Minneapolis Skyline (Bloomington, Plymouth, Eagan: lease, home, buy)

[knke0402]

I have read multiple times about how great the Skyline in Minneapolis is. My opinion is that it is remarkable. There arent extremely tall high rises, but they all seem to compliment each other. One of the better skylines i have seen...

The tallest three:

IDS -57
226 South 6th-57
Wells Fargo - 56

Are there any chances of a new high rise? Something over 50 stories? Anyone know why there hasnt been a high rise over 50 stories built since 1992? I think Best Buy could have built 2 towers to accomodate its headquarters, but built a suburban campus instead.

[knke0402]

[Slig]

I think there is a new trend towards moving large corporation headquarters and offices back to the downtown area. This makes jobs more attractive because alot of people feel there is a certain level of prestige for having a job downtown. This should result in increased investment and possibly more skyscrapers being built downtown in the next couple decades. Personally I would love to take the lightrail downtown to work every day but unfortunately my office is located in Eagan....boo.

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by Slig

I think there is a new trend towards moving large corporation headquarters and offices back to the downtown area. This makes jobs more attractive because alot of people feel there is a certain level of prestige for having a job downtown. This should result in increased investment and possibly more skyscrapers being built downtown in the next couple decades. Personally I would love to take the lightrail downtown to work every day but unfortunately my office is located in Eagan....boo.

Very True.
I think that was the trend, as was housing much of the 1980s-1990s. Most corporations and large employers shifted out to the suburbs for cheaper more availible land. Thats why you see the Corporate Belt on 494 from Plymouth around to the Airport-all the huge places of employment.

This causes problems however, as the congestion is most prevelant in peripheral areas such as Edina, Eden Prairie, Bloomington-as everyone works there, and the fact that there is no more after work recreation. those who would work DT woudl catch a show or meal after work, and by that time, traffic would be dead enough for a quick ride home.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Slig

I think there is a new trend towards moving large corporation headquarters and offices back to the downtown area. This makes jobs more attractive because alot of people feel there is a certain level of prestige for having a job downtown. This should result in increased investment and possibly more skyscrapers being built downtown in the next couple decades. Personally I would love to take the lightrail downtown to work every day but unfortunately my office is located in Eagan....boo.

Many buildings have entire floors available for lease right now. 5 years ago space was much harder to find. The trend I see coming is the virtual office. With proper telecommunciations in place, it becomes much easier to work remotely. I could name you several companies with office space downtown that have moved forward with remote office pilots and have significant headcount working from home today.

I doubt you will see any big holes in the ground soon. Lot of nice rennovation projects in the last couple years though. Residential project have pretty much been put on hold as well.

Changes happen at a slow rate, so it is hard to get a true bead on which trends will last and which ones do not.

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by Clifford63

Many buildings have entire floors available for lease right now. 5 years ago space was much harder to find. The trend I see coming is the virtual office. With proper telecommunciations in place, it becomes much easier to work remotely. I could name you several companies with office space downtown that have moved forward with remote office pilots and have significant headcount working from home today.

I doubt you will see any big holes in the ground soon. Lot of nice rennovation projects in the last couple years though. Residential project have pretty much been put on hold as well.

Changes happen at a slow rate, so it is hard to get a true bead on which trends will last and which ones do not.

I second your opinion on virtual offices. I see it as a good and a bad. Good because it should be easier on people who need two income households; one might be able to work from home and thus forgo child care expense. Good also because it's probably more appealing to be able to work wherever you like versus having to report to the office each day/battle traffic/etc. However, the laziness battle is also exactly why I can see it being a negative if it's not handled well. Some people just can't be productive if they don't have the structure of a 'boss' or 'the office'. Nevertheless, it is the wave of the future.

I also agree with Clifford, more than likely the buildings downtown will be renovated for other purposes if they find themselves empty.

As for the skyline..it is nice. The buildings do compliment each other in that they're not really one big clump of a couple tall buildings but the skyline itself is a little spread out over the horizon.

When I hear "downtown" places like Chicago and NYC come to mind more than Mpls. Is it that they have been able to maintain their "downtown prestige" while we in MN are neglecting our downtown? (Having said that, I know that I personally do avoid downtown if I can. )

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by MNNative

I second your opinion on virtual offices. I see it as a good and a bad. Good because it should be easier on people who need two income households; one might be able to work from home and thus forgo child care expense. Good also because it's probably more appealing to be able to work wherever you like versus having to report to the office each day/battle traffic/etc. However, the laziness battle is also exactly why I can see it being a negative if it's not handled well. Some people just can't be productive if they don't have the structure of a 'boss' or 'the office'. Nevertheless, it is the wave of the future.

I also agree with Clifford, more than likely the buildings downtown will be renovated for other purposes if they find themselves empty.

As for the skyline..it is nice. The buildings do compliment each other in that they're not really one big clump of a couple tall buildings but the skyline itself is a little spread out over the horizon.

When I hear "downtown" places like Chicago and NYC come to mind more than Mpls. Is it that they have been able to maintain their "downtown prestige" while we in MN are neglecting our downtown? (Having said that, I know that I personally do avoid downtown if I can. )

I agree with everything besides MN neglecting the DT.
MPLS has one of the most bustling DTs in the Midwest.
Home to the Metrodome, Target Center, First Ave, HCMC, blah blah bla, Guthrie...the list goes on-Nicolete mall. DT MPLS is really nice and well kept. So what if it gets a little dead in the evening. Ever see it at 12 on a friday!?!! looks like manhattan

[Slig]

Just don't go downtown on a Sunday evening unless you wanna hear crickets chirp.

Also, about virtual offices. I can see those being feasible for some tasks and responsibilities but not others. At some point you're going to need to have a meeting where there is actual human interaction.

[Clifford63]

Originally Posted by Slig

Just don't go downtown on a Sunday evening unless you wanna hear crickets chirp.

Also, about virtual offices. I can see those being feasible for some tasks and responsibilities but not others. At some point you're going to need to have a meeting where there is actual human interaction.

What exactly is supposed to be happening downtown on a Sunday Night?

[MNNative]

Originally Posted by knke0402

I agree with everything besides MN neglecting the DT.
MPLS has one of the most bustling DTs in the Midwest.
Home to the Metrodome, Target Center, First Ave, HCMC, blah blah bla, Guthrie...the list goes on-Nicolete mall. DT MPLS is really nice and well kept. So what if it gets a little dead in the evening. Ever see it at 12 on a friday!?!! looks like manhattan

I agree, there's stuff to do downtown...I tend to think you have to be a certain type of person to hang out downtown every weekend...and maybe I'm just not that person. I mean, I'm a 24-year-old wife and mother of 2...clubbing and hanging out at the bar are not my thing...with the exception of an event or to eat at a particular restaurant that can only be found downtown, what am I going to do there?

(To clarify, I said earlier that I try to avoid downtown and mostly it's cause my husband and I both loathe driving downtown. I admit though, if I found out it was more kid-friendly than I think it to be, we might incorporate that into our weekends...but realistically...???)