Christian Huelsman

Hennepin AvenueThe original historic urban street in Minneapolis

Midwest Regional Context

Study Area Urban Context

1903 Plat Map

The Hennepin Avenue study area (shown in blue) now exists in the

northwestern corner of downtown.It is flanked on three sides by

Interstate freeways. Its original and natural edge, the Mississippi,

remains relatively unchanged since the inception of the corridor.

The study area can be found in Minneapolis, Minnesota, nearly 425 miles northwest of Chicago by freeway, and 275 miles from Madison, Wisconsin.

It is accessible from St. Paul, Minnesota within ten miles.

FOCUS> Gateway Districtbetween 1st + 5th Street South

> East Warehouse Districtbetween 5th + 7th Streets South

> Theater Districtbetween 7th + 10th Streets South

Hennepin Avenue: Regional Context

Midwest Regional Context

Study Area Urban Context

1903 Plat Map

The Hennepin Avenue study area (shown in blue) now exists in the

northwestern corner of downtown.It is flanked on three sides by

Interstate freeways. Its original and natural edge, the Mississippi,

remains relatively unchanged since the inception of the corridor.

The study area can be found in Minneapolis, Minnesota, nearly 425 miles northwest of Chicago by freeway, and 275 miles from Madison, Wisconsin.

It is accessible from St. Paul, Minnesota within ten miles.

FOCUS> Gateway Districtbetween 1st + 5th Street South

> East Warehouse Districtbetween 5th + 7th Streets South

> Theater Districtbetween 7th + 10th Streets South

Hennepin Avenue: Regional Context

Gateway District

Old City HallNicollet HotelBridge Square

Landmarksof interest

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The original site of Minneapolis City Hallwas known as Bridge Square, due to itsproximity to the nearby bridge over the Mississippi. The focus of the original city plan and development of the civic center reinforced development, as did the city

streetcar, first operational from Hennepin to the state university, via the bridge north to University Avenue. Proximity to the regional freight hub spurred rapid economic growth -- so quickly that a larger city hall and

courthouse was built five blocks east and two blocks south to Fifth St/2ndAve S. Upon completion, the old site was razed for a park. and the area was rebranded as the “Gateway District”, to further development.

Hennepin Avenue’s changing role in urban life

Stage One: 1873-1912

1886 1906 1912

Stage Two: 1930s-1961

As soon as the 1930s, the GatewayDistrict had already failed, at least in theeyes of city officials. The square hadbecome the place to find liquor stores,

flophouses, and plenty of blue-collarpoor. However, the building stock hadremained largely untampered. The 1950s brought proposals to raze the

oldest areas of downtown -- 20 blockstotal. The Gateway District becamean expansive plain of parking, savefor low-density corporate development.

1952 1961

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1948

East Warehouse District: 5th + 6th Street South

The 500 and 600 blocks of HennepinAvenue have undergone, perhaps, themost extensive metamorphosis, as canbe seen later. In 1889, however, theMasonic Building can be seen withsingle-family detached homes.

The Masonic Building was eventuallymatched by the Plymouth Building,directly across Hennepin Avenue.Retail on the 600 Block, however,remained single-story and devoidof any imaginative ornamentation.

As vaudeville and motion picturetheaters became increasingly popular,higher density commercial buildingstook the place of wood framedretail. A boom economy brought aconstruction boom all along Hennepin.

Hennepin Avenue’s changing role in urban life

1880s-1920s: Densification

1930s-1960s: Decline and Segmentation

1889 1916

It appears as though the two nearestbuildings suffered from the Depression.Upper floors are masked by adverts,storefronts are barren, and cars are few.

Additional signage appears to havebeen erected, following World War II.The structure beyond the MasonicBuilding was razed by the mid-1940s.

The others were razed by the mid-1940s, and replaced by parking lots and a modern office building.The 600 Block, however, remained.

