City of Minneapolis planners on Friday rejected a proposal for an 80-story tower downtown and revealed problems they saw in the efforts of its developer.
The move quashed the prospects for a building that would have surpassed the IDS Center to become the tallest in Minnesota and injected new drama into an unusual public contest the city created to redevelop a parking lot on Nicollet Mall.
In a letter to Duval Development, which proposed the giant tower, city planners cited five reasons it was being rejected in the contest's early stage.
They questioned the experience of owner Alex Duval, the company's operating performance and its ability to raise money, and expressed uncertainty over the housing developer that the firm identified for the tower. They also raised questions about the firm's study of the local real estate market.
"The information we got for evaluation was not complete," said Erik Hansen, principal project coordinator for the city.
After the city announced the rejection and released its letter to the media, Duval said he was surprised.
He added that he knew planners wanted more information from his company and requested a meeting with them to provide it.
"I don't understand why city staff won't meet with us to discuss the project when the overwhelming majority of the community says it is what it wants," Duval said. Surveys his firm conducted online suggest strong support for the new skyscraper, he said.