Review Team To Recommend 'Nicollet Hotel Block' Design

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The City of Minneapolis is set to make a recommendation over what proposal should be constructed in the Nicollet Hotel Block.

The city asked for a project that would replace the existing parking lot and bus layover facility housed between Third Street South, Washington Avenue, Hennepin Avenue, and Nicollet Mall.

The request came with the requirement that the building contribute something "iconic" to the Minneapolis skyline.

A review team will recommend Friday that the City Council approve the design submitted by United Properties.

"Of the four proposals received, City staff determined that United Properties' proposal best met the City's development goals for the property," the team said in a statement.

Their design calls for a 36-story, LEED-certified luxury tower with up to 300 residential units and a Hilton hotel, wrapped with an LED lighting display meant to reflect the waves of the nearby Mississippi River. Their design is called "The Gateway."

"The result of great urban design is similar to a great party – you linger longer, lose track of time, and stumble home way later than planned," Ward 3 Council Member Jacob Frey said Friday. "By delivering on our promise of growth, facilitating a connection to the river, and seriously activating the public realm, the new Nicollet Hotel Block could be one of the best parties of the decade."

Last month, the city of Minneapolis rejected a proposal that would've led to the construction of a skyscraper taller than any other in the state of Minnesota, at 900 feet. The current tallest building is the IDS Center at 775 feet.