1936 1948

Masonic TemplePlymouth BldgBlock E

Landmarksof interest

1961

1926

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Theatre District: 8th + 9th Streets South

Orpheum TheatreGopher TheatreState Theatre

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Landmarksof interest

The Hennepin Theatre District is now anon-profit consortium of performancetheater operators, but it was once arapidly changing assortment of first-runand second-run spaces. In 1908, theOrpheum had not yet been built, but

uniform street lights led up to the 900 block. As the heyday of theaters,streetcars, and automobiles coincided,development in the district flourished.Ornamentation remained constant butsignage created more visual clutter.

By the 1950s, automobiles competedwith streetcars for space. Streetlightswere replaced sometime after WWII.Structures along the district remainedmostly unchanged. Adverts becameever more prominent.

Hennepin Avenue’s changing role in urban life

1954-2007: Decline and Rebirth

1908 1926

By the mid-1950s, theater marqueeseither disappeared or were altered.Street lighting took a contemporaryapproach. The most apparent change

was the removal of the streetcar line,enabling two full traffic lanes. Boththe State and Gopher Theatremarquees filled out the southeast side

of the block. Due to a decline in smallstreet theaters in the late 1970s, manywere shuttered and repurposed. Manybuildings were altered but remain.

1957 1961 2007

1951

1900-1954: District Developmentn

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A.M. Smith’s 1891 Bird’s Eye View MapChanging connections and transit options

Twin Cities Rapid Transit (1891)

Streetcar along study area

Connections from Hennepin

Gateway District (1st - 5th St)

Warehouse District (5th - 7th St)

Theater District (7th - 10th St)

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By 1948, streetcar lines at Marquette and 2nd Avenues make travel easier todestinations across the river. Both a busroute and a streetcar line on Nicollet and Marquette Avenues served St. Paul and suburbs via service to Hennepin.

Since the 1909 relocation of City Hall,the commerce center of Minneapolis was reborn between 2nd and Marquette Avenues.

Observations

+ Original trolley connections to Hennepin, paired with the alteration of the street grid at 10th Street, seem to have created district boundaries and magnets for redevelopment over time.

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The multiplier effect that transit junctions played along Hennepin appeared to spread to thesoutheast, as the commerce center shifted.Lines in 1891 and 1948 seemed to dictatedevelopment, not conversely.

Washington Ave

Third Street

Sixth Street Seventh Street

Transportation metamorphosis on Hennepin

Learning from a “complete era”Future districts imitate + exceed yesteryear

(1st - 5th St)

(5th - 7th St)

(7th - 10th St)

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GATEWAYDISTRICT

DISTRICT

DISTRICT

WAREHOUSE

THEATER

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oneway

oneway

oneway

busonlybikes

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park

ing

safe

ty z

one

1990s -- 20111890s-1954Multi-modal Street Orientation

Twin Cities Rapid Transit (1891)

Streetcar along study area

Connections from HennepinL

Provisions for streetcarsonce limited cars. By the1990s, multiple modes

shared Hennepin Avenue.However, in 2012, the

street returns to two-way.

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busonly

oneway

oneway

busonly

bike

s;bikes

2012 - beyond

1920

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1920

Streets accommodating current modesLimited gaps between building fabricConnectivity with other districts

Key qualities

The city reinvented the Gatewaybut lacks walkability and, thus,a connection to the riverfront.Encouraging on-street parkingmay encourage pedestrianactivity. However, the currentenvironment is neitherwalkable nor perceviably public.

The newer Block E developmentreplaced a full city block ofindividually wrapped storefronts.The urban mall already suffersfrom store closures, and willcontinue to experience this.The street encourageswalkability, but the storesare shielded indoors.

The theater district remainslargely intact but feels avisual threat from towersto the east. The newTarget Field baseball stadium,located to the west, mayoffer some rejuvenation, but careful integration willbe key to ensure new life.

2011

2011

2011

Benchmarking to “complete” Hennepin