Nostalgia Zone: Comic book shop opens on East Lake Street

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The comic book shop Nostalgia Zone recently moved to its new location on East Lake Street, after a spending a year just around the corner. The new location has given the shop room to expand its offerings and has provided more space for customers to browse. We talked with Dave from Nostalgia Zone to learn more about the shop.MB: You’ve been selling comics in Minneapolis for more than 20 years. Were there other iterations of Nostalgia Zone? Or has it been the same shop for more than 20 years?Dave: We used to be the other half of Comic Book College in Uptown until the two owners split the business in two in the 90′s at which point we took on the name Nostalgia Zone. Continue Reading

Minneapolis: A community solar garden for Longfellow

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In South Minneapolis, we’re all about community-based projects. We’ve got a community garden, a co-operative grocery store, and now we’ll have community solar.Community Solar Comes to LongfellowIn 2014, Longfellow’s first community solar garden will be installed on East Lake Street business Northern Sun with the help of local energy company Applied Energy Innovations. According to AEI, Northern Sun’s rooftop will produce 40 kilowatts of solar energy, which is enough to power 8-10 homes. Northern Sun owner Scott Cramer will lease out a portion of the rooftop panels to subscribers, something that he wouldn’t have been able to do prior to the Solar Energy Jobs Act that was passed this spring.Subscribing to SolarThe new legislation will allow Xcel customers to subscribe to community solar gardens and receive credits on their electrical bill from the energy that the panels produce. This provides access to solar to community members who otherwise might not benefit from the technology – those who live in an apartment building or who don’t have access to enough rooftop sunlight.According to energy organization Fresh Energy, the bill allows “any group or organization to develop a solar garden, and there’s no limit on the number of projects or combined capacity of solar gardens within the utility’s service territory. Continue Reading

New French Bakery sold to private equity firm

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The acquisition of New French Bakery to Chicago-based private equity firm Arbor Investments was announced yesterday. The bakery specializes in old-world style breads and has a facility in Seward.Peter Kelsey, who started the company, was originally looking for an investor to help expand the bakery’s operations, according to a report today in the Star Tribune. Arbor Investments offered to buy the company, and Kelsey accepted.“It’s the American dream,” Kelsey told the Star Tribune, “I built a business to $40 million in revenue this year, but I didn’t have a nickel for my retirement or kids’ education. My oldest son is going to college this fall. I’m facing a big financing hurdle. Continue Reading

292 Design Group moves to East Lake Street

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East Lake Street’s newest addition is 292 Design Group, an architectural firm with a portfolio that spans educational spaces, civic projects, commercial buildings, and ice facilities. We caught up with Mark Wentzell, 292 Design Group partner, to learn more about 292 and the kind of work the group does.MB: Looking through the 292 Design Group portfolio, the firm does a wide range of architectural work. Is there a type or style of work that the group particularly enjoys working on?Wentzell: Although we do a great variety of things, 292 has always focused on civic projects. We enjoy working on projects that have an important place in the community – such things as community centers, recreation facilities, libraries, art centers, and schools.MB: Are there one or two projects that the 292 Design Group has done that you’re particularly proud of?Wentzell: We did the Burnsville Performing Arts Center about 4 years ago. We are very pleased by the comments we have received from theater critics and theater goers. Continue Reading

Seward Co-op pursues second location

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Today the Seward Co-op announced it is in the process of securing a site for a second location located at 38th Street and Clinton Avenue S, across the street from the Sabathani Community Center. The Co-op is calling it the Friendship Site.The Co-op website states, “Our success since moving to the Franklin Avenue store four and a half years ago has put us in the position to expand access to the co-op and bring healthy food to a “food desert.” We have continued to improve our existing store, but we have reached capacity. A second store will provide easier access to the co-op for members who live in other neighborhoods, as well as relieve some of the congestion at the current location.”The project is in the early stages, and project managers expect it will be a year before the new store opens its doors. The co-op still needs to secure financing, raise member capital, and go through design and site approval. Community meetings will be scheduled as the project moves forward.More information can be found at the Seward Co-op Friendship Site webpage and FAQ PDF. Continue Reading

Verdant Tea: Leaves, water, and a good brew

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For David and Lily Duckler, owners of Verdant Tea, a cup of tea isn’t steeped in oriental mystery or buttoned up with rigid etiquette guidelines, instead tea is all about hospitality, and brewing a pot of tea is an invitation to sit and enjoy the leaves. Its simply “about leaves and water and a good brew,” explained Lily.Sharing Hospitality David and Lily spent several years in China learning about tea direct from the source – tea farmers. And they have been selling tea grown at four farms in China through Verdant Tea’s online store. But it was a desire share the welcoming Chinese tea culture they experienced in their travels that lead them to open their new tea house in Seward.“We’re not trying to create this super exotic far east experience,” explained David. “Because that’s not how tea feels when you drink it in China. Continue Reading

Sign Painters: Painting the world they want to see

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“I thought that some day either someone needs to do a film about me, or I have to write about this,” said Phil Vandervaart. He was explaining how his work as a sign painter has been for love, rather than for money.The two are featured in the recently-published book Sign Painters by Faythe Levine and Sam Macon, as well as a film by the same name.If you live in the Twin Cities, you’ve seen the work of Phil and Forrest. Many of the iconic images and shop signs you’ll find around town are their work, including the portrait of F. Scott Fitzgerald on the Fitzgerald Theater.Phil has painted signs for 500 storefronts, done 25 Hollywood movies, and hundreds of rock videos. His hand can be found all over the West Bank. He said, “I did everything on the West Bank for 20 years, and I did 50 signs there and there are only 20 buildings, I used to just do them over and over again.” Forrest has been a sign painter for ten years, and has painted other notable places such as The Blue Door Longfellow, Forage, and the May Day Cafe.E’s Emporium is one of the many signs that Phil has painted for businesses along Minnehaha Avenue. Continue Reading

Minneapolis: Demolition begins for new Longfellow Market

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The new grocery store planned for East Lake Street, the Longfellow Market, is progressing as planned, according to owner Joel Ahlstrom.Last night, he and architect Mike Mularoni met with the Longfellow Community Council’s Neighborhood Development Committee to provide a project update and request funds from the NDC to cover the expenses of additional landscaping and awnings for the front of the building.Construction PlansThe project was recently funded with two bank loans, and demolition of the interior of the building has begun. Unfortunately, the roof has begun to leak, so repairing the roof is underway as well.A minor snafu with a tenant of the building was discovered on Friday – when Ahlstrom purchased the building, the owner believed that his tenant of 34 years was under a month-to-month lease. In actuality, he’s under a year-to-year lease that ends next spring. Ahlstrom is working to help the tenant to find a new space, since the building is slated for demolition. Until that happens, they will be tearing down the building in sections, which is scheduled to begin in July.From left, Mike Mularoni and Joel Ahlstrom at the LCC’s NDC meeting. Continue Reading

Minneapolis: Minnehaha Ave reconstruction delayed

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The schedule for the Minnehaha Ave reconstruction project has been pushed back another year. Construction is now slated to begin to in spring of 2015 according to Hennepin County’s project website. Previously, the project had been scheduled to begin construction spring 2014.We will be reporting the reasoning behind the schedule change as soon as we hear back from the County.Current Hennepin County Project Schedule:Community MeetingsJuly and September 2013Additional Public InvolvementOngoingMinneapolis City Council Layout ConsiderationOctober 2013Final DesignOctober 2013 to Fall 2014ConstructionSpring 2015 to Fall 2016Learn MoreWe have compiled a complete list of articles on the Minnehaha Avenue reconstruction project, be sure to check out the page for more information. Continue Reading