Post Office and St. Anthony Falls District Urban Design Studio

Over the course of Fall semester 2017, 12 graduate architecture students at the UM investigated placemaking opportunities of the Saint Anthony Falls district along the Mississippi River, and ways the historic Minneapolis post office building(s) could support the riverfront experience. The studio built on MDC’s  2016 “Downtown Minneapolis Post Office Revitalization Preliminary Research Report” that looked at post office reuse precedents across the country, the Central Riverfront Framework, and specific site characteristics. The students conducted additional environmental scans, developed four district plan options and 12 post office adaptive reuse concepts. Key ideas for seasonal public life include food related experiences, river activity, and institutional use that would compliment the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum. The student’s architectural reuse concepts dissected the massive building and connected the adjoining neighborhood to the Mississippi River both through and around the structure. The studio was taught by MDC Senior Research Fellow, Tim Griffin, and supported by Rich Varda and Tom Fisher.  During 2018, the team’s ideas will be part of the public discussion that is advancing the Riverfirst vision that extends from Gold Medal Park to Weber Parkway. The model will be a useful tool to envision the central riverfront reach.