Monday, July 09, 2007

Bob's Blog Hiatus

For many reasons, I gave this blog a long rest. Time to switch to other personal and professional goals. One goal completed was passing the Architects exam last summer, other goals I am still working on. Stay tune and I will post more of my past letters and ideas.

My old MNspeak blog Posting

3 Teams 2 Stadiums under 1 Movable roof
Posted April 9, 2007
Here is my idea to replace the Metrodome.

Wow, so many website hits with this posting, Do you remember that cold and snowy April?KARE even ran a story about a ball park roof .

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Minneapolis Armory

Here is the unedited letter that I sent into the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Published on July 9, 2007 as the letter of the day.

Built in 1936, this historical building occupies a full city block between 5th and 6th Street and Portland and 5th Ave. South. Since the National Guard vacated the building in 1983, this building has been searching for a new useful purpose. A hotel with an indoor golf course was once proposed. As proposed County Jail site, this would have leveled the Armory. Recently the current owners open up the building for parking. As one walks thought the old drill hall turned parking lot, a photo on the parking attendant’s hut displays what this space looked like when the Minneapolis Lakers played there. One can image the electricity that once filled the air within this space when the Lakers played championship basketball. It would great to bring that kind of excitement back to the Minneapolis Armory

In the past, the area located between the business core and the Metrodome, HCMC and the U of M was thought of as a real state advantage, but development did not move in. Today the Armory and Zygi Wilf’s new blocks of real estate are between popular new housing developments areas of Elliot Park and the Riverfront and adjacent to the popular Hiawatha light Rail line. The new Guthrie, Gold Medal Park and the Metrodome are among the Armory current cultural neighboring attractions.

A Winter Garden is a part of the Vikings new stadium vision; A glass lid over the existing Metrodome plaza and Kirby Puckett place. Meanwhile standing a block away on 5th Street is the under unitized Armory. With a bit of sprucing up, the old drill hall would make a wonderful and larger Winter Garden. The same kind of electricity that once filled the air with the Minneapolis Lakers can return with the Minnesota Vikings fans. Bands and vendors could fill up the Armory with pre game excitement while possibly trimming dollars off the Vikings stadium plans.

The Armory is just a few light rail whistle stops away to the ballpark site and Target Center. Just like with the Target Center’s design, a small building site limits the amount of internal assembly space with-in the proposed county ballpark. The Armory can serve as a pre-game and rain delay game assembly point for other sporting teams. An all weather enclosure would be great, dry warming or cooling house for all sports fans.

For off days, the well built Armory can be used for parking. But as more new residential building projects replace the parking lots, more people will be living downtown. The Armory could serve as a community gathering place. Neighborhood Farmers Market, festivals and other gatherings can reutilize this vast building.

Historical buildings like the Armory are not truly saved until it is a profitable building to the owners and an asset for the city. Let’s hope that there is a place for a revitalized Minneapolis Armory within Zygi Wilf’s real state and stadium vision.