18 Million Dollar Development Downtown

[duluthbison]

Just announced today, the site of the former Lark Theatre and Cinema Grill which have been demolished will be made into a 18 million dollar complex with the top 4 floors as housing for NDSU Students.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...TOKEN=93994722

[roadwarrior]

Construction has been going on for over a month already. The building will be a huge change for that block.

[duluthbison]

Construction has been going on for over a month already. The building will be a huge change for that block.

Ya I've noticed but have always wondered what will be going in its place. But between the Niskanen addition and the Downtown development, NDSU shouldn't have to worry about housing for some time.

[90BISON]

Ya I've noticed but have always wondered what will be going in its place. But between the Niskanen addition and the Downtown development, NDSU shouldn't have to worry about housing for some time.

I'm pretty sure somebody made a statement like that when they built the last high rise and used to have the Graver in downtown. How'd that turn out?

[bisonmike2]

So does this mean they will actually have to take down that sign that read "Coming in Fall 2005 - Cityscape Center"?

[duluthbison]

I'm pretty sure somebody made a statement like that when they built the last high rise and used to have the Graver in downtown. How'd that turn out?

Good point, but that was 20 years ago and 5,000 less students. I think that this will solve the current housing problem but they need more room so they aren't always scrambling to find beds for freshman. If Chapman gets his way and has 16,000+ here by time I graduate in 2012 (*i think) we are going to need many more academic buildings and more dorms. Besides, with the new developments combined, doesn't NDSU have roughly room for 950 more students?

[roadwarrior]

So does this mean they will actually have to take down that sign that read "Coming in Fall 2005 - Cityscape Center"?

Actually, I think that sign bit the dust already!

[90BISON]

Good point, but that was 20 years ago and 5,000 less students. I think that this will solve the current housing problem but they need more room so they aren't always scrambling to find beds for freshman. If Chapman gets his way and has 16,000+ here by time I graduate in 2012 (*i think) we are going to need many more academic buildings and more dorms. Besides, with the new developments combined, doesn't NDSU have roughly room for 950 more students?

You just made my point. As long as NDSU plans to keep growing, the building and expansion can never stop. If you're adding 500 new students every year, that in itself is a new dormitory every year.

[Hammersmith]

By the time the two projects open up, they will be near capacity. This year, over 400 students were placed in hotels, and 260 were still living there in mid-October. The 220 student Cityscapes project won't even cover the October number and the 800 student Niskanen project won't be ready until fall 2010. If freshmen and grad student growth is anything close to what it was this year, NDSU will be putting students back in hotels by 2011 or 2012. It won't be too long before every residence hall in the campus proper will be freshmen-only, save Bison Court.

As for the Cityscapes project, I can't say I'm thrilled with the look of the design. I hope it will be one of those designs that looks better built than on paper. The ground floor retail could rock if they get the right businesses. This could be the first location downtown where a grocery store could actually work as long as Cityscapes doesn't charge a ridiculous amount for rent. From the drawings, it even looks like they may have left enough sidewalk room to allow for bistro seating during the warmer months.

Overall, I still can't believe how fast the Downtown campus has grown. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if it doubles in size again within 10 years. I'm also beginning to think that another academic college is more than a pipe dream. A question for those of you with engineering or architecture degrees: In other universities, is architecture paired up more frequently with engineering or the arts? I've heard of universities with art and architecture schools/colleges and I was wondering which pairing was more prevalent and why.

[tony]

Hehe, Hammersmith - sidewalk seating would be a very interesting development. What next? A piazza with a fountain in summer and skating rink in winter?

Anyway, sure hope that they get a grocery store downtown - I mean, you just can't have residential city center without a grocery store.

And did anybody else see the story on the $540,000 2000 sq ft penthouse downtown? I got a kick out of that - the 4th floor isn't exactly what I think of when it comes to penthouses... now kick that law firm out of the top of the Radisson and do it up Austin Powers style and that'd be a penthouse!