march 2014 uptown neighborhood news

Opinion Exchange ................................. 2 Crime & Safety ...................................... 4CARAG Minutes ...................................... 8 Film Reviews................................................ 9 ECCO Minutes ....................................... 10 Events Calendar ..................................... 11

MARCH 2014 - Volume 10 - Number 3

inside

< Attacking Winter!The Polar Bear and Pee Wee Plunges are Saturday, Mar. 1 at Thomas Beach, Lake Calhoun (See page 11 for more events)

Your Community-Supported News Source • COVERING THE UPTOWN AREA and the Neighborhoods of CARAG and ECCO

Win 2 lbs. of FREE Coffee from Dunn Bros

(see details on page 11)

We’re.Putting.the “Up”.in.Uptown!

Ghana Mbaye sings during Kenwood Elementary’s drumming perfor-mance on Feb. 14. All Kenwood students in kindergarten, first and fourth grade study African drumming with Ghana Mbaye, affectionately known to the students as “Brother Ghana.” Through their drumming, singing and dancing, students make connections in academic areas such as patterning, counting and even world studies as they question Brother Ghana about his childhood and education in Senegal. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

Yaaaaay . . . Yo!

Franklin and Lyndale Proposal Stirs Up Debate Historic Value

of 2320 Colfax up for ReviewOwner requests second look from Preservation CommissionThe Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) will con-vene on March 18 to reconsider whether the rooming house at 2320 Colfax Ave. merits historic value and, given the special circumstances of the case, to allow the owner Michael Crow to sell the property for demolition and development.

The meeting of the HPC comes after a lengthy fight over the future of the property leading up to an appeal filed on behalf of the owner Michael Crow, in February 2014.

In October, 2012 Lander Group developers offered to buy 2320 and

Property owner Michael Crow back in July 2013 explains his health situa-tion on the steps of 2320 Colfax Avenue. In June, 2013 the City Council voted to uphold the HPC’s finding which halted demolition of the property. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

Discussion focuses on height, parking and traffic concernsBy Bruce Cochran

More than 50 people attended Master Builder’s presentation for the southwest corner of Franklin and Lyndale Avenue. This is the second presentation by Master to the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Asso-ciation (LHENA/Wedge) Zoning and Planning Committee. Although approval by the neighborhood

Bus and Rail Win Final Approval from Midtown Corridor AnalysisCombined approach aims to increase riders, decrease travel time

FAA Backs Away for Now

By Gabrielle Landsverk

Enhanced bus and rail services have been chosen for the new alternate public transportation systems for Lake Street and

Uptown, respectively, after a unanimous vote by the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC).

The decision is a result of the ongoing Midtown Corridor

Alternative Analysis (MCAA) project which has been collect-ing and analyzing data and pre-senting it to the public through outreach and open forums since September of 2012 in an effort to find economically efficient solu-tions to the transportation needs of the Midtown Corridor.

According to the MCAA’s final report, the new services were chosen based on several “pri-mary needs” of the corridor, including “unmet transportation needs” and “a diverse population with a variety of transportation demands.”

For now, the FAA will not implement Area Navigation (RNAV) procedures for depar-ture routes at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) received a letter on Feb. 19 from the Fed-eral Aviation Administration (FAA) indicating that the pro-posed partial implementation of RNAV for departure routes will not be approved, stalling all

implementation of RNAV proce-dures for departures off runways 30L and 30R. The proposed plan would have consolidated path-ways over portions of southwest Minneapolis, and routed higher traffic over the Chain of Lakes.

The RNAV plan was original-ly proposed in fall of 2012 by the FAA and presented to the MAC board for approval. Based on community feedback, the MAC board voted to support only partial implementation of

the FAA plan, withholding sup-port for RNAV departures off runways 30L and 30R.

In response, the FAA agreed to complete a Safety Management Study; the outcome noted in the FAA’s letter states that imple-menting RNAV departures on some runways and not others could create “unacceptable safe-ty risks.”

As a result of the study, the FAA will not implement RNAV

REVIEW page 5

FAA page 6

DEBATE page 12

APPROVAL page 5

Pete Keeling of Collage Architects and Elizabeth Liebhard of Master Builders present a potential development for the corner of Franklin and Lyndale Avenues. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

2 - MARCH 2014 www.scribd.com/UptownNews

Uptown Neighborhood News wants to hear from the community News tips, story ideas, articles, photos with captions, letters to the editor and commentary are welcomed and encouraged. Send by the 15th of the month to [email protected] or UNN, 3612 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409.

All submissions must be relevant to Uptown. Letters to the Editor are limited to 250 words. High resolution photos are required. We reserve the right to decide whether or not a piece will be published and to edit for space, clarity, appropriateness or legal concerns. We need to know your name, address, phone number, e-mail and neighborhood.

UNN is a monthly publication of Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG) in cooperation with the East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO). UNN covers the news of Uptown and is delivered free to households within the area bounded by Lyndale Avenue and Lake Calhoun, between Lake Street and 36th Street. Copies are distributed to businesses in the Uptown area. Circulation is 5,200 with a pass-along readership of 10,000. Publication and distribution is before the first of every month. Contributors are area residents who volunteer their time to bring the news of the area to residents.

UNN is managed by a board of local citizens with the ECCO and CARAG Boards each appointing three representatives. Monthly meetings are held at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, 3450 Irving Avenue from 7 pm to 9 pm the first Wednesday of the month, unless otherwise scheduled. Meetings are open to the public. Contact [email protected] to confirm and/or request time on the agenda.

Copyright © 2014 Uptown Neighborhood News

Editor Jessica Van Gilder (Lyndale) [email protected]

Art Direction and Production Bruce Cochran (CARAG) [email protected]

Advertising Susan Hagler (CARAG) 612.825.7780 [email protected]

Managing Board Ralph Knox, President (ECCO) Elizabeth Walke, Treasurer (CARAG) Anja Curiskis, Secretary (ECCO) Nancy Riestenberg (CARAG) Pat Rounds (ECCO) Samantha Strong (CARAG)

Contributing Photographers Bruce Cochran, Wayne Kryduba, Lyndel Owens, Aaron Shaffer

Contributing Writers Michelle Beauliu, Trilby Busch, Dwight M. Carlson, Bruce Cochran, Gary Farland, Gabrielle Landsverk, Lyndel Owens, Wendy Schadewald, Monica Smith, Jessica Van Gilder, Sabra Waldfogel

Newspaper Circulation CARAG/ECCO/Uptown Circulation: Bill Boudreau, Justin Jagoe

DEADLINE for submissions to

The Uptown Neighborhood News is THE 15TH OF THE PREVIOUS MONTH(email: uptownnews

@yahoo.com)

Divine Liturgy Sunday 9:30 am

Fr. Paul Paris Fr. Thomas Alatzakis

3450 Irving Ave. South (overlooking Lake Calhoun)

www.stmarysgoc.org (612) 825-9595

2ND COLOR PLATEOpinion Exchange

Sundays: 8:30am Traditional Service 10:30am Jazz WorshipAsh Wednesday 3/5 at 7pmWednesdays 3/12, 3/19, 3/26 Lenten Services at 7:30pm with supper prior

Spirit-led. Welcoming. Bold. Rooted.

Part of SpringHouse Ministry Center

At her first Breakfast with Bender, Ward 10 Council Member Lisa Bend-er invited the community to engage in a conversation with special guests Congressman Keith Ellison and County Commissioner Gail Dorf-man. The topic of the discussion at the Egg & I Restaurant on Feb. 19 was “Ending Homelessness.” Alluding to the challenges facing the homeless in some parts of Minneapolis, Bender described how “Overnight shelters are allowed only as accessories to religious institutions. There is a downtown shelter overlay district that allows shelters as a conditional use for other uses (not just religious institutions).” (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

Ending Homelessness

Thank You!Last Monday night after the snow ended I struggled to remove the berm the plows had made at the end of my driveway. A car stopped and two woman got out with their shovels and helped me remove all the heavy wet snow. I didn't get their names but I wish to encour-age and applaud their neighborly good deed. Thank you to my snow angels.

Uptown Association Community Leader of the Year Award winner Dwight M. Carlson

Don’t Blow the RedBy Bruce Cochran

One year ago, while riding my bike down Hennepin I was pushed over the centerline by a car traveling in the same direc-tion and went careening over the front hood of an oncoming car. Thrown up into a somersault and landing in the middle of the 28th Street intersection I was fortunate enough to be able to hobble out of the street to avoid being run over. I sustained only minor injury.

Bicyclist-motorist crash density in Uptown by the City of Minneapolis, 2000-2010. Larger circles represent more crashes. (Based on bicyclist-motorist crashes from 2000-2010 as reported to the City of Minneapolis by the Minneapo-lis Police Department and Minneapolis Park Police.)

