as an effort to transform the area of the city with the most dilapidated
properties and lowest land values, Cedar Riverside was to be a multi-cultural, mixed income, vibrant
community that would be an exciting alternative to the suburbs. However, the project was begun at the
wrong time and in the wrong place. In 1967 the student protests against central authority began in Paris
and spread throughout Europe and North America. The West Bank became the counter culture's home
base in Minnesota. The centralized modern design of Cedar Riverside was unacceptable to this
population, and through a series of court actions, it brought the corporation into bankruptcy. The result
has been low income households living in high-rise towers, attracting crime and violence.
The counter culture in the 1970s continued to
claim the fringe of the University Campus, and a
few entrepreneurs moved there to market the
ambiance. Gradually the university expanded
and other developers built smaller housing
projects. But the dream of an exciting mixed
community was never realized.
The use of murals to define communities and express hopes for the future
was wide spread in the 1970s. Public art became a topic of community
interest and eventually city governments passed requirements for art to be
included in all large construction projects.
The river valley was a target for planners in the 1970s. The
biggest dream was to transform the Pig's Eye Lake area and make
the marsh and shallow lake into a major river port and recreational
area. Some development had occurred along the east bank of the
river and the water treatment facility had been surrounded by a
flood wall. The plan (on next slide) was quite controversial.
This rather unusual plan called for
the development of a heavy
industrial area on each end of
Pigs Eye Lake and the creation of
a large recreation area in the
middle, very close to the sewage
treatment plant. In the end an
environmental group called the
"Pig's Eye Coalition" argued that
the heron rockery on the lake had
to be preserved and the
development should not go
forward. Other skeptics wondered
about the viability of a plan that
called for picnic grounds and
campsites so close to the
treatment facility. The failure of the
plan was the beginning of a trend
toward the re-evaluation of
riverfront property.
Model of Pig's Eye Development
The future of the old streetcar commercial streets was in doubt all throughout the final
decades of the 20th century. They were difficult to redevelop. Some contained
interesting old buildings that were under-utilized and provided very low cost housing;
however, the old buildings were not earning enough money to pay for major repairs they
needed, and many feared deterioration would make them un-savable. The Fort
Road/West Seven Federation, a local resident and business organization, became
active and succeeded in getting a grant from the Federal Government via the City of St.
Paul to redevelop the communities and businesses in the area.
The plans for West Seventh involved a variety of
programs that made the first floor commercial space
oriented toward restaurants and shops, and the upper
floors were converted to market rate housing or offices.
The great development programs of the 1960s and 1970s involved the
freeways. This is a view of I35W as it goes south from the center of
Minneapolis. The freeway designers were careful to wind the route
between the Minneapolis Art Institute complex and the Honeywell
corporation. In a sense, this freeway is the modern version of the
boulevard called for in the 1917 plan The freeway encouraged residential
development in the southern suburbs.
Sibley Plaza shopping center. This was one of the first attempts
to bring ideas from suburban communities into the older
sections of the city. The concept is quite simple: just develop
auto oriented low-rise shopping centers in older neighborhoods
and ignore the pre-existing landscape!
This map of population and projected population prepared by the Metro Council was intended to illustrate
the rapid growth of employment in the beltline. Some of the development did not occur because 3M moved
divisions to Austin Texas rather than build a new campus on Highway 5 in Oakdale.
Tommy Thompson, the city administrator of Minneapolis, the planning department,
and the downtown business community determined that the CBD could be greatly
strengthened by connecting the Mall with the Lake District by a new development
along the newly created Greenway. This bold move was costly and nearly caused
the city to over-extend its borrowing capacity. However, the development has been
very successful.
The IDS Tower was finished in 1970 and served
as the new symbol for Minneapolis. It was
significantly taller than the existing skyline and
was a statement about the future of the city. This
slide shows the City Center building under
construction and the West Bank of the falls before
any redevelopment occurred.
Although the 1964 plan for Minneapolis called for the building of many three-story
apartment buildings in the older neighborhoods, there was one development at
Franklin and Milwaukee Avenue that went against the trend. The Milwaukee Avenue
Project involved historic preservation and reconstruction of smaller houses.
The houses on Milwaukee Avenue were originally
built for railroad workers, but with the use of large
subsidies, the houses were transformed into space
for middle- and upper middle-income households who
wanted an alternative to suburban development.
The new model neighborhood de-emphasized the automobile and made the focus
on the neighborhood and the intensively-landscaped pedestrian way.
Upper income town-house communities were also built
near Loring Park as another option for in-town living.
The county government became
involved in the redevelopment of
downtown in a very direct way.
