New North Minneapolis apartment construction in need of better design

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Last week at the Jordan housing committee meeting, CommonBond Communities presented their design proposal for the apartment building to be constructed at the West Broadway curve. There was a lot to like, and a few changes that they will hopefully make. The project was presented as “West Broadway Crescent,” which is a rather good name. It sure beats plastering the name a non-profit everywhere, especially if you’re going for something that looks like it would be market-rate housing. Which this is not, it’s workforce housing subsidized by tax credits. Continue Reading

The demolition problem

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Last summer I was asked, as a Jordan resident, what I thought about a house at 2637 Emerson Avenue North. It was a vacant property on the MLS for a song, and the City of Minneapolis was contemplating acquisition for demolition. I maintained that the built form of the house was intact, that the interior wasn’t beyond repair, and that the block already had four vacant lots and would not be improved with a fifth. My position as a resident was that this house should be purchased to keep it out of the hands of a slumlord, but that it should not be demolished. Continue Reading

A new approach to tax forfeitures

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The previous post outlined the problem of tax-forfeited properties in north Minneapolis being scooped up by slumlords. A good discussion happened on the North Talk Facebook page that helped shape a few ideas for a solution. What follows is based on my current understanding of the issue, and may change as things develop. Continue Reading

Minneapolis’ 311 won’t accept reports on Hennepin County properties

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Paint is peeling from the 800 West Broadway building, the former future home of the YWCA. While chipped paint isn’t generally cause for a blog post, the condition of this property brings up an ongoing issue with our 311 system. Some friends of mine tried calling this in to 311 and were told the report wouldn’t be filed because the property is owned by Hennepin County. It’s unclear what would happen if such reports were filed using email, the 311 website, or their smartphone app. Would they just disappear into the bureaucratic ether, never to be heard from or responded to again? Or would a city staffer contact the person who submitted the report to inform them of its status? If it’s the latter, why couldn’t the staff person contact the county instead? Continue Reading

West Broadway surface parking denied, Minneapolis Public Schools to bring appeal to full council

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On Tuesday, December 4, the Zoning and Planning Committee denied the Minneapolis Public Schools ongoing request to pave over yet more land along West Broadway. CM Goodman led the charge, asking why land was taken off the tax rolls and yet the Public School system was still asking for more. She was later corrected about her understanding of how that acquisition happened, as the MPS had ownership of the parcels in question for some time. Continue Reading

Lowry Bridge light show

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Yesterday the Lowry Bridge tested its LED lights for about an hour.  The display was dazzling, and here’s hoping we get more such shows in the future.  I used my phone’s time-lapse feature to condense the bridge’s performance down to a more accessible two minutes. Continue Reading

Pave paradise and put up a parking lot: Minneapolis Public Schools hasn’t justified need for more Davis Center parking

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At a recent City Planning Commission meeting, the Minneapolis Public Schools headquarters (formally known as the Davis Center) proposed rezoning half of a city block they own, for the purpose of putting an additional 150 parking spots near Girard and 21st Avenue North. That request was denied by the committee. But since this is not the first time MPS has brought the issue forward, and since they own the land in question, this certainly won’t be the last such attempt. They may even go directly to the City Council as a whole and ask for the staff and committee recommendations to be overturned. That action would be premature at best, and possibly detrimental to the commercial development of the West Broadway corridor. Continue Reading

Minneapolis: Photos of the Lowry Bridge opening, sexy curves and all

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On Saturday, October 27, 2012 the Lowry Bridge reopened first to bike and pedestrian traffic and then to vehicles in the evening. Plenty of media were there to cover the event, and regular folks were ubiquitous in their Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Google+, and Youtube postings. The photos above are of the bridge at night, the signs thanking the public for their patience, and the ribbon moments before it was cut. Continue Reading