M2 Block | ?m | 4s | XYC | Riddell Kurczaba

[Surrealplaces]

Cool building that so badly needs a patio. One if the things I like about the Simmons building next door is the active outdoor space that fronts into the pathway. I suspect it’ll happen at M2 at some point as well.

 

[Surrealplaces]

Picnic tables have been added to the front plaza, helping take a way some of the barren feeling.

 

[DiscoStu]

Still feels like a pretty big waste of an opportunity to me with that ground floor. It's just so sterile. Something like the use of accordion-windows would've allowed for the opportunity to open up the retail or restaurant spaces to create a welcoming environment. But nope, let's create a generic wall facing the most active side of our building.

I'm always mystified how poorly taken advantage of riverfront development is in this city. All around the world, you have amazing waterfront cafes and restaurants creating great atmospheric places, and here we just refuse to take full advantage of the very little waterfront we have. The Anthem/Concord condos in Eau Claire are even worse....prime opportunities to create great spaces, yet the interaction with the pathways and river is minimal at best...in fact they seem to actively shield themselves away from it.

 

[1875]

could that be temporary due to covid? (i hope)

 

[Surrealplaces]

Agreed, even with the picnic tables the plaza is still very sterile. An improvement from what it was before but still very sterile. Some planters and some patio umbrellas would go along way plus restaurant frontage with open doors would be the best.

Looking at the glass half full perspective, at least there’s no major show stoppers preventing the plaza from being fixed over time. Unlike Eau Claire where they decided to put townhouses on the pathway and the restaurants patios off by the parking lots.

 

[DiscoStu]

Yeah, to me the open plaza, or the use of picnic tables, is not that big of a deal. You want a plaza to be a flexible space, and it's ok if that's done with furniture. It's the lack effort on the building itself that bothers me....and that's harder to change over time. But as you said, atleast here we have something...Eau Claire is a complete miss.

 

[Atticus]

I think the building’s general design and articulation is okay. It it really could use a restaurant and patio as mentioned, but at the same time it’s easily doable if it comes down to it in the future. Renovating entrance windows and doors is fairly minor.

Thoughts on Eau Claire are dead on. Those screwup’s are irreversible for the most part.

 

[GoVertical]

I saw stock inside of Bowcycle when I rode by today!

 

[Mountain Man]

For sale or rental? Most bike stores are basically sold out of stock, save for the very top end bikes... I hope Bow Cycle creates some good activation of that streetscape, err... pathwayscape lol.

 

[Nimbus]

For sale or rental? Most bike stores are basically sold out of stock, save for the very top end bikes... I hope Bow Cycle creates some good activation of that streetscape, err... pathwayscape lol.

I was under the impression it would be e-bike rentals and possibly sales, but heavy to the rental side given the location on Riverwalk.

 

[Mountain Man]

The rental side should activate the pathway more than the sales I would hope.

 

[outoftheice]

Soft opening was today according to an employee I saw walking out of there later this evening. Ebikes for rent but the store has a lot for sale as well.

 

[vvvvvv]

I'm surprised, with it being a bike shop, they didn't put in garage doors or similar that could be left open through the summer.
Very odd choices throughout this building

 

[zagox]

I'm surprised, with it being a bike shop, they didn't put in garage doors or similar that could be left open through the summer.
Very odd choices throughout this building

It does feel like it was cooked up in a design studio as a concept and then plopped down SimCity-style by someone who had never been to the site. Still, I am optimistic that some smart tenant improvements should be able to improve on the shell.

 

[zagox]

For sale or rental? Most bike stores are basically sold out of stock, save for the very top end bikes... I hope Bow Cycle creates some good activation of that streetscape, err... pathwayscape lol.

Hopefully the lack of bikes for sale at other shops will compensate for the lack of tourists. If locals can't buy bikes right now, maybe they will rent them.