After a great deal of
consideration, the new county
courthouse was built in two
blocks adjacent to the old
building. It is interesting to note
that the old building occupied
the entire block while the new
building spans a street and is
surrounded by open space. Also
visible are the blocks of surface
parking that were created by the
clearance programs. The sharp
contrast between tall buildings
and surface parking indicate an
unusual land market at the time.
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metro Dome.
The city planners were eager to have
professional sports come into downtown
and expected a boom in land use
around the dome.
The East Bank of the Falls district was viewed as a great opportunity
for the development of a festival market and new residential
community. There had been an earlier attempt to redevelop the area
away from the river for middle income households and for students
attending the University of Minnesota.
The plan for the East
Bank called for the
restoration and re-use of
the oldest buildings (the
limestone structure on
the left) and warehouses
(the brick building on the
right), as well as new
construction of mid- to
high-rise residential
structures and parking
ramps. The mixture of
new and old was
thought to be a
combination that would
attract shoppers,
seekers of
entertainment, and
people interested in
distinctive
neighborhoods.
Due to the historic nature of this site, the developers faced several hurdles;
one was to relocate this building which had served as a livery stable. The
building was moved to a nearby site to make way for high-rise residential
units.
The Gateway renewal area was eventually redeveloped but with high rise residential structures.
Both apartment blocks and condominium towers were built. This development resulted from new
ideas about the future of city centers. Commercial land use was not expected to continually
expand out from the most accessible location. Instead the old commercial areas were redefined
as residential areas. These new neighborhoods grew very rapidly.
View of residential tower in
gateway redevelopment
area. The new structures
offered spectacular views of
the downtown and riverfront
and created a new
neighborhood for young
professionals and emptynesters.
This scene shows the building know as City Center under
construction. The building was the last modern style building
in downtown. Produced by Oxford Development Corporation
from Toronto, the building proved to be very efficient, but its
design failed to spark much enthusiasm.
On of the great innovations of the Minneapolis plan was the
redevelopment of the warehouse district. The great Butler
Building became the showpiece of the early efforts to
revitalize this area as an entertainment district for the entire
metro area. Thus, while the old red light and cheap bar
entertainment districts were left alone, Hennepin was the
victim of urban renewal a new up-scale entertainment
district was developed on First Avenue.
The Butler Brothers Wholesale Hardware Company built this building to
solidify their hold on the businesses of the upper Midwest. The redevelopers
gutted the building and exposed the fantastic timber frame. The space was
opened and offices created in the upper floors; restaurants and shops
occupied the lower levels. Butler Square was to be the anchor for the
redevelopment of the entertainment district.
The new spaces made possible some creative designs
such as these interior window boxes.
This air view of downtown St. Paul indicates both the strengths and
weaknesses of the location. The freeway had successfully cut the downtown
off from inner neighborhoods and the capital campus. In addition, the old
street pattern had been preserved; however, the picturesque views of the
river had not been maximized. This low-rise core attracted a great deal of
investment and renewal programs during the three decades from the mid1960s to the end of the century.
This view shows us the
"opportunity" of downtown St.
Paul. The St. Paul Companies
would eventual build new
office headquarters on the
surface parking on the other
side of Landmark Center. In
the process, a new exterior
would be applied to the old
headquarters and the
wondrous 1960s blue would
be lost. This area still has not
been developed to its
potential.
Galtier Plaza under construction.
This effort to develop a new
commercial and residential
community in Lower Town was
made possible by visions of city
centers based on the experience
of Minneapolis and cities further
east. However, the building plan
was too large for this particular
site, and the mall that was built did
not attract shoppers to this old
warehouse district. The building
eventually changed hands for ten
cents on the dollar. The retail
space has been replaced with
offices, though the residential
portion has always been popular.
Smith Park was renamed Meers Park, and it was the initial
booster of Lower Town. A hard edge urban surface was installed
in the park that was thought to be a great match for the new high
rise structures. The park has since been rebuilt.
In some cases, the building of office blocks in the suburbs
seems to defy the logic of land markets. These buildings are
really not designed to maximize income on small blocks of
land, but rather to be symbols surrounded by parking lots.
The freeway strips, or edge cities, are developing a
multiplicity of services and closely resemble the historic
downtown. In addition to shopping and office facilities, hotels
and entertainment complexes have been built in edge cities.
In an effort to revitalize downtown St.