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Size MattersDevelopment at Franklin-LyndaleGuest Editorial by Trilby Busch

At the Feb. 13 meeting of the LHENA Zoning and Planning Com-mittee, developer Don Gerberding presented plans for a proposed mixed-use building at the Franklin-Lyndale intersection. Gerberding contended that the development, which would require five zoning variances, needs to be this big to be “economically feasible.” Many in the standing-room-only crowd found fault with various aspects of the development, such as height, mass, noise, and parking. In response to the concerns voiced, Gerberding said he would “tweak” the design.

SIZE page 3

RED page 3

I was upset by the inattentive driver, but he was long gone after the accident. I realized that even though it might have felt good to scream at him, it wouldn’t change his behavior. Screaming at someone usually just makes matters worse. Although I ride all year, I’m sometimes a driver and pedestrian too.

In order to make systemic change within the traffic culture we cyclists need to be better rid-ers and use our numbers to show drivers that we respect everyone

on the road–because we’re all vehicles looking for predictabil-ity.

Our first reaction may be anger, sadness or fear to the bike acci-dent on Franklin Avenue that killed Marcus Nalls on February 3. But the best thing we can do as cyclists right now in light of this tragedy is be strong in our numbers and be as predictable as possible on the road. This may be hard to swallow since we may even feel helpless in light of the fact the Nalls was doing all the right things to be seen and be safe.

The reality is, as much as we’d like to believe otherwise, even driving a car is an inherently dangerous activity. Thirty-three people were killed on Hennepin County roads in 2012. Only seven were alcohol related deaths. We could be killed while driving a car safely too. Sometimes trage-dy strikes even when we do all of the right things.

“Don’t blow the red” One of the simplest things we can do to improve our credibility is not riding through red lights. I’m pragmatic. I know it’s been cold out there and it’s tempt-ing just to get on our way. I also know that as humans we’re not going to stop at every light in every part of town. So my pro-posal goes like this.

It’s essentially respecting the red light in high visibility areas such as Lake and Hennepin, Lake and Lyndale or Franklin and Henne-pin. You be the judge; you may be in the middle of nowhere and it may not be a big deal without anyone around. I get it. But in high traffic areas, using hand sig-nals, riding predictably and not running lights goes a long way as a strong branding statement for Uptown cyclists. The more often the better.

Not only does it create predict-ability for other drivers but it also keeps drivers from generat-ing emotional ammunition that “all cyclists disrespect the law.” I’m a realist. It’s been cold and we have a lot of snow do deal with. I know we’re not all going to respect all intersections all the time–even cars blow through stop signs or slide through with-

MARCH 2014 UPTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS - 3 .www.scribd.com/UptownNews

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CITIZEN ACTION

CARAG Neighborhood612.823.2520 [email protected]

East Isles Neighborhood612.821.0131 [email protected]

ECCO Neighborhood612.821.0131 [email protected]

Lowry Hill E. Neighborhood612.377.5023 [email protected]

Minneapolis Information311

Mpls. Park & Rec. BoardBrad Bourn 612.230.6443 ext. 6 [email protected] Anita Tabb 612.230.6400 ext. 4 [email protected]

Mpls. Public Schools612.668.0000 [email protected]

City Councilperson (Ward 10) Lisa Bender 612.669.3286 [email protected]

Mayor Betsy Hodges612.673.2100 [email protected].

State Senator (60) D. Scott Dibble651.296.4191 [email protected]

State Representative (61A) Frank Hornstein651.296.9281 [email protected]

State Representative (61B)Paul Thissen651.296.5375 [email protected]

Governor Mark Dayton651.201.3400 [email protected]

U.S. Congressman (5th) Keith Ellison612.522.1212 www.ellison.house.gov

U.S. Senator Al Franken202.224.5641 [email protected]

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar202.224.3244 www.klobuchar.senate.gov

President Barack Obama202.456.1111 [email protected]

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“Tweaking”, however, will not fix the basic problem, name-ly, that Gerberding’s proposal requires spot zoning. Gerberding is asking for a building two sto-ries higher than current zoning permits. In addition, he wants a variance that allows his com-plex to be erected within 3 feet of the property line of the Aldrich Avenue buildings. Gerberding

out stopping sometimes.

Even a slight improvement in the cycling behavior of our entire culture can go a long way. Not only does it improve our stand-ing in the traffic community but it also makes us visible as a strong enduring cycling commu-nity.

So the next time politicians and

ding’s proposal, it had better lay out documented proof that the spot zoning will not have nega-tive consequences for residents and City taxpayers. If the City decides to gloss over problems and approve the variances, it should provide just compensa-tion for property owners who will be very negatively impacted by the development.

Vague assurances that the pro-posal fits the City’s plan for increased density at transit hubs are not good enough. The claim that the size/height of the build-ing and number of rental units can be justified because the City endorses public transportation is disingenuous. Traffic snarls and severely limited parking are already acute problems at this intersection and in the sur-rounding neighborhoods. Min-neapolis currently is the nation’s most bike-friendly city, but this has had no discernible impact in relieving congestion at this cross-roads of two major traffic arter-ies at an Interstate on/off-ramp. The complex with its for-pay “district parking” would make

the intersection a bigger bottle-neck for years to come.

Why does the City have a zon-ing code, if it is to be selectively applied according to developers’ “needs”? Approving spot zoning opens up the City to demands from other property owners for equal treatment. To avoid com-munity rancor and potential lawsuits, the City must do an objective harm/benefit analysis of the impact of the zoning vari-ances on surrounding properties. This process must be transpar-ent, with claims by City officials of neighborhood support backed up with specifics.

Gerberding began his Wedge presentation by telling us that he designed this project for the ben-efit of the neighborhood. Don’t do us any favors. If he finds it impossible to come up with an “economically feasible” develop-ment that conforms to the prop-erty’s zoning, let another more imaginative and resourceful developer take a crack at it.

Trilby Busch resides in the Lowry Hill East Neighborhood.

SIZE from 2

RED from 2

Northern Technologies, Inc. (NTI) of Minneapolis, drills into the soil on the southwest corner of Franklin and Lyndale Avenues. NTI specializes in Geotechnical Engineering, Forensic Engineering, Environmental Site Assessment and Construction Materials Testing. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

This is a view looking northwest across Lyndale Avenue. Directly behind the site are apartment buildings and homes on Aldrich Avenue. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

is asking that the City give his project special treatment, allow-ing him to build a much larger building than zoning allows.

Most of the objections to this proposal would be addressed if the project were redesigned to conform to the parcel’s cur-rent C1-C2 zoning. My friend Mike, whose father represented

Minneapolis’s Third Ward in the 1950s, told me that when he read through his dad’s papers, he was struck by how many of the correspondences concerned zoning—scores of applicants thinking that their businesses should be made exceptions to the law. If the City is going to give special dispensation to Gerber-

planners work on infrastruc-ture they can’t ignore our num-bers and credible presence. City planners regularly assess street safety for cyclists in addition to other traffic when rebuilding or repairing our roads. Let’s be there when they do.

Bruce Cochran is Art Director and in charge of Production for the Uptown Neighborhood News and resides in CARAG.


crime & safety

Chelsea Adams, Crime Prevention Specialist 612.673.2819 or [email protected]

Crimes By Location January 7 - February 10

“Burglary Residential” includes garages, attached or unattached, and may include unlocked or open doors.

LEGENDRape

Robbery Business

Robbery Person

Shooting

*Sound of Shots Fired

Theft from Motor Vehicle

R

*ShotSpotter detects gunshots using multiple sensors, triangulates the position of the gunshot with great accuracy, and immediately alerts 911 operators, who can quickly dispatch police.

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Arson

Auto Theft

Burglary Business

Burglary Residential

Domestic Aggr. Assault

Larceny (Other Theft)

Narcotics Arrest

Map Notes

Larger icons represent more recent activity within the five week period.

On Feb. 12, at approximately 6:18 p.m., Caitlan Barton of the West Calhoun neighborhood, was waiting at a red light that controls traf-fic on southbound Market Plaza at West Lake Street. When the light turned green, she began to cross the road and was struck by a com-mercial vehicle turning right at that intersection.

A Minneapolis Fifth Precinct squad was within a block of the crash and responded to render aid. At that intersection, there is also a Min-neapolis Fire Station. An ambulance was at that station and respond-ed to the scene immediately.

Barton was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center with life threatening injuries. On Thursday, Feb. 13, Barton died from those injuries. The driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with the accident investigation. It does not appear that drugs or alco-hol is a factor in this crash. Minneapolis Police and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner continue their investigations.

A memorial service was held for Caitlan Barton, age 25, near the intersec-tion of Lake Street West and Market. Hennepin County Commissioner Gail Dorfman, State Senator, Scott Dibble, State Representative, Frank Hornstein, Park Commissioner Meg Forney, West Calhoun and Cedar Isles Dean Neigh-borhood Association members were also in attendance. When asked what could be done to improve this intersection, outgoing Commissioner Dorfman described the complexity of the location. “The are many stakeholders coming together at this intersection.” Citing the neighborhood organizations, the Parks, the Cities, the County as well as Metro Council, Dorfman said “Unless these organizations can work together we won’t have a long term solution.” (Photo by Aaron Shaffer)

Pedestrian Caitlan Barton Struck by TruckWest Calhoun resident dies from injuries after accident at Market Plaza and Lake St.

Winter Parking Restrictions DeclaredCity officials have evaluated the condition of the streets, and have determined that Winter Parking Restrictions need to be implement-ed to help keep many residential streets passable for emergency vehi-cles and other drivers.

This means parking will be banned on the even numbered side of non-Snow-Emergency-routes until April 1, unless conditions allow the City to lift the ban earlier. Parking is allowed on Snow Emer-gency routes, Parkways, and the odd numbered side of non-Snow Emergency-routes. Drivers parking in Minneapolis must now follow

WINTER page 6


2ND COLOR PLATE

The analysis was also designed to account for the needs and concerns of residents and to “promote growth and development” in the corri-dor, according to the report.

Other components that factored into the final decision included an increase in transit users, economic equity and development through mobility and access, as well as cost-effectiveness in both implementa-tion and maintenance.

Using these criteria, the MCAA identified an arterial bus rapid tran-sit (BRT) system for Lake Street, and a single- or double-rail line for Uptown, as most beneficial, while also earning public support and resulting in a lesser adverse impact on existing infrastructure. The PAC’s final vote determined that both of these systems, rather than either enhanced bus or rail alone, would be most effective at meeting the stated goals.

Combined, the new systems could increase ridership by 32,000 people by 2030, according to MCAA projections. In addition to increasing capacity, the chosen systems also improve travel times; the new rail system is expected to take 13 minutes to travel from West Lake to Hiawatha, compared to 42 minutes for the local bus system.

The projections also state the new BRT is expected to make the trip from Uptown to Snelling in only 42 minutes, 15 minutes faster than the local bus.

The new transit systems are expected to cost between 235 and 270 million dollars in total to implement, as well as an additional 15 mil-lion annually to run both the enhanced bus and the rail.

Following the decision, Metro Transit stated the project will proceed with further research and analysis to determine the details of the new bus and rail lines before concrete plans for implementation are decid-ed.

Areas for further development include track and station design, bike and pedestrian path compatibility, and preserving “historical and cul-tural resources.”

For more information and all reports, visit metrotransit.org/mid-town-corridor.

By Gary Farland

Braving the ice and cold, 847 DFLers attended precinct cau-cuses in Senate District 61 last Feb. 4. Precinct 10-3 in East Cal-houn had a robust 50 attendees, while the CARAG numbers were lower, perhaps due to some confusion about the location for 10-4 and a distant location at Jef-ferson School for 10-6. They had 23 and 17 attendees respectively.

The race that brought the most contest for delegate spots was for the Hennepin County District 3 convention, which will be held April 6 at Ramsey Middle School in conjunction with the Henne-pin County DFL convention.

Both East Calhoun and CARAG are in District 3, which includes Southwest Minneapolis and St. Louis Park. With only 126 del-egates to the District 3 DFL convention there will be intense competition to obtain the neces-sary 60 percent of delegates for endorsement.

A DFL candidate debate for the District 3 seat was held Jan. 30 at SpringHouse Ministry in South Minneapolis. There was a packed house and a spirited debate between St. Louis Park City Council Member Anne Mavity, Hennepin County pros-ecutor Ben Schweigert, public policy consultant Katie Hatt, former state Sen. Ken Kalesh and former state Rep. Marion Greene.

The primary for 3rd District Hennepin County Commission-er will be held April 29 and will narrow the field to two candi-dates, regardless of party affili-ation. The special election will be held May 14. Incumbent Gail Dorfman retired early at the end of February, bringing about the special election.

The countywide conventions will endorse for the county sher-iff and county attorney posts which will be up for election in November. The incumbents

2316 Colfax Avenue, demolish the buildings and build a 48-unit apartment building in place of the rooming houses. After a determi-nation by the HPC in May 2013 that the 2320 property merited his-toric protection the City Council upheld the HPC’s finding in June 2013, which halted demolition of the property.

The owner of both properties, Michael Crow is in poor health. Over the past decade he has had two open heart surgeries, back surgery and expects to have another back surgery that “will make it impos-sible for me to ever be able to do the work that is required to run the rooming house,” Crow explained. “Rooming houses are much more labor intensive than other types of rentals. It’s very important to me not to leave a mess for my family if something does happen to me.”

Jefferson ElementaryMarch Calendar 3 Site Council, 5pm, NO PTO

CPEO, 6pm

7 Plant Orders Due

Jefferson Elementary Sells Spring with Plant SaleSales help activities remain open to all students

The funds raised from the plant sale allow the school to con-tinue to provide family and community events as well as subsi-dize field trips and athletic fees for students.

For more than 23 years, Jefferson has partnered with Earl Holasek Greenhouses (founded in 1957) to supply their plants. They have heard consistent praise about their beauty and durability.

At this time the school is asking all alumni, family, friends and neighbors who may be interested in supporting Jefferson by participating in the plant sale. For additional plant sale infor-mation please contact Elizabeth Hale at [email protected] or 612.668.2749.

Deadline for orders is March 7. Plants will be ready for pick-up at Jefferson School on May 7 from 12-6:30 p.m.

Congratulations to Jefferson Students Jabril Collie (6th grade) won Jefferson’s Spelling Bee.

The Jefferson Robotics Team received first place in the Lakes C division for “Teamwork” at the district tournament in Jan-uary.

Jefferson Community School, 1200 W. 26th St. Community Contact: Elizabeth Hale 612.668.2749, [email protected]

Caucuses Over, Now to the Conventions

Republican Sheriff Rich Staneck and DFLer County Attorney Mike Freeman are expected to run.

The Republicans of Senate Dis-trict 61 met at Burroughs Ele-mentary School on caucus night and conducted a straw poll for U.S. senator and governor, which the DFLers did not do. The 113 delegates voting for governor had Jeff Johnson and Marty Seif-ert nearly tied for first and Dave Thompson third. Statewide, Sei-fert came in first with Thomp-son second and Johnson coming in third.

For the U.S. Senate, the poll in SD61 was overwhelmingly for Mike McFadden with Julianne Ortman second. Statewide, Ort-man was first and McFadden second. SD61 Republicans will have an endorsing convention March 29 at Burroughs Elemen-tary School, 1601 W. 50 St., and the Republican state convention will take place May 30 in Roch-ester.

The 5th District Green Party met on caucus night in Min-neapolis, but no endorsements have been announced. The state party will hold an endorsing convention May 3 in Duluth, and the national party will hold its national convention July 25 at Macalester College. This cele-

brates the 30th anniversary of the Green Party, which held its first convention at Macalester in 1984.

The DFL SD61 will meet March 15 at Washburn High School to endorse for the Minnesota House and will elect delegates to the state convention, which will be held May 30 in Duluth. Both East Calhoun and CARAG are represented by Speaker of the House Paul Thissen, who is run-ning for re-election. The state party conventions will nominate for all of the statewide elected offices and for the U.S. Senate.

The DFL city convention will be held April 26 at Willey Hall on the University’s West Bank to select nominees for the Minneap-olis School Board. The elections in November will be in the city eastern Districts 1, 3 and 5. East Calhoun and CARAG are in District 4 and so will not have a district election, but will partic-ipate in the election of the two at-large seats.

For the at-large seats Board Chair Richard Mammen is not seeking re-election, but incum-bent Rebecca Gagnon is. Joining her so far in the DFL are Iris Altamirano of Northeast Min-neapolis and Ira Jourdain of the East Phillips Neighborhood.

Gary Farland resides in the East Calhoun Neighborhood.

APPROVAL from 1

REVIEW from 1

Several caucuses were held last month, including this DFL caucus on Feb. 4 at Jefferson Elementary School. (Photo by Lyndel Owens)

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Is Your House History a Mystery? If Your Walls Could Talk . . .Bring the past alive with architect and building records, census records, photos, social events captured in a keepsake folio.Kathleen Kullberg House Historian/Detective [email protected] (612) 374-4456

Follow the UNN on Facebook & TwitterFriend us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter: @UptownNewsMpls


Bakken Museum, Solhem, Wedge Co-op are three of 11 totalProvided by Hennepin County

Hennepin County has awarded funding to 11 businesses or organiza-tions to start or improve programs that divert recyclables and organ-ics (food and non-recyclable paper) from the trash. These grants will help with the purchase of recycling containers, equipment, hauling services, and minor improvements to loading docks and waste enclo-sures.

• WedgeCo-opreceived$38,864toimproverecyclingandorganicsrecycling. This project will use a new kind of roll-off container that allows the Wedge to store more organic waste for longer periods of time with minimal odor issues and reduce hauling costs.

• BakkenMuseumreceived$6,387toaddmorecontainerstoincreaserecycling by employees and guests.

• Solhem received $5,180 to construct a recycling chute at a newmultifamily property and make recycling available on every floor to increase recycling participation by tenants.

Helping businesses improve their recycling is an important strate-gy toward meeting the county’s goal of recycling at least half of the waste generated in the county by 2015. The business sector generates more than half of the total waste in Hennepin County, and nearly two-thirds of waste created at businesses is recyclable.

Grants still availableRecyclinggrantsforupto$50,000willcontinuetobeavailable.Mostbusinesses and non-profits in the county—from large office buildings to churches, restaurants and apartment buildings—are eligible to apply. Applications are due March 15 for the next round of funding.

Hennepin County has staff available to answer questions about the grant application, review project ideas, evaluate potential costs and savings, and offer resources to start and improve recycling and organ-ics programs. For more information and to apply, visit hennepin.us/businessrecycling or call 612-543-1316.

The Wedge Co-op is located at 2105 Lyndale Ave. (Photo by Lyndel Owens)

Three Uptown Businesses Win Recycling Grants

Solhem is located at 3021 Holmes Ave. (Photo by Lyndel Owens)

these Winter Parking Restric-tions, or they could be ticketed and towed.

Minneapolis has had about 57 inches of snow so far this win-ter, with very little melting in between snowfalls, so most of it is still here. This means snow, even when it’s plowed, has begun to encroach on residential streets. That leads to the narrowing of streets that can pose a safety haz-ard when emergency vehicles, such as fire trucks and ambu-lances, cannot navigate these streets to reach people who need assistance.

WINTER from 4

Door-to-Door PrizesThe 17th Annual Chilly Chili Fest at Bryant Square Park treated participants to lots of hot chili, desserts and door prizes from local businesses. The Feb. 23 CARAG event benefited Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

It is possible that Snow Emer-gencies can be declared while Winter Parking Restrictions are in place. When it snows, folks should take advantage of the many tools the City offers to find out if a Snow Emergency is declared.

Additional parking restrictions on Bryant and Grand avenues

The City has also restricted parking on Bryant and Grand avenues in southwest Minne-apolis, because those streets are major bus routes and the nar-rowed streets force buses to cross the centerline into opposing traf-fic. Signs are posted prohibiting parking on the even numbered side of these streets. Parking is

banned on Bryant from Lake Street to 50th Street, and on Grand from Lake Street to 48th Street. Both these streets are Snow Emergency routes, so they are not affected by Winter Park-ing Restrictions. However, both these streets are narrow enough that they pose problems for emergency vehicles, buses, and other drivers. These restrictions, along with the Winter Parking Restrictions, will remain in place until April 1 unless conditions allow for normal parking to resume.

More information is available at minneapolismn.gov/snow/snow_winter-parking-restric-tions or 612.348.SNOW.

FAA from 1

departures for any runways at MSP at this time but will, however, move forward with the approved RNAV arrival pro-cedures on a timeline still to be determined. The arrival flight paths will not change by using the RNAV technology.

Jeff Hamiel, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, said that safety must remain the top pri-ority.

“While we had initially hoped the FAA could implement RNAV departures in areas to the south and east of the airport

where there were significant opportunities to reduce noise impacts, we obviously don’t want them to do so if they believe a partial implementation would be unsafe,” Hamiel said.

The FAA letter does not indicate a timeline for revisiting the issue of RNAV departures at MSP.

“If RNAV SIDs [departures] are reconsidered by FAA at any time in the future,” the letter states, “we would welcome the oppor-tunity to work with you and the MSP Noise Oversight Commit-tee on a community outreach plan as outlined in your Febru-ary 1, 2013 letter.”

That letter from MAC CEO Jeff Hamiel to FAA Airspace Ser-vice Director Dennis Roberts recommended that any future effort by the FAA to imple-ment RNAV departures at MSP involve a significant FAA out-reach program to affected com-munities, early coordination with community leaders, invest-ment of adequate resources to address local expectations, and authorization for local air traffic control representatives to lead resource allocation and commu-nity outreach efforts.

To view a copy of the FAA’s let-ter to MAC and read further about the decision, visit mac-noise.com/news.

Before Winter Parking Restrictions were declared on February 22, the City had already reduced parts of Bryant Avenue to one-sided parking in early February. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)


A good neighbor is one you can rely on to be there.To schedule an appointment, call 612-873-6963.

Client: Hennepin County Medical Center Color: 4C

Job# HCMC-1213-3 (Due 2/17/14) Publication: Uptown News

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Whittier Clinic

• Integrative health specialists including acupuncture and chiropractic

• Same day/next day appointments

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• Prenatal care and pediatrics

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Andrea and her dog Lover Boy. (Photo by Lyndel Owens)

One Year After West Lake Fire Andrea Johnson Looks Forward

UNN is seeking an additional ad sales representative for our monthly publication. Part time, commission based opportunity.

ADDITIONAL UNN AD REP

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Contact: [email protected].

Preservation Alliance highlights historic Barbette BuildingProvided by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota

Preservation is all about love – whether it’s the school you grew up attending, the home you live in now, or your favorite corner bar. To help spread that message, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) has launched its first ever Heart Bombing initiative.

Heart Bombing began in Buffalo, New York to raise awareness about the number of vacant historic homes in the city. Since then, communities around the country have adopted this effort, and now PAM has brought it to Minnesota. This very public display of affec-tion is a way to show the positive impact and importance (financially, culturally and aesthetically) that old buildings have on community.

Since February 10, PAM has been affixing Valentines to a number of old buildings around the Twin Cities area including Barbette, Schmidt Brewery and a once abandoned home in North Minneap-olis.

Barbette one of five buildings featuredAnchoring a highly visible Uptown block, Cafe Barbette, at 1600 Lake Street, is one of several Kim Bartmann restaurants housed in an old building. Above the eatery is Thebe & Co., a communications-de-sign firm. For a complete list of selected properties see mnpreserva-tion.org.

About the Preservation Alliance of MinnesotaPAM is a statewide, private, nonprofit organization advocating for the preservation of Minnesota’s historic resources.

Building LoveCafe Barbette at street level Thebe & Co. on the second floor are both located in the building at 1600 Lake Street. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

By Lyndel Owens

The setting of Andrea Johnson’s home may have changed, but her sense of community remains.

Johnson, one of 13 residents impacted by the Dec. 28, 2012 condominium fire at 1508 West Lake Street, has rebuilt her life on the cusp of Uptown overlook-ing Cedar Lake with the help of friends, family, strangers, and a few tunes from Twin Cities musician Venus De Mars, who played at one of her fundraisers.

“The community really came to the rescue, like the Brueggers next door. I just really appreciate them for what they did collect-ing everything.”

Friends chipped in, outfitting her with new clothes, Wags and Whiskers gifted her a new pet cat, neighbors donated a table and stereo currently outfitting her new home, and others sent gifts of jewelry, books, book-marks, cards, and inspirational messages.

Johnson lost her writing port-folio, her cat, and generations worth of family history.

Two days before the fire John-son had retrieved her childhood memorabilia from her parents’ home. She had spent those two days cleaning and rearranging her home to highlight the fami-ly heirlooms. Her grandfather’s cast-iron skillet used in the lum-ber camps, her mother’s letters to her as a young woman, the photo album that had accompanied her grandmother as she emigrated from the Ukraine to Canada—

they all were in her care.

“It all went up in flames. I lost all those memories. I lost all my cards from my mom. Everything is gone,” says Johnson.

But most wrenching of all was the loss of her cat, BabyBoy, who ran back into the burning build-ing after escaping Johnson’s grip.

As Johnson and fellow residents watched the fire with increasing concern, Johnson’s cat BabyBoy clawed his way over her shoul-der and sprinted back into the burning building. Johnson pur-sued him, but concerned her dog Lover Boy would follow her, turned back.

“Then when they smashed out my front window I went ‘Oh crud. They’re inside with their masks’.”

Though Johnson replays those moments still, she’s focusing on forward momentum.

“I love this neighborhood. The thing is it’s hard for me to go back. I avoid Lake Street. I take the long route, because I start crying. […] You cannot look back. You have to be disci-plined, you have to look at the good, you have to mourn, and you cry when you need to. You have to do the best you can and accept life as it is. All the sadness in the world isn’t going to bring back my kitty or my stuff or my mom’s letters to me.”

With that mindset, Johnson has been enjoying the loons and owls she can hear in the quiet of night at her new place, across from the lake, and reveling in the fun to be had living in an apartment nestled between Scott Weber’s infamous “Party Palace” and a friend’s place.

“I’m grateful to have this place, grateful for my friends who came to my rescue. I’m beyond fortunate, and everyone in my building is beyond fortunate, that we lived through this, con-sidering the absolutely horrific tragedies of the most recent fires in the Cedar-Riverside Neigh-borhoods and in North Min-neapolis. It could have been so much worse. What we have to deal with is absolutely nothing compared to lives lost, especially the lives of precious children.”

Lyndel Owens resides in CARAG.

THE UPTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

IS NOW AVAILABLE AT THESE SELECT LOCATIONS

Bremer Bank

Brueggers Bagels

Bryant Square Park

Cheapo Records

Chiang Mai Thai

Common Roots Cafe

Dunn Bros (Hennepin & 34th)

Dunn Bros (Lake & Bryant)

Falafel King

Famous Dave’s BBQ

Gigi’s Café

Health Resource Center

Hennepin-Lake Liquors

Isles Bun & Coffee

It’s Greek to Me

Joyce Food Shelf

Joyce United Methodist Church

Kowalski’s Market

Magers & Quinn

Mohn Electric & Lighting

Lagoon Theatre

Parents Automotive

Pizza Luce

Rainbow Foods

Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream Cafe

Southwest Senior Center

Subway

Spyhouse Coffee Shop

Uptown Diner

Tea Garden

Treetops At Calhoun

Vail Place

Walker Place

The Wedge Co-op

YWCA (Uptown)


Calhoun Area Residents Action GroupCARAG report

LAKE CALHOU

N

Lake St.

36th St.

Hennepin

Ave

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Lyndale

Ave.

The CARAG Board meets the third Tuesday of each month, 7 pm at Bryant Park Community Center, 31st and Bryant. All CARAG residents are welcome and urged to attend.

CARAG Neighborhood Meeting

CARAG | 3612 Bryant Avenue S | Minneapolis, MN 55409 www.carag.org | [email protected] | 612.823.2520

Join the CARAG E-update at www.carag.org to receive emails about CARAG activities and events.

On the agenda…•Council Member Lisa Bender• Election forVacant BoardSeat• AndMore!

Tuesday, March 20, 7pm BryantSquarePark(3101BryantAveS)

CARAG CHILLY CHILI FESTThankstoalltheareabusinessesfortheirdonations,aswellastoCommunityPartnersforsponsorshipoftheevent:

BelleWeather Bobiam Car2Go-Minneapolis CB2 CentralBank ChaingMaiThai TheChairSalon ComedySportz ComicBookCollege TheCornerBalloon Shoppe

Davanni’sPizza TheGilbert&SullivanVery LightOperaCompany JohnFluevogShoes &Leather JungleTheatre KitchenWindow Lucia’sDeli Magers&Quinn MidtownGreenway Coalition

SalonLaVonte SchatzleinSaddleShop ShoeZoo StateFarmInsurance UrbanWorks UptownAssociation UptownVet YWCAUptown

Bull Run Coffee

Door Prize & Silent Auction Donors

2ND COLOR PLATE

Calhoun Area Residents Action Group (CARAG), Monthly Neighborhood Meeting Minutes, February 18, 2014. DRAFT: Sub-ject to approval at the March 2014 CARAG Meeting. Minutes record-ed and submitted by Michelle Beauliu.

AttendanceMichelle Beaulieu, Diana Boege-mann, Carol Bouska, Cameron

Conway, Jay Lindgren, Maura Lynch, Nancy Riestenberg, & Samantha Strong

Introductions & Announcements• The meeting was called to

order at 7:08 p.m. Board mem-bers and attendees introduced themselves.

Community Forum• There was a question regard-

ing the 60/40 and 70/30 food to alcohol sales requirement for restaurants. This item will be part of a future CARAG meeting agenda when more information is available.

• No parking restrictions havebeen enacted on Bryant Ave-

nue south of Lake Street through the end of winter. The restrictions are in place because Bryant is too narrow for buses and emergency vehi-cles to pass due to the snow.

Agenda & Minutes• Motion, seconded to approve

the agenda as presented. Approved.

• Motion, seconded to approvethe January 21, 2014 minutes. Approved.

Bryant Square Park Update: Jaree’ Peppers• All 47-park ice rinks will

remain open past the origi-nal closing date of February 17 because of continued cold weather. Watch the minneap-olisparks.org website for more details.

• Summer program registrationbegins April 12.

• Registration for the Rec PlusSummer Program begins March 18.

Bobiam: Joel Beardseth• Beardseth operates Bobiam, a

creative for-profit art business, at Hennepin and Lagoon. Bobiam sells art created by youth 17 and under at its loca-tion in Uptown and across the country. Young artists submit their artwork and receive a commission when it is used in a product such as clothing, cof-fee mugs, and other products.

Home Energy Squad: Emma Struss-CEE• Struss described the Home

Energy Squad and the home

energy audits they provide. Most Minneapolis homeown-ers pay $70 for this service,but CARAG subsidizes the cost for neighbors making it only $30. Participants receivealmost $400 in products andservices including free CFL light bulbs, a blower-door test, and insulation.

City Council Report: CM Lisa Bender / Ben S.•OneononemeetingswithCM

Bender will take place each month at different locations in the 10th Ward. The next date is February 24 at Common Roots cafe.

•Benderwillinitiatediscussionsabout reconstruction of West 29th Street later this spring. There is around $700,000 inthe 2014 budget for planning and construction.

• Bender described a sidewalksnow and ice removal pilot project that is taking place in CARAG. The City is partner-ing with private contractors to remove snow from sidewalks based on complaints to 311. The pilot project has reduced the amount of time it takes for the City to enforce the snow clearance ordinance and ensure sidewalks are cleared.

CARAG Board Vacancy• One CARAG Board seat

is now vacant after Court-ney Blair moved to Boston in December. No candidates came forward, so an election to fill the seat will take place in March.

Land Use & Transportation Committee• Conway described the last

LU&T meeting on February 11 where more than 30 neigh-bors came out to discuss the potential rezoning of 716/ 718 West 34th Street from R2B to C1. After much discussion the committee deadlocked on resolutions supporting or opposing the rezoning. So, no resolution was forwarded to the CARAG Board.

• The Minneapolis PlanningCommission and Zoning & Planning committee have each endorsed the rezoning. The issue goes to the full City Council on February 21 for final action.

Who’s Got Game?From his first store in Mankato, Owner Kareem Wazwaz explained why he chose to open a second store. “We’re coming to Uptown because we think there’s a market for everything we sell. Unlike the Internet, you can come here and see what you’re buying first.” We Got Game is opening in March at 2321 Hennepin Ave. Buying and selling video games, as well as repairing cellphones, computers, electronics and game consoles, the store will also host gaming tournaments. More info at 507.779.7400. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

Blush by Kay is a new boutique now open in Calhoun Square below LA Fitness. “Blush is independently owned and prides itself by carrying afford-able, unique apparel and accessories for women. Only 6 to 10 pieces of each style are purchased to set Blush apart from larger retail stores,” said founder Kristy Schwintek. More info at facebook.com/blushbykay.

Blush by Kay

Livability Committee: Cindy Christian• The 17th annual CARAG

Chilly Chili Fest is set for Feb-ruary 23. The event features chili for only $3 a bowl withproceeds going to the Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. Bremer Bank, Bryant Lake Bowl, Bull Run Coffee, and Medica are co-sponsoring the event.

• Attendees can expect doorprizes, art activities from Aldrich Arts Collaborative, and a silent auction.

•TheLivabilityCommitteealsohas been working on Green Team projects including pro-moting recycling and com-posting, as well as adding trash containers in the neighbor-hood.

Treasurer’s Report• Engel presented the draft

2014-2016 Community Par-ticipation Program (CPP) submission. The document describes how CARAG will engage neighbors and spend $43,333eachofthethreeyears.Motion Seconded to approve the 2014-2016 CPP submis-sion. Approved.

• Each year CARAG completesa Charitable Organization Report to the MN Attorney General registering the orga-nization’s activities. Motion, Seconded to approve the fol-lowing resolution authorizing Boegemann and Conway to sign the report on behalf of CARAG. Approved.

“We, the undersigned, state and acknowledge that we are duly constituted officers of this orga-nization, being the President and Vice President respectively, that we execute this document on behalf of the organization, pursuant to the resolution of the CARAG Board of Direc-tors, adopted on the 18th day of February 2014, approving the contents of the document, and do hereby certify that the CARAG Board of Directors has assumed, and will continue to assume, responsibility for deter-mining matters of policy, and have supervised, and will con-tinue to supervise, the finances of the organization. Information is true, correct and complete to the best of our knowledge.”

Adjourn

•Meetingadjournedat8:25p.m.


Short Redhead Reel ReviewsBy Wendy Schadewald [Rating Legend: (4=Don’t miss, 3=Good, 2=Worth a look, 1=Forget it) shortredheadreelreviews.com]

“Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” (NR) (3.5)A fascinating, entertaining, insightful, candid, 81-minute, 2013 documentary that show-cases 87-year-old, eccentric, tal-ented, funny, Broadway legend Elaine Stritch as she talks about her life and rehearses for her one-woman, Tony-award-win-ning Broadway Show “Elaine Stritch at Liberty” and consists of archival film clips, photo-graphs, and interview snippets with actors (such as James Gan-dolfini, John Turturro, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Nathan Lane, Tracy Morgan, Cherry Jones, and Ellen Adler), musical director Robert Bowman, direc-tors/producers George C. Wolfe and Hal Prince, assistant Maeve Butler, and friends Hunter Ryan Herdlicka and Julie Keyes.

“Gimme Shelter” (PG-13) (2.5) [Mature thematic material involving mistreatment, some drug content, violence, and lan-guage—all concerning teens.] — When an angry, abused, frightened, streetwise, bitter, 16-year-old girl (Vanessa Hud-gens) shows up pregnant at the New Jersey home of her estranged, affluent father (Bren-dan Fraser) and his wife (Sheph-anie Szostak) seeking shelter and they want her to have an abortion in this gritty, engaging, factually based, 105-minute, she finds her-self on the run again from her greedy, drug-addicted mother (Rosario Dawson) and eventual-ly finds and accepts the help she needs from a kindhearted priest (James Earl Jones) and the con-cerned owner (Ann Dowd) of a group home for pregnant teen-agers (Emily Meade, et al.).

“Gloria” (R) (3) [Sexual content, some graphic nudity, drug use, and language.] [Subtitled] — A compelling, down-to-earth, well-acted, critically acclaimed, candid, 110-minute film in which a mid-dle-aged, dance-loving, divorced, flirty, Chilean businesswoman (Paulina Garcia), who has two adult children (Diego Fontecil-la and Fabiola Zamora), begins a tumultuous relationship with an amusement park owner (Ser-gio Hernández) she meets at a nightclub in Santiago and quick-ly learns that he is not emotion-ally ready for a relationship due the mutual dependency of his ex-wife and two grown daugh-ters; Chile’s 2014 submission for the Oscars.

“The Monuments Men” (PG-13) (3.5) [Some images of war violence and historical smoking.] — Ten-sion-relieving humor dots this engaging, well-acted, factual-ly based, action-packed, well-paced, 2-hour film about seven brave men (George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, and Hugh Bonneville) in 1944, with the reluctant, even-tual help of a French museum curator and former SS secretary (Cate Blanchett), are assigned the task of finding the priceless art-work, including paintings and statutes, stolen by the Nazis.

(The following is a 2014 Oscar-nominated, live-action short film.)

“Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?” (NR) (3.5) [Subtitled] — A hilarious, real-istic, Oscar-nominated, 7-min-ute, 2012 film about one disaster after another that befalls a Finn-

Uptown March Film ScheduleListed in order of release date and subject to change. Please see landmarktheatres.com for final titles, dates and times.

LAGOON CINEMA1320 Lagoon Ave. • 612.823.3020

3/7 Stranger By the Lake

Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me

3/14 Generation War, Part 1

Generation War, Part 2 3/21 Bad Words

Particle Fever

3/28 One Chance

Two Lives

UPTOWN THEATRE 2906 Henn. Ave. • 612.392.0402

3/7 Visitors

3/14 The Grand Budapest Hotel

3/21 Nymphomaniac Volume I

*Opens either at Lagoon or Uptown

ish couple (Joanna Haartti and Santtu Karvonen) and their two daughters (Ranja Omaheimo and Ella Toivoniemi) as they try to get ready for a wedding cele-bration and somehow end up at a funeral.

©1986 through 2014 by Wendy Schadewald. The preceding films were reviewed by Wendy Schade-wald, who has been a Twin Cities film critic since 1986. To see more of her film reviews, log on to www.shortredheadreelreviews.com.

Intermedia Arts has been award-ed $1 million by the KresgeFoundation for a three-year pilot of its Creative CityMaking pro-gram. This grant follows a suc-cessful pre-pilot partnership in 2103 between Intermedia Arts and the City of Minneapolis’ Long Range Planning Division and its Arts, Culture and Cre-ative Economy program.

“This initiative recognizes what we already knew—that the elect-ed leadership of this city, work-ing hand-in-glove with some of the most visionary and effective nonprofits around, has fostered an ecology of artistic innovation and cultural creativity,” said Rip Rapson, President of Kresge Foundation. “With remarkable ambition, the Creative CityMak-ing Initiative promises to demon-strate once again that the City of Minneapolis is a national pioneer in exploring how city govern-ment can work with communi-ty partners to promote full and effective integration of public and community systems through collaboration, joint inquiry, and shared purpose.”

The pre-pilot, funded by Art-Place America, fostered year-long collaborations between local artists and City of Minneapolis planners to develop fresh, inno-vative approaches to commu-nity engagement. Seven artists embedded in the Long Range Planning Division of the Com-munity Planning and Econom-ic Development Department (CPED) gathered input from communities on issues from light-rail transit to historic pres-ervation. These collaborations resulted in new creative strate-gies and tools to engage residents, especially those who are under-represented in conventional city planning processes. The exciting results from this first year are currently on display through March 8 in “This is our City!,” an interactive gallery exhibit at Intermedia Arts.

The new grant from the Kresge Foundation is focused on build-ing strong, healthy cities by pro-moting integration of arts and culture into community revital-ization. This goal aligns with the City’s 2005 Plan for Arts and Culture, established by the Minneapolis Arts Commission and the Minneapolis City Coun-cil, which outlines a vision for bringing together artists and City Departments to explore creative ideas for addressing city prob-lems.

Over the next three years, Cre-ative CityMaking will apply what was learned in 2013 about the roles artists can play as inno-vative collaborators in city gov-ernment, integrating artists into the operations of up to five City of Minneapolis departments. Kresge Foundation aims to use what is learned through Inter-media’s partnership with the City of Minneapolis Arts, Culture and Creative Economy program to promote effective creative place-making on a national scale.

“We are funding pilots to address persistent challenges to the effica-cy of integrating arts and culture

into local systems,” said Regina Smith, Senior Program Offi-cer, Arts and Culture, at Kresge Foundation. “The Creative City-Making initiative serves as a test case in our portfolio because it continues a partnership between Intermedia Arts, local artists, and the City of Minneapolis for the benefit of residents in chal-lenged neighborhoods. This is an ambitious initiative with poten-tial for broad, deep and sustained impact.”

Drawing on Intermedia Arts’ 40 years of work at the crossroads of the arts and community change, the Creative CityMaking initia-tive will emphasize sustained collaborations between public service professionals and expe-rienced community arts practi-tioners. A central goal will be the creation of a network of profes-sionals working as creative com-munity leaders within the City’s structure to support the devel-opment of healthy, caring, and equitable communities. Over time, Intermedia envisions that members of this network will establish themselves as an effec-tive force for innovation in ser-vice to the City of Minneapolis and its citizens.

“The partnership between Inter-media Arts and the City of Min-neapolis during the pre-pilot program demonstrates the pow-erful results of bringing together arts, innovation and planning,” said Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. “When we come togeth-er, bridging the gap between government and community, we cultivate a sense of imagination that allows us to think bigger about how to be a great city, how to be a great people.”

Results and impact of the pre-pi-lot

The 2013 collaboration between Intermedia Arts, the City’s Arts, Culture and Creative Economy program and City of Minneap-olis planners aimed to increase community engagement, improve problem solving, and spread innovation in community revitalization efforts in Minne-apolis.

“The results of the pre-pilot exceeded our expectations,” said Theresa Sweetland, Exec-utive Director of Intermedia Arts. “We heard from planners that they have developed a new appreciation for engaging com-munities outside the standard practices. Artists successfully expanded the traditional reach of the planners by creating new forms of community engage-ment that supplemented tra-ditional procedures of public meetings or online surveys. The artists’ approaches brought new voices into the conversation about what our city should look like in the coming years. They made the community input pro-cess more inclusive by making it more accessible and more fun.”

In discussing the success of the pre-pilot, Vickie Benson, arts program director at the McK-night Foundation and member of the ArtPlace funders collabora-tive, said, “The pre-pilot leading

to this grant illustrates ArtPlace’s power to catalyze the efforts of great artists. Leveraging some of our strongest assets, ArtPlace embeds artists at the center of physical, economic, and cultural development across the country. McKnight is pleased to invest in this type of work at Intermedia Arts through ArtPlace.”

An example of the pre-pilot col-laboration

Creative CityMaking activi-ties took place throughout the city, at neighborhood festivals, on street corners, in communi-ty centers and schools. Artists created eye-catching sculptures and pop-up galleries that drew the people of Minneapolis into dialogue about civic issues. Art-ist Witt Siasoco appeared with his mobile tracing unit near sites the City has identified as histori-cally significant but endangered. Passersby were invited to trace the cityscape while discussing the City’s historic preserva-tion efforts. Of the 600 people he engaged on the street and in

workshops, more than 75 per-cent said they had never before been involved in a City planning process. Witt’s work is aligned

with the City’s efforts to analyze and assess the combined findings of historic survey work conduct-ed over the past 10 years.

“The partnership between Intermedia Arts and the City of Minneapolis during the pre-pilot program demonstrates the powerful results of bring-ing together arts, innovation and planning,” said Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)

Creative CityMaking ContinuesKresge awards Intermedia Arts $1 million to continue program


East Calhoun Community OrganizationECCO reportECCO meets the first Thursday of each month, 7 pm at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, 34th & Irving. All ECCO residents are welcome and urged to attend.

LAKE CALHOUN

Lake St.

36th St.

Hennepin Ave.

Lyndale

Ave

.

EAST CALHOUN EVENTS & NEWS

www.eastcalhoun.org

Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter to learn more about our events. Send a request to [email protected] or call Monica Smith at 612-821-0131.

MARCH EVENTStuesday, march 4 7:00 p.m.Neighborhood Priority Plan Task Force Meeting st. mary’s Greek Orthodox church, 3450 Irving ave sWe’re identifying and prioritizing projects to make East Calhoun an even better place to live, and we want your ideas. Come to the meeting or send your ideas to [email protected].

thursday, march 6 7:00 p.m.ECCO Board and Neighborhood Meeting st. mary’s Greek Orthodox church, 3450 Irving ave sThe agenda includes 10th Ward Council Member Lisa Bender and Park Board Commissioner Anita Tabb. The complete agenda will be posted on www.eastcalhoun.org by March 4th.

Wednesday, march 12 7:00 p.m. Green Team Meetingdunn Bros. coffee, 34th and hennepinWe welcome new ideas, new members, and new energy! Please join us.

mOnday, march 17 7:00 p.m. Livability Committeest. mary’s Greek Orthodox church, 3450 Irving ave sThe Livability Committee reviews current zoning proposals in the neighborhood and addresses safety/crime concerns, traffic/parking.

SAVE THESE DATES!Saturday, April 26 9:30 a.m.- Noon Earth Day Clean Up

Saturday, May 31 1:00-3:00 p.m. East Calhoun Bicycle Festival

Saturday, June 7 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. ECCO Super Sale!

The East Calhoun Community Organization (ECCO) invites and encourages participa-tion by every resident to each program, service and event organized by ECCO. Should you require an accommodation in order to fully participate, or if you require this document in a different format, please let us know by contacting Monica Smith at 612-821-0131 or [email protected] at least five days before our event.

got ideas?We’re identifying and prioritizing projects to improve East Calhoun.

Got a good idea? Tell us about it at the Neighborhood Priority Plan task force

meeting on March 4th (details at left), send your idea to

[email protected] or call Monica Smith at 612-821-0131.

EAST CALHOUN NEWS

$ Save money with ECCO grants and loans!East Calhoun offers a variety of ways for residents to save money through grants and loans for home improvement projects, home security grants, rain barrels and more! Check out all the details at www.eastcalhoun.org/programs

ECCO Meeting Minutes for February 6, 2014. (East Calhoun Neighborhood Monthly Meeting) Minutes recorded and submitted by Monica Smith and approved by the ECCO Board by electronic vote prior to publication.

Todd called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.

Council Member Lisa Bender: Ward 10Council Member Bender and policy aide Ben Somogyi gave the following update:

CM Bender will have weekly office hours in the ward (loca-tion will rotate) and a monthly breakfast or happy hour. The next event is February 19, 8-9:30 a.m. at the Egg and I. The topic is Ending Homelessness in Our Communities with Commission-

er Gail Dorfman and Congress-man Keith Ellison.

Sign up for the Ward 10 e-news-letter. Sign up at: minneap-olismn.gov/ward10.

Benders priorities are: redevel-op Lake and Nicollet (re-open Nicollet at Kmart site); Nicol-let-Central streetcar line; com-prehensive plan to add protected bikeways; and citywide curbside organics.

Southwest LRT: Bender is com-mitted to getting the line built and will advocate for city lakes and trail system.

1800 Lake dewatering: The City and the Park Board filed separate lawsuits against the developer. The district court consolidated the suits. They are currently in the discover phase with a possible trial date in 2015.

31st Street center boulevard: The sprinkler system was installed in 1993. At some point the system was turned off and the trees are dying. The Park Board policy is that they don’t actively water trees over 2 years in age. The 31st Street trees may need to be replaced with drought and dis-ease resistant trees. In the spring, the City will check on the condi-tion of the sprinkler system and review options.

Bender’s committee assignments: Zoning and Planning, Chair;

Health, Environment and Com-munity Engagement; Transpor-tation and Public Works; and Ways and Means.

Bender also serves on the Air-port Working Group. The FAA is issuing a report about RNAV.

Public hearing on Feb. 19, 4:30 p.m. at City Hall for amendment to allow additional sale of prod-ucts on sidewalk of retail busi-nesses (currently only allowed at stores that sell books or garden supplies).

Note: The ECCO Board remains engaged with resolving the issues of the 1800 Lake dewatering and the 31st Street trees.

Election of new board memberBen Jilek was unanimously elect-ed to fill a vacant board seat.

AnnouncementHennepin County is withdraw-ing its request to burn more trash at the Hennepin Energy Recov-ery Center (HERC) and instead focus on increasing organics recycling.

Treasurer’s Report: Susie GoldsteinThe ECCO Board approved the proposed budget for 2014. Adjustments may be needed throughout the year. Expenses

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Attendance Board Members Present: Linda Todd, President; Susie Gold-stein, Treasurer; Anja Curiskis; Emily Balogh; Paul Harstad; Liz Heyman; Ben Jilek; and Lara Norkus-Crampton. Board Member Absent: Andrew Bornhoft, Vice-President; Kate Davenport; David Tompkins; Harry Savage; and Heather Wulfsberg.

Guests: residents Rob DeHoff, Douglas Frank, and Anne McLaughlin.

ECCO Board President Linda

Participants participated in the Valentine’s Day TC 5K Run/Walk, the Twin Cities’ oldest winter running event, on Feb. 8 at Lake Harriet. More info at tcmevents.org. (Photo by Wayne Kryduba)

Warm Hearts


2ND COLOR PLATE

arebudgetedat$3,250foreventfood/entertainment and dona-tions. Revenue: we are waiting for grant money from the raing-arden project (ECCO’s total out-of-pocket expenses for the projectareexpected tobe$380).Donation allocation will be dis-cussed at a future meeting.

Staff Report: Monica SmithA draft of the Annual Report for the 2013 CPP program was sent to board members prior to the meeting. The report will be formally approved at the March meeting.

Neighborhood and Community Relations (NCR) is hosting the 2nd Annual Community Con-nections Conference on Satur-day, March 22 from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Minneapolis Conven-tion Center. Keynote speaker is Dr. Verna Cornelia Price. The event is free. Registration will open mid-February.

Community Innovation Fund is a new program being crafted by NCR. It will allow neigh-borhoods to apply for funding to develop innovative projects. $300Kwillbeavailableforcom-petitive grants in 2014-15.

Minneapolis is recruiting busi-nesses and organizations to grow food for local food shelves through a program called Giving Gardens. A workshop for inter-ested organizations is February 27, 9:15-11:30 a.m. at East Phil-lips Park Cultural & Community Center.

different events that take place across Min-nesota during the coldest months of the year. From January through March, our Plunge crew will be traveling around the state to 16 differ-ent communities with one goal in mind: raise funds for Special Olympics Minnesota. Not just anyone can say they jumped into a Minnesota lake in the dead of winter, right?

2–SUNDAYGREY CITY (CIDADE CINZA)Intermedia Arts2822 Lyndale Ave. • 612.871.4444IntermediaArts.orgGrey City (Cidade Cinza) is a documentary film by Marcelo Mesquita and Guilherme Valien-go. On the streets of São Paulo, Brazil a new form of graffiti was born. The works of artists like Os Gêmeos, Nunca, and Nina spread like wildfire through the streets of the city ... and then to art galleries and museums around the world. But when a new law against visu-al pollution leads to their work being painted over in grey, the artists give birth to one of the most creative resistance movements in Latin American art.

8–SATURDAY100% IRISH FOR A DAY TC 5K AND TC 10 MILETwin Cities in Motion - 9am Lake Harriet • 651.289.7700tcmevents.orgCalling lads and lassies for a wee bit o’ fun. This race is perfect for kids, families, first-time runners, experienced runners, couples, singles, and walkers with strollers or pets.

14–FRIDAYHOMETOWN EDITIONS: OPENING RECEPTIONHighpoint Center for Printmaking912 Lake St. • 612.871.1326highpointprintmaking.orgSince 2002 Highpoint Editions has published work by numerous notable artists from around the globe. The Hometown Editions exhibit will

MARCH(Please send your calendar listings to [email protected] with the subject line: Community Calendar. Submit by the 15th of each month to be included, space permitting, in the next issue.)

THRU APRIL 5SCOTT NEDRELOW: AFTERLIGHTDavid Petersen Gallery 2018 Lyndale Ave • 612.276.6541davidpetersengallery.comFor his first solo exhibition with David Petersen Gallery, Scott Nedrelow will present a group of paintings and an installation of video works on now through April 5. Nedrelow’s paintings involve a post-photographic process that uses the materials of inkjet printing. While light has been historically integral to photographic print production (paper exposed in the darkroom), Nedrelow turns the light itself into his subject while eschewing light in the physical process. Nedrelow’s video works Earthrise/earthset focus on the horizon line and light during dawn and twilight. Using a camera and a motorized astronomical mount the horizon line slowly moves in and out through the frame, showing the movement of the earth as the light advances and recedes over the ocean.

1–SATURDAYTHE POLAR BEAR PLUNGE Lake Calhoun • 612.604.1280plungemn.org You may have heard about it on the news, read about it online, or maybe even seen a video on YouTube, but what exactly is this “Plunge” that everyone’s talking about? The Polar Bear Plunge, presented by Minnesota law enforcement as part of the year-round Law Enforcement Torch Run® events to benefit Special Olympics, is a unique opportunity for individuals, organizations and businesses to support Special Olympics athletes by jumping into frigid Minnesota waters. It consists of 16

community events calendarhighlight work created by Minnesota-based artists at Highpoint in collaboration with Mas-ter Printer Cole Rogers. The opening reception will be from 6:30pm to 9pm and the show will be on view through Saturday, April 26. Get ready for a glimpse inside the drawers of HP Editions and an opportunity to see (and in some cases purchase) selected prints from collaborations with David Rathman, Todd Nor-sten, Clarence Morgan, Mary Esch, and Caro-lyn Swiszcz.

15–SATURDAYTHE PLAY ABOUT THE COACHBryant Lake Bowl - 7pm810 Lake St. • 612.825.8949bryantlakebowl.comThe Play about the Coach by Paden Fallis; in the final three minutes of the defining game of his career, a coach’s world comes crashing down around him. As the clock ticks away the coach comes head-to-head with a backstab-bing assistant, a gifted adversary, a God-like referee and a mysterious stranger who repeat-edly phones down to the bench - all the while trying to pull his team through to victory. The Play About The Coach is a thrilling one-man show that takes the audience into the final, crucial minutes of a high stakes game through the eyes of a desperate man. Fridays and Sat-urdays March 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 at 7pm $14/$12 in advance, with Fringe button or student ID.

17–MONDAYSEMI-DETACHED: CHOREOGRAPHY BY NIC LINCOLNBryant Lake Bowl - 7pm810 Lake St. • 612.825.8949bryantlakebowl.comNic Lincoln instinctually uses his charismatic and gutsy nature to craft an evening of glossy and dynamic dances. Creatures inhabit a dis-tinct yet ambiguous world, transcending an evening of works which are quirky, haunt-ing and evocative. This evening of work will

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feature dance artists Mary Ann Bradley, Eve Schulte and Kelly Vittetoe. 20% of ticket sales will be donated to OutFront MN. March 17, 24 and 31 at 7:00pm (doors 6:00) $10-$15.

19–WEDNESDAYCINEMA LOUNGEBryant Lake Bowl - 7pm810 W. Lake St. • 612.825.8949www.bryantlakebowl.comThe Lounge: Short Films and Indie Filmmak-ers. Hell yes. IFP Cinema Lounge happens the

This Month The UNN is Giving Away . . .

FREE Coffee Beans!RULES: The first person to correctly answer this question wins: What is the highest public access point in Uptown?

Email your answer to [email protected].

[February winner: Lorna Rockey of CARAG. Previous month’s winners are not eligible.]

3348 Hennepin Avenue 821 West Lake Street

Committee ReportsLivability Committee

The January meeting included a presentation by MSP FairSkies Coalition about the proposed increase in airplane traffic over SW Minneapolis and a discus-sion with Lake & Irving (1513 W Lake St) about their applica-tion for Class C1 entertainment license (to allow for live enter-tainment of up to 5 musicians).

The next meeting is Monday, February 17, 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s.

Green Team

Kathy Scoggin and David Tompkins will co-chair the Green Team and will focus on key events like the Earth Day clean up, Bike Festival (second annual event planned for May 31 1-3 p.m. at St Mary’s) and zero waste at neighborhood events.

The next meeting is Wednesday, March 12, 7 p.m. at Dunn Bros. on 34th and Hennepin. New members, ideas and energy are welcome.

Midtown Greenway

The final meeting for the Mid-town Corridor Alternatives Analysis will be held on Febru-ary 12, 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. at Colin Powell Center, 2924 4th Ave. S. The key agenda item is to select the locally preferred alterna-tive (LPA) from the following options: enhanced bus on Lake Street, rail on the Midtown Gre-enway, or a combination of both.

Paul Harstad is interested in serving as ECCO’s representa-

third Wednesday of each month at the Bryant Lake Bowl Theater. Ryan Strandjord programs a lineup of 4-5 locally made video projects (20 minutes or less) per screening which includes anything and everything: narratives, docs, music videos, web shows, animation, and experimental stuff. After each film is screened, you meet the mind behind the film, as host Josh Carlon conducts a short Q+A session with the filmmakers. Following the show filmmak-ers and audience members hang around to socialize and drink delicious beer. Oh, and we can’t forget to mention the event is FREE!

Inspired Delivery at LiteSpeed

tive to the Midtown Greenway Coalition board.

Uptown Neighborhood News

The paper continues to seek more ad revenue and more story ideas. It is also seeking another ad rep to work on commission for the paper.

President’s Report: Linda ToddThe Uptown Association annual meeting in January was a good event (ECCO sent nine represen-tatives).

36tht St Bikeway: Simon Blens-ki is the new planner assigned to the project. He will attend the April ECCO Board meeting to provide a project update.

RNAV: Liz Heyman volun-teered to create an informational flyer that could be delivered to the neighborhood, posted on our website and in the e-newsletter.

Priority setting for 2014 Board activity will be discussed by the Livability Committee.

An ad hoc committee was formed to identify a new community priority project. Members include Lara Nor-kus-Crampton, Ben Jilek, Linda Todd and Monica Smith. Other interested parties are welcome to join the committee.

Staff salary was discussed and approved.

Meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Next meeting is Thursday, March 6, 2014, 7 p.m. at St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church.

Uptown resident and delivery manager Jean-Paul Beauliau, at Chi-ang Mai Tai, is launching his own low-carbon delivery service for Minneapolis restaurants. In a move supported by his previous boss of 14 years, Chiang owner Charles Lodge, Beauliau is launching a 100 percent bike delivery service that acts as the transparent delivery unit between customer and restaurant. Delivery cyclists receive their orders and take them directly from tablets and cell phones. There is no brick and mortar office. LiteSpeed Delivery runs entirely off of cloud computing.

Beauliau describes his inspiration for braving the icy roads and sweaty rides.

“I have two inspirations for this company. My old friend Rachel Dow, she renewed my love for bikes when I started to get too old to remember. And my favorite bike, an old Litespeed Blue Ridge.”

More information is available at [email protected] or 612.888-FOOD.

(Rachel Dow was a Chiang Mai Tai employee that passed away in 2008.)

Jean-Paul Beauliau launched his all-bike delivery for Chiang Mai Tai in 2009. (Photo by Bruce Cochran)


By Sabra Waldfogel

People flock to flea markets, garage sales, and junk shops. But visit-ing an antique shop? Not so much.

Perhaps they haven’t been to the right kind of antique shop.

David Omer and Blaine Bolden, who opened Xcentric Goods in August of 2013, want to change that.

Omer says, “We envisioned a shop that handled antique and vintage goods, all of quality and at different price points.”

Above all, they wanted an antique shop that would be fun, where customers could find the old and not-quite-so-old, where kids and pets would