http://blog.yourstpaulhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Blog-2010-08-16-The-Penfield.jpg


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Previously envisioned as a 300' highrise:

http://www.minnescraper.com/forum/files/penfieldvert_115.jpg
http://www.minnescraper.com/forum/files/penfield_rendering_8_14_06_178.jpg

St. Paul gets a share of the condo boom as the second residential skyscraper moves in. This is a sharp looking project in downtown St. Paul with a view of either Minneapolis or St. Paul's skyline. Some units are multi story. I don't know what the prices are and couldn't find out. Visit http://www.thepenfield.com/home.asp and click Press and Photos to see some videos of the rendering. Apparently this skyscraper is also going green.

I quite like it.

The Penfield is not under construction. We've heard little in the way of sales progress on this one since a supposed 'gangbusters' opening weekend back in the fall. I did visit the sales center in October and was surprised by a relatively large amount of traffic, and was quoted a figure in the 20% sold range.

Is there anything between approved and under construction?

I don't think there is any site prep going on at all. I drove by the site on Monday and noticed nothing, not even any equipment. The project will rehab the existing Public Safety Building, located on the south half of the block. It looks just like it has for more than a year...waiting.

it reminds me of that kids movie spykids.
but either way its pretty cool.

Very nice

sweet. keep us posted w/ construction photo's!

Thats a nice tower!

Does anybody have the latest inside scoop on this building?

This is one, fine-looking building folks! And I'll bet it doesn't get another building jammed right next to it, like the UCT and KT in Milwaukee.
Congrats on a damn good-looking building, St. Paul. (Look out, Mpls., your ugly twin sister is starting to strut her stuff. You go, St. Paul -- I've always liked your downtown better than your sister's to the west. It's more real).

I'm not sure what the story is with this building, but there are 3 other high rise proposals I believe... check the Minneapolis development thread.

This is one, fine-looking building folks! And I'll bet it doesn't get another building jammed right next to it, like the UCT and KT in Milwaukee.
Congrats on a damn good-looking building, St. Paul. (Look out, Mpls., your ugly twin sister is starting to strut her stuff. You go, St. Paul -- I've always liked your downtown better than your sister's to the west. It's more real).

I just simply wish it would get built, even if another building is built right next to it! This is the best condo rendering I have seen in a long time! Probably since the UCT in Milwaukee.

As far as I can determine, the developer is still planning on getting it built. Apparently a hotel has signed on, reducing the number of condo units. A good hotel here would likely cater to the politicos traveling to the state capitol across the freeway.

BTW, this new sketch of the re-design, incorporating the newly-added Hyatt Hotel is on display at the sales office (photo by forumer CHAPINM1 at Minnescraper (http://www.minnescraper.com/forum/index.php)):

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/5793/penfieldrevised01js8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I think this still looks like a solid design. If they're still doing sketches, maybe there is some hope this will break ground.

I like it!

Been months since anyone has really posted any news about this project, but I've read on a realtor's condo blog that the developer (Alatus) has signed on Lunds and Byerly's to anchor this. Also, will be high end apartments. But probably converted to condos in the future. Hopefully more news will be coming in the near future. :banana:

Been months since anyone has really posted any news about this project, but I've read on a realtor's condo blog that the developer (Alatus) has signed on Lunds and Byerly's to anchor this. Also, will be high end apartments. But probably converted to condos in the future. Hopefully more news will be coming in the near future. :banana:
I thought I read in the P.P. that this had recently been nixed by its developer.

Pioneer Press and Star Tribune both are reporting the project has been approved today. They have not secured financing yet, but the articles report they hope to have groundbreaking on the Lunds store next fall.

It will be a mixed use project. 30,000 sq ft Lunds, 170 room Hyatt Place hotel, and 208 unit apartment tower.

^Yeah, Lunds officially signed a contract with the project so that part is a go and it seems the Hyatt signed on already...meaning they already filled the retail and hotel space.

There is really no reason at this point why they shouldn't be able to secure financing. Even in bad economic conditions business groups don't stop making good investments "just because." I think we may have ourselves a tower rising within the next year or so.

The city council sounds like they are firmly behind getting this project going. They originally had about $3 million in tax breaks back in 2005 when Alatus laid claim in the land. I'm sure financing will not be a problem and more tax incentives will be handed out as well. It's wonderful to see a new tower rise in St. Paul.

Some more news about this project, just keeps refusing to die. :)


From Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, April 10, 2009

http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2009/04/06/daily57.html

State awards $3.8M to redevelop blighted property, create 400 jobs
St. Paul received $550,000 for the Penfield Development, a 2.1-acre site in downtown St. Paul that will contain a mixed-use project including apartments, a hotel and a grocery store. It’s expected to create 89 jobs.