Paul, the administration of Mayor
George Latimer worked with the
State Government, then lead by
Governor Rudy Perpich, to establish
a World Trade Center in Downtown
St. Paul. The site selected was a lot
that had been cleared for urban
development but remained vacant for
a decade. The general plan was to
use this World Trade Corporation to
promote new trade connections
between Minnesota businesses and
organizations around the world. The
building was expected to house a
variety of corporations engaged in
trade and other services. This is an
excellent example of how local
governments worked to stimulate
economic development in
downtowns by finding new functions.
This is the base of the World Trade
Center under construction. The sign
indicates the change in land value.
Land that was used for a surface
parking lot was converted to a firstclass office high rise.
This view down Fifth Street shows
two other public-private efforts
intended to save the downtown and
find new functions as the traditional
downtown functions moved to
suburban malls. The Ordway Music
Theater on the right was developed
primarily by private funds. It reflects
the trend toward making
downtowns entertainment and
cultural centers instead of retailing
and business centers. In the
background, the building known as
Landmark Towers can be seen.
This structure was built by the St.
Paul Port Authority to lease to
American Hoist and Derrick or Am
Hoist. Am Hoist wanted a corporate
headquarters but could not afford
to build a signature building. After
leasing space for a while, the
company moved to Denver. This
building has continued to provide
space to both corporate tenants
and residential units on the highest
floors.
Ordway music theater
The St Paul Union Depot has attracted a variety of developers. The
massive façade and interior impress visitors but provide somewhat
inflexible spaces. Presently, restaurants occupy the main hall. The
concourses, or waiting areas, have been used from time to time to
house special exhibitions but have no permanent tenant.
Commercial
redevelopment and
gentrification displaced
many low income
workers from affordable
housing in downtown.
This building was
remodeled to provide a
type of apartment
known as "single room
occupancy."
The restoration of Landmark Center was the spark needed to begin
the revitalization of the Rice Park District. However, the commercial
power in this part of the city is the St. Paul Companies (The St.
Paul) world headquarters. This corporation, together with the
Minnesota Mutual Insurance Company and Lawson Software,
dominate both the skyline and the business culture.
In order to maintain the
accessibility of downtown, the
city government worked with
the Minnesota Highway
Department to create a new
exit from east-bound I-94 that
allows for a an easy entry into
the western side of downtown.
This is an example of people
changing the relative location
of a place to make it
competitive in a new
transportation or technologic
era.
The Falls of St. Anthony. The old industrial functions of the river banks at the
falls have diminished and the site is being redeveloped as an entertainment and
residential district. The history and spectacular landscape attracts visitors from
far and wide. The old Stone Arch Bridge has been converted to a pedestrian
route and provides extraordinary views of the Falls and the old milling district.
The view of the Minneapolis Central Business District (CBD) from
the east bank of the river gives an impression of a "work in
progress." The Minneapolis City Government and the downtown
business community have worked hard to create a critical mass
of buildings and supportive institutions to attract and maintain
corporate headquarters in the historic core.
Another view of the redevelopment of downtown Minneapolis
The downtown plan for Minneapolis
called for several key features. It
was to become a "high-rise
downtown" with distinctive
buildings. A large convention
center and hotel complex would be
built. Freeways would bring
workers and visitors into a series of
large parking ramps on the fringe
of the CBD. Skyways would be
used to create a pedestrian district
within the downtown.
The Loring Greenway provided a spine for the development of new condominiums
and apartments near the fringe of downtown. This was done in response to the idea
of creating a new neighborhood in the city center. In many ways, this was a rejection
of the older models of urban change which called for only low income households
close to the city core. Some argued that high income households would not move
into these buildings because of the Minnesotan taste for lakes and suburbs. The naysayers were proven wrong; this area provides enormous vitality to the city.
The creation of a new neighborhood in the city core did not slow down the rate of
urban expansion. A variety of communities were built on the fringe. In addition to large
single-family houses on large lots, small homes were built as well as apartments, quad
homes and other higher density buildings. These quad homes are in West Bloomington
This building, named Edinburgh, represents another
style of development. In response to the dictates of
winter-city design, this building was constructed to
combine residential buildings, an office tower, and a
park, thereby limiting the needs to move outside the
structure during inclement weather.
The increased accessibility of the freeway created new phenomenon sometimes referred
to as "edge cities." The office functions that were concentrated in the city center during the
streetcar and early automobile eras moved to freeway intersections. Here the corporations
could attract workers from the growing suburbs and build signature buildings that could be
seen by thousands of highway commuters each day.
This is the development of Anderson Lakes, the last open land along
the south belt way (near Southdale). The area was used as a gravel
pit to building the many structures of the southwest sector of the
metro area. Finally it became too valuable to leave undeveloped.
Another view of the suburban development process near Southdale