Top Project Honors for Walsh Bishop
Finance and Commerce recently awarded “Top Project” honors to two Walsh Bishop projects: Norman Pointe II and CW Lofts. According to Finance and Commerce Editor Michael Krieger, these awards are the first in what is planned to be an annual tradition of honors for MInnesota’s most innovative developers, contractors and architects.
Norman Pointe II is a class “A” speculative multi-tenant office building and the first in Minnesota to achieve LEED Core and Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The building is a ten-story, 322,000 square foot building constructed with a precast and clear glass curtain wall. In fact, one of the design priorities was to allow plenty of natural light to reach the interior of each floor. This serves the dual purpose of providing energy conservation along with more pleasant work areas. Other factors that resulted in the LEED certification include recycling rooms on each floor and wood materials that meet Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) guidelines.
This next generation office building has been designed to be more energy efficient and provide healthier work environments with leading edge technology. Each tenant and guest enters the building through an indoor park that includes a five-story waterfall. The park’s amenties include seating areas complete with WI-FI and flat screen TVs intended to allow business meetings to be held in more comfortable environments. The indoor park is directly connected to the walking trails that traverse the entire development.
When the Cream of Wheat headquarters and manufacturing plant in northeast Minneapolis packed up in 2002, it left an empty building that quickly fell into disrepair. This turned around when an enterprising renovation team set out to transform the aging landmark into stylish, contemporary condominiums that are now known as the CW Lofts.
This historic four-story building and 135-foot tower was built initially in 1927. The rehabilitated site preserves and enhances a historic resource and creates a sustainable urban environment while retaining it’s unique character. The site now provides 124 condominiums, common spaces, offices and parking. The highly detailed lobby and office spaces in the existing building have been restored and include a gallery dedicated to the story of the site and company. This redevelopment and renovation maintains the Cream of Wheat legacy and creates a dynamic community through the use of spaces in the building that could never be replicated with new construction.
Schematic Design Moving Quickly!
To maintain a fast-paced schedule, Walsh Bishop has already started the schematic design phase of our new building. Dennis Walsh, Troy Goetz and Stephen Knowles are leading a team that is currently working through three significant issues that will have design and other project implications.
They are:
1. Finalizing plans for the new elevator
2. Determining new windows and daylighting options
3. Exploring geothermal/mechanical systems and needs.
In addition, Andrea Hammel Wollak is leading our sustainable design efforts as we excitedly pursue LEED Core and Shell certification at a platinum-level!
Walsh Bishop is committed to using this space as a standard for what we do and how we live, create and connect. Continue to watch this space for regular updates on our progress!
WBA’s New Office: Designing a Simple + Bold Environment
Walsh Bishop is thrilled to announce that we are now the proud new owners of an office building in Minneapolis’ warehouse district. The property will be built out to accommodate not only Walsh Bishop’s offices, but also other tenants who will be attracted to what is planned to be a simple, elegant and bold environment that allows us to fully practice what we preach.
Walsh Bishop will be moving out of what has been a fairly traditional corporate environment to one that will speak directly to our identity and present an innovative, sustainable and creative environment that supports and promotes the work we do for our clients. The warehouse district of Minneapolis is a hip, design-forward neighborhood full of trendy restaurants, shops and galleries. The building and space we plan to create is not just one with appropriately high standards and performance expectations… it is the type of building environment that should BE the standard, a role model that showcases how the environments we create are designed in connection with the community surrounding it, and as a result of the people who will inhabit the space.
We invite you to watch this space for regular updates as we continue to move forward with this exciting development!
Turtle Creek Casino Grand Opening!
Walsh Bishop and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are proud to showcase Michigan’s newest hotel-casino facility, Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel!
