Nicollet Mall design competition close to final selection

Minneapolis civic leaders expect to choose a firm Wednesday that will redesign Nicollet Mall.

The bus and pedestrian corridor last had an update more than two decades ago and is showing wear and tear.

Twenty-one architectural firms submitted proposals and three emerged as finalists: Daoust Lestage, James Corner Field Operations and Tom Leader Studio/!melk.

See their proposals here:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/169021321/Guthrie-Design-Presentation-of-Nicollet-Mall-concepts Project consultant Peter Brown said all have good proposals.

"It's going to be an interesting and spirited conversation, I think, but we can't lose. We've got great teams in all three of them, so we're excited to work with any one of them."

Brown said the project is expected to cost $30 to 40 million.

"The main thing we asked them to do was to help us make it a much better pedestrian experience and a great gathering place for Minneapolis that also accommodated transit and would encourage investment in property along Nicollet Mall and increase the livelihood along Nicollet Mall," Brown said.

City officials hope to cover part of that cost in a future state bonding bill.

Planners hope to have Nicollet Mall redone by 2016.

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