HUD just held an open house for the neighborhood to voice their support/concerns. It's being reduced to 11 stories, but will still be quite tall at 229 feet. 216 total apartments.

HUD is getting behind the mortgage for the constuction loan. Construction could begin January 1. Here's a new render. Sorry for the low quality, I took the picture with my cell phone. The render looks much better in person.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9567/penfield.jpg

HUD just held an open house for the neighborhood to voice their support/concerns. It's being reduced to 11 stories, but will still be quite tall at 229 feet. 216 total apartments.

HUD is getting behind the mortgage for the constuction loan. Construction could begin January 1. Here's a new render. Sorry for the low quality, I took the picture with my cell phone. The render looks much better in person.
229' for 11 stories is like 20' per floor. That can't be right.

229' for 11 stories is like 20' per floor. That can't be right.

The top floor is around 180-190 ft high. For something w/ 11 stories, thats not uncommon, especially with loft style apartments. Their's an added ornamental crown/roof that adds additional height to the building.

The project is getting some funding from the Metropolitan Council. I'm still hearing that the developer is getting their financing through HUD. But they hope to be shovel-ready by summer. Complete by the end of next year.

http://www.metrocouncil.org/news/2010/news_669.htm


•The Penfield, St. Paul--$610,000 for design, engineering and installation of a two-level green roof to reduce stormwater runoff and the development’s carbon footprint. The Penfield is a mixed-use project that will include 216 market-rate apartments, a 30,000-square-foot grocery store, 200 underground parking spaces and 111 surface parking spaces in downtown St. Paul, one block off the Central Corridor LRT line.

The rendering doesn't even make it look 180' but oh well. I'm disappointed over the scaled down version but thanks for the news!

The top floor is around 180-190 ft high. For something w/ 11 stories, thats not uncommon, especially with loft style apartments. Their's an added ornamental crown/roof that adds additional height to the building.

From the looks of it, that's not a giant crown. The numbers are off.

Project is moving forward. I saw the agenda for the city's meeting regarding this project. Looks like they anticipate construction to being in December. Completion in spring 2012. That kinda blows, being so far off. But the city will provide the bonds necessary to finance it. That's the main thing. Doesn't look very tall in the picture. I wish they'd have mentioned the overall height. I saw blueprints last year that showed 228' 10". The design looks nearly the same. But it does appear shorter.


http://www.twincities.com/ci_14731867

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site569/2010/0322/20100322_125319_penfieldNew.jpg

The city of St. Paul and a developer have come up with a plan to build the long-stalled Penfield high-rise development downtown.

Basically, the city will pay to build it, and the developer will pay the money back from proceeds of the $54.5-million mixed-use project, which will include housing and a much-needed downtown grocery store, a Lunds.

Quite honestly at this point I'd rather just have the grocery store and be done with this thing... I think its silly there isn't a sizable grocery store downtown. Its quite the distance to either go down University, go up the Hill to Kowalski's on Grand, or further.

That rendering is confusing as it has a building in the background that's faded which too me always signifies a pre-existing building which of course there isn't at this site and if that were part of the building being proposed... where's the 110 surface parking lot for Lunds?

I'm glad that Saint Paul finally decided to take control of this project, lets get this done with and encourage other development.

Here are a couple more pics of the project from the St. Paul HRA Council agenda.

The white building in the backround may be part of Phase II. Alatus partnership is holding the rights to be the first buyer for the north portion of the lot. They still are thinking of one day building a hotel. How all that would work with parking is something to be worked out later. A new hotel for downtown St. Paul would be nice to see.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/83/penfieldparkinglot.jpg

http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/6789/penfieldgrocery.jpg

Here is the latest design for the Penfield. Same basic appearance, just much shorter. What was once a promissing 300+ footer is now probably no more than 75 feet. I guess they went with a concrete first floor and wood framed floors above. Same as the Lyric and Frogtown Square. Cheap and easy. I kinda wonder where the surface parking is going to be? The whole north half of the block was supposed to be 100+ spaces. Looks as if it's going to take the whole block. Hopefully more details will come out soon. The construction bid and award is/was supposed to go out this month.

http://blog.yourstpaulhome.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Blog-2010-08-16-The-Penfield.jpg

What was once a promissing 300+ footer is now probably no more than 75 feet.

Ouch.

Ouch.
I have to give these guys credit though as they are bound and determined to build something, LOL! This is like, what, the 4th redesign? and everytime they redesigned it they cut out about 5 floors!