The all new, 360,000-square-foot Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel in Williamsburg, Michigan, is bringing casino gaming in the Midwest to an entirely new level of sophistication, convenience, and comfort. And the unique facility’s striking modern design incorporates many environmentally responsible elements: LEED certified building materials, state-of-the-art under floor ventilation system, large skylights providing daylight to the gaming floor, energy efficient lighting, and areas of green roof. Turtle Creek is one of the first casinos designed to such a high environmental and aesthetic standard.
Turtle Creek’s Grand Opening was on June 24th, so make your reservations now. Get ready to relax in one of the hotel’s elegant suites before checking out an impressive variety of gaming options on the 52,000-square-foot gaming floor. Cruise by the cascading water wall, through the high stakes lounge, sample the distinct dining choices, enjoy the color changing lights from one of the many vistas overlooking the gaming floor, and finally enjoy some great live music in the night club before calling it a day. It will take more than one day to enjoy everything Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel has to offer.
Check out this past Sunday’s article on Turtle Creek Casino on Michigan’s mlive.com!
http://www.mlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2008/07/_the_turtle_risesall_new.html
Jake’s City Grille, Plymouth, MN
We’re pleased to have been awarded another Jake’s City Grille in Plymouth, MN. The Walsh Bishop team is all about developing long term and rewarding relationships with our clients! Since developing the prototype concept for Owner’s Rob and Tony Jacob, we’ve designed three other facilities for the brothers, each meeting outstanding success. The concept for the casual eatery blends the energy of a city café with the comfort of a neighborhood gathering spot. The prominent and open bar creates a welcoming first impression, with the open flames of the wood fired oven adding warmth and a buzz of activity as the chef’s prepare signature dishes. The concept features private dining areas, a patio seating 150 customers with a full bar for Minnesotans craving the summer sun. The Plymouth location will be one of their largest facilities, with over 8,900 SF, but they have no worries about filling up the joint. They currently operate the building as a Jake’s Sports Café – a concept they are phasing out over several years. It’s successful for them, but with an eye to the future and growing competition, they know that their City Grille concept will out perform, not only their current revenue, but their other locations have proven thatit consistently beats the national chains. People are hungry for something unique and different from the homogenized consistency of the franchised restaurant – and the brothers are poised to deliver. Jacob Restaurant Group owns and operates three Jake’s City Grille, two Jake’s Sports Cafés and Esquire Magazine’s 2006 Best Bar in America, Nye’s Polonaise.
New Black Bear Gaming Floor Open!
This Memorial Day weekend, many Minnesotans headed to Black Bear Casino to check out the new gaming facility. Doors just opened this past Thursday, May 22, 2008!
The new gaming floor is over 81,000 square feet and holds 2,000 slot machines. Guests can choose from three eateries in the new space: the chic Seven Fires Steakhouse, the casual Buffet at the Bear, or the cozy Sage Deli. And what better way to end your night than by hitting the dance floor at the new Cobalt Nightclub and Cabaret, featuring live entertainment and free admission!
Walsh Bishop proudly worked with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to transform Black Bear into one of the top resort destinations in Minnesota. And that transformation is nearly complete! The 250-room, 12-story hotel tower opened in February, and the convention center will be open soon. Watch for Black Bear’s Grand Opening later this summer!
Ramsey County Project Wins Best In Real Estate
And this year’s winner - in the Redevelopment/Extensive Renovation: Large, Office/Industrial category - the Ramsey County Department of Records and Revenue! Congratulations to the Walsh Bishop project team!
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal recently presented their 2007 “Best in Real Estate” awards in downtown Minneapolis. For these awards, a panel of 10 judges chose 24 winners from hundreds of nominees. Walsh Bishop is proud to announce that our design solution for Ramsey County was honored with an award at this event!
So what was this project all about?
When the City of St. Paul targeted their existing space for a mixed-use redevelopment, Ramsey County’s Department of Records and Revenue needed to find a new home. The Walsh Bishop team was selected to transform the former home of the State of Minnesota Department of Agriculture, a vacant building in a state of disrepair, to successfully serve the Department of Records and Revenue. Through an extensive environmental audit and comprehensive redesign, Walsh Bishop converted the large lab environment into an efficient, functional, comfortable contemporary office space that now supports the department’s operations and employees, along with the general public. Our team brought an abandoned building back to life and back into the market, and developed sustainable guidelines specifically for Ramsey County that will be used to encourage and support responsible design solutions for the County for years to come.
