Amazing design proposals for Minneapolis River Front.

Minneapolis was treated to a look at possible futures last night at the Walker Art Center, as 4 teams of urban landscape designers presented their proposals.
They had each been paid $30,000 to compete against each other. For almost 3 hours the teams basically walked the audience through their PDF files. You can head over to www.minneapolisriverfrontdesigncompetition.com and download the proposals for yourself. You can also see videos there.

For as innovative, imaginative and down right cool as these proposals are, there are things to love and things not so desirable in each one. It would be great if the public could pick and choose elements from each one, instead of "choosing the winner". And frankly that is supposed to be decided today (and by who?) not really giving citizens much time at all to consider each proposed development.

I hope to create some GoogleEarth content from these PDF files, so please bookmark this page and visit again later. :)

Cool Video of Mini-Minneapolis

This is the intersection of Nicolette and 3rd. Check out our tiny little holiday town! haha. Toy trains and all.

Filmed with Canon SX130IS Creative Mode.

Metrodome Roof Collapse, Vikings Re-schedule game

Holy insanity! The Minneapolis Metrodome has been deflated!

VIEW IN GOOGLE EARTH

MINNEAPOLIS BLIZZARD OF DOOM!

Minneapolis has been obliterated by the blizzard of doom. None of us can open our doors or drive our cars.
3 foot snow drifts.

New media content for Stevens Square Center for the Arts.

I felt like contributing a new building model for a Minneapolis arts institution, the Stevens Square Center for the Arts.

After doing the exterior, Clarence and I went to see the exhibition. It was closing, so this is the last documentation done for the show "Off Center".
I think it turned out great. I like doing synths of art shows. It's always funny how I get false registrations from the gallery postcards due to the art reproductions. See if you can find the guest book and postcard as you explore.



Artists in this exhibition include:
Amber Janey
Edie Overturf
Kurt Hippauf
Matt Wells
Erik Farseth
J. M. Culver
Faye Buffington-Howell
Terrance Davis
Jesse Green
Will Dinski
Don Loegering
Barb Saunders
Joy Kim
Jon Raether

4 new models in Google Earth, include Ritz Theater

My latest batch of building models for Google earth, have been approved for prime time.

The artist destination 13th Avenue is looking great. Up until recently, I was the only person building models in this area. But I see some upcoming stuff from fellow model maker "Fitz66".

Also, look for another great bridge by Beryl. The Lake Street Bridge!


New buildings:


Ritz Theater.

Comcast Service Building.

High Praise Ministries.

Fruit Packing Warehouse.

Enjoyable Rail Yards

I've been meaning to create this photosynth. I finaly uploaded the photos and this is what turned out. Pretty neat I'd say. I made a quick video for those who are just cavemen (your world frightens and confuses me).

Minnesota experiences first winter storms of the season, record low pressure!

It's Tuesday night and all I can say, is at least we're not in North Dakota.
With an all time record low pressure system somehow manifesting, we (in Minnesota) are experiencing high winds and cold rain, while N.DAK is fully under BLIZZARD warning. They expect 8+ inches of snow in 55mph winds! Here in the Twin Cities we can expect cold sleet, while northern lakes area will get a good few inches of SNOW. Oh no!
The pictures tell the story folks. Time to bundle up! Rock those layers.









Meteorologists know this is an intense storm due to lowest central pressure of the low in Minnesota bottoming out in the neighborhood of 955-960 mb.

This is a storm stronger than the infamous "Edmund Fitzgerald" storm in Nov. 1975 and an even stronger version almost exactly 23 years after that in Nov. 1998.

In fact, its central pressure is now a record low pressure for a U.S. non-tropical land-based system! The central pressure not only beat the infamous Superstorm of 1993, but also nudged by the "Cleveland Superbomb of 1978"! Its pressure is also lower (stronger) than the last 4 hurricanes of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season.

Obama, Franken and friends visit Minneapolis

I've returned from the "Field House" where President Obama, Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, [and others] spoke in support of a Minnesota Governed by Mark Dayton. It was a Democratic love festival. I took lots of photos and a few videos. Suppose I'll post those in a minute.
In the intrest of this blog being more geo-locational then political, here's a screwed up visual on our U of M Field House.


And here is a photosynth of the interior of said "Field House". Just install the SilverLight plug in, if you haven't already. Most modern computer users have..



Interested in the content of his script? The UpTake has a great play by play blogged, here. And here is the replay,

Watch live streaming video from theuptake at livestream.com

The event was covered very well by the likes of;
ABC news.
New York Times.
LA Times.
Washington Post.
Minneapolis Star Tribune (with GREAT photos)
MPR
Fox News.
And MANY more.

I'd probably vote for Tom Horner, though, because Jesse Ventura endorsed him today. Peace.

End of political post.

Community Meeting to Save North High School / Abolish School Board

MINNEAPOLIS - The debate over a recommendation to close North Community High School in Minneapolis is about to get a little more heated. A community meeting on this action will start Monday night October 18 from 6:30-8:30 in the auditorium at North Community High School.

This is another chance for people to speak their minds publicly. The final decision is coming early November. Supporters of North High school have really rallied to save the Minneapolis institution.

The Minneapolis superintendent has announced her plans to phase out north over the next few years.

The district says it has to close North because there's hardly anybody left in it. Six years ago, enrollment was over 1,100 students. Today, there are just 265. That 75 percent decrease comes despite reform and recruitment efforts to try and draw in more families.

In addition, because of math, the cost to operate the school per student is nearly $4,000 compared to the Minneapolis high school average of $1,555 per student.

This comes at a time when The Minneapolis School District will spend almost $37 million for construction and design of a new Educational Service Center on the city's North Side!

An almost $10 million gap exists between what school board members approved in the spring and the larger amount they agreed to pay out in contracts!
The school board awarded a $35.6 million contract to Mortenson Development Inc. to build the new district headquarters at 1250 W. Broadway.



Board members also approved paying $1.26 million to UrbanWorks Architecture to design the facility, bringing the total cost to almost $37 million.

On the same night that school board members discussed plans to shut down North High School, the vote to relocate district headquarters drew jeers and boos from crowd members.



In defiance of Minneapolis' 2009 "Plan for Sustainable Growth", the plan calls for a vast 587-car surface parking lot next to its new suburban-style headquarters building planned for West Broadway. The lot would cover nearly two city blocks and requires demolishing an outstanding amount of currently existing buildings, including a historic Church. It would offer more than enough parking spaces for each of the system's 530 employees.

UPDATE:
The criminal actions of this school board have continued unabated, and the entire two block area has been demolished.

Profound Heartfelt Condolences for EYEDEA.

A Minneapolis / Saint Paul Artist died today.

As a rapper and lyricist, we may say “Eyedea”, whose real name was Michael Larsen, was a genius. He passed away this morning at the age of 29, just a month shy of his birthday, and with a performance scheduled for next week.

Eyedea was found by his mother. She posted the following statement on his Facebook page: ”It is with great pain and sadness that I tell you my son Mikey (Eyedea) has passed away. At this time we kindly request your respect and our privacy as we process this devastating loss. On behalf of Mikey’s family, close friends and fans, thank you.”

With a location listed as "Your Computer" a virtual memorial event has been set up by Kathy Averill, Eyedeas mother. Reading all the comments has been heart breaking. I've personally been overcome with emotions so many times over this. Everyone really loved and respected the guy. All are shocked. So many praises of his talent. And true, if you watch only one video (and you won't, you'll keep digging) you can determine his level of perspective is far beyond being simply talented. Eyedea was spitting miracles.


From one Minneapolis artist to another, live forever buddy. Thank you for existing. Rest In Paradise.

Diablo Cody Production Filming in Downtown Minneapolis

Charlize Theron stars in screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Jason Reitmans new production, "Young Adult", about a thritysomething, divorced, young-adult fiction writer who returns to her hometown in Minnesota to chase an ex-boyfriend.

The majority of the movie, which also stars Patton Oswalt and Patrick Wilson, will be shot in New York City this fall but first, they’ll be filming in Minneapolis.

Young Adult will be shooting in Minneapolis from Tuesday, 10.5 to Saturday 10.9!

Update:(10.5) they are filming in a Skyway downtown and on Friday (10.8), they are filming at Denny’s.

Update: Fancy Hollywood Crew spotted filming near Downtown Post office this evening (10.7).

Central Avenue Bridge in Google Earth, Preview!

Another completely wonderful work from artist Beryl Reid has been created. The 3rd avenue (Central ave, if you're from Northeast) bridge will soon be in Google Earths 3d buildings layer. But if you can't wait for Google to review it, you can load it manually from 3d warehouse.

FBI agents raid Peace Activists apartment above HardTimes Cafe.

Thats what happened.

TWINS WIN! American League Central Title is ours! + New Homer Hankies!

AWESOME! The Minnesota Twins are the 2010 ALC CHAMPIONS! And we set an all time season attendance record.



The Twins not only have the hottest ball park in the league now they have the hottest team in all of major league baseball. Fans say the victory, and Chicago's loss, early Wednesday morning is just the beginning of what they say is shaping up to be a magical season.



All News Stories courtesy Google News


New Homer Hankey Available here!

TARGET FIELD MODEL FOR GOOGLE EARTH

Invasion of the Naked Body Scanners

Now active at MSP Airport, 1 full body scanner.
If you are against this non-popular method of conditioning normal people into full submission to the TSA, to bad. Minneapolis/Saint Paul has just, for you, become a no-fly-zone.
The full body scanners are now being rolled out at our airport, despite opposition by a majority of civically minded folks.



http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=866609

Dog Park debate rages in MLK Park

While a corner of Martian Luther King Park may seem to be an ideal location for a new dog park in Minneapolis, many residents find the proposal insulting and racist. The debate has sparked passionate civic engagement, on both sides of the issue. Urban South Minneapolis could this amenity, but this location strikes a sensitive nerve.
Here is a birds eye look, perhaps from the perspective of a disembodied MLK Jr, checking in on our conduct, all these years later.







Star Tribune says "The discussion was generally calm, with numerous white speakers praising King, but saying they believed that he would have embraced a park that included a dog run. They said a dog park would increase park use, help pets socialize, and help diverse neighbors socialize as well."




Design image from Kingfield website.

Celebrating 50 Minneapolis models in Google Earth!

I have earned my Badge for 50 models in GE!

Here is my 50th addition to the Minneapolis GE skyline. The City of Lakes school in the historic Waldorf building on Nicollet ave.


Visit Google 3d Ware House!

I35w Settlement and new bridge model.

In the news today, a major settlement of 52 million dollars will be paid by URS, to the victim families of the 2007 I35W Bridge Collapse.

Recently, a model of the new bridge has finally made it into Google Earth. It's a very good model and raises the quality of our whole Google Minneapolis experience. Thanks to Beryl Reid, the creator of this model.

The Hexagon Bar in Minneapolis, MN

I'm going to start posting a few of the Minneapolis buildings I've created in Building Maker/ SketchUp, Google Earth. Here is the Hexagon Bar in south Minneapolis.

Click the picture to download or view it at Googles 3D warehouse!