The Minneapolis Art Institute Expansion
The Art institute Expansion lacks all human scale even though it adjoins a historic residential neighborhood. It smacks of the Corporate/Institutional Big Box averageness in a beautifully preserved Minneapolis neighborhood. This development is foreboding for many neighborhoods, in fact the city itself, for the reasons listed below. We need to not be railroaded down a process where there are questions and concerns. We deserve to have our concerns addressed and the impacts mitigated. 1. Product Placement This project is like Cheerios in a movie. Except it is our city and our neighborhood. There are already Target print ads selling Michael Graves sheets and spatulas with the tag line, �designed by the architect of the new Minneapolis Institute of Arts.� This is all especially relevant because of the �green light � approach thru all the various departments listed below. Why was this project so Fast Tracked when there are so many caution lights blinking? Did the influence and money of these institutional/corporate behemoths speed up this Fast Track? This project helps Target, no doubt. It helps their primary designer. How does this �soft money� help differ from the �hard money� given on the 11th and Nicollet project? Or is it startlingly similar? We�ve already allowed them to call our parkland �Target Park�. A plaque in our park declares it so. The last mayor and council attempted to get his �scaffolding� put in our neighboring park. Please read on for the next six reasons on why this Big Box is not ready for our human scale neighborhood. 2. Process There have been no public hearings specifically for this issue with the impacted communities. NONE. Of the four meetings they claim credit for, the 1st Transportation and Land Use Planning meeting by the Whittier Alliance, this project was not listed on any public notice. Plans were not passed out. A site plan was presented as �preliminary� and the project was described as within all codes. Omitted was any discussion of the PUD, Conditional Use Permit or variances. The 2nd meeting was at the Business Association meeting - the residences weren�t notified. The 3rd meeting, TLUP again, was publicized though there was no mention on the notification to the neighbors about the PUD, CUP or variance required. Not all the neighbors even received a post-card notice. Discussion was ended after about 5 minutes with the caveat that there would be � ample time for further questions at other events.� No other valid opportunity has been presented. The 4th meeting was a Whittier Board meeting, no local notification of the agenda. Some neighbors who knew about the meeting called to find out if they could come and speak, they were told they could attend, but that no questions would be allowed. (Questions were allowed, after all. Traditionally, questions from the public are not allowed at Whittier Board meetings.) That�s it, no open public hearings where dialog was fostered. Ten minutes of contained Q & A for a forty million dollar project. 3. Planning Department The proposed expansion would step-upon the Minneapolis Plan in at least three areas. 1.) �Concentrate the greatest density and height in the interior of institutional campuses.� 2.) �Develop building forms on the edges of institutional property which are most reflective of neighboring properties.� Lastly, The Minneapolis Plan talks about new structures minimizing shadows on adjacent areas. (Even in this PUD, the building is as close as possible to the single�family homes as allowed.) All three of these are egregiously discarded in this development. �Vital, healthy institutions bring tremendous stability and presence to any city neighborhood. Balancing the need for expansion with the scale and character of pedestrian street level activity is a critical issue for both the livability of city neighborhoods surrounding institutions and the continued success of these organizations.� There is no balance in the current plan. If the City will not listen to it�s own plan for the big developments, when will they? 4. Zoning Department This proposed 117,000 square foot building is requesting a Zero parking requirement. Zero. Incredulously, they are saying this expansion will require Zero new employees and 10-20% new guests. And actually the placement of their new structure eliminates 66 existing spaces. Net parking loss�66spaces-- for a 117,000 square foot building across the street from a residential neighborhood. (Their Traffic and Parking plans have not been presented to any neighborhood meeting. And the neighborhood organization approvals that have been given are contingent on approval of these plans.) The required parking after their expansion is 1700 spaces; they will have 625, some of those shared with The Children�s Theatre. This is a variance of 1075. If you take out the CTC�s required 238 spaces, The Institute has only 387 of their 1700. This is only 23% of their parking requirement. And yet their new building�a 40% increase in square footage�actually eliminates current parking while adding none. This is reason alone for pausing on this project. They will likely have to build a parking facility (ramp) in the future, according to their own Parking Study Report. Should this not be part of the discussion now, since if the expansion is built, the ramp will be a forgone and necessary addition, a formality. Isn�t that the point of having the parking issues dealt with before the building is built, before the Conditional Use Permit is issued. The Zoning Department is also recommending a variance for the Loading Docks. The code limits curb cuts to 25 feet; theirs will be over 90 feet. That means from street to building we will have hard surface 90 feet long by 25 feet deep�zero green space. We can do better. 5. Public Works and Transportation Public Works approved the loading dock design although the trucks can not back up from the street on one turn, and the space is so tight the MIA has been given a waiver to snowplow Stevens Avenue in order to maintain access. 6. Planned Unit Development In order to approve the Planned Unit Development, the city must find � The appearance and compatibility of individual buildings and parking areas in the proposed planned unit development to other site elements and to surrounding development, included but not limited to building scale and massing, microclimate effects of the development, and protection of views and corridors.� This is the City code for a PUD. 7. Licensing The proposed section at the South end of their proposed expansion is a �Reception� hall. Currently, most of their public galas occur deep in their building with parking in the appropriate 3rd Avenue ramp or the beautiful entrance on 24th street is used�far from the sleeping citizenry. Now, their �receptions� will be 18 feet from the sidewalk across the street from private homes. Their current alcohol licenses �transfer� to this new facility with completely different environs. What will the hours be for alcohol consumption at these events? Any food required? Cash bar or free? Their patrons� cars will be outside our homes. A bare minimum of �Conditions� on their Conditional Use Permit seems in order. In Whittier, many hours of open public debate and many conditions would be established for a small taqueria to serve 3.2 beer with dinner on a commercial street like Nicollet. In the Planning Department Report for this project, their hours of operation in an OR3 district are 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday thru Thursday, and 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Yet this Saturday the 28th of September, the Institute is having a �Sublime Party� from 9:00p.m. to 2:00a.m. How often will their parties end at this hour when their �reception� room is on our doorstep. Are there no reasonable limits to their festivities? What �Conditions� are appropriate ? Thank-you for your time. More questions and concerns and further explication of these complicated issues are on the way. The Yellow light of Caution needs to be turned on. Working together, we can do better. _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