As Ramsey County Project Manager Jerome Biedny noted, “The County certainly received long-term solutions to our design issues that exceeded our expectations.”
Take Me Out To The Ballgame!
Despite temperatures in the low 40’s and a hint of snowflakes, the Walsh Bishop softball team was warmed up and rarin’ to play at our first softball game of the 2008 season last Monday.
Walsh Bishop has sponsored a softball team in the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board’s Architect League for more than seven years. Playing every Monday at the Lake Nokomis ball fields is a great way for us to enjoy working together as a team in a fun and relaxed environment, as well as to share some friendly competition with our rival architectural firms. Did I mention that Walsh Bishop was undefeated last season? We also started this season with a win last week and although I sense a repeat of last year’s stunning season, only time will tell!
Play ball!
Walsh Bishop Cleans Up!
On Saturday April 19, Walsh Bishop participated in the Minneapolis Earth Day Watershed Clean up at Lake Nokomis. Our group met early in the morning, clad in blue in support of Architect 2030’s No Coal Initiative; signed up, got our gloves and yellow bags and set out to clean up the park. Walking along the waterfront and along the beach the trash was plentiful. We picked up empty bottles, twist ties, cigarette butts and other various items.
One fitting, yet unexpected, benefit of doing the clean up was being treated to some excellent birding. We saw a variety of species that included Black-Crested Night Herons, Great Blue Herons, Terns, Gulls, Mallards, numerous diving duck species, and a Minnesota favorite - common Loons (who serenaded us all morning.) We also received many thanks from park users and were photographed by both the news media and the Minneapolis Park Board.
After our clean up efforts, those who braved the cold were treated to an all-organic bar-b-que sponsored by the WBA LEAP Task Team. The menu consisted of bratwurst, Kettle Chips and delicious homemade treats. And no, we did not use coal - it was a propane grill! A special congratulations to Paul Hand for picking up the most trash in our group! He received the winning prize basket consisting of a tire gauge, energy efficient light bulbs, and a DVD of CNN’s Planet in Peril.
See you in 2009!
2008 Skyway Open Recap
You may have seen or heard about this year’s Skyway Open golf tournament in Minneapolis, which took place February 29th and March 1st in the downtown skyway system based around the City Center. The Walsh Bishop design team decided to throw its hat into the ring for the second time for this event, which asks local architects to design holes for the course reflecting a specific theme. This year it was “Minneapolis 2050″.
Our design intent was to illustrate the different sustainable choices that we have as Minneapolis residents, and how these choices shape the environment in which we live. If the player didn’t make the sustainable choice, the ball would be sent back to the tee box to start again!
The graphic on our design used images relating to environmentally responsible energy, transportation, and housing options, and created a “path” to our hole with those choices. Also in the graphic were many images of our city- real images that we could recognize and be proud of- showing our personality and how the sustainable goals are woven into it.
We chose to construct our hole out of clear acrylic, in sections that were portable and easy to assemble. The vision really came together after long planning sessions, and when we set up the hole to test it in our office, it was working great! It was really fun- the ball moved fast on the acrylic, so the players needed a controlled hand.
During the tournament the hole looked slick and people had a good time playing it- the design was unique and folks really wanted to see what was going on when they walked by. Unfortunately, a player did try to walk onto the playing surface… right next to the sign that read “Please Do Not Walk on the Playing Surface”, and the frame of the hole cracked. Alas, it was fun while it lasted! We were proud to have the opportunity to participate in the event.
The Skyway Open tournament is hosted by the Downtown Council, and benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Look for the 3rd Annual tournament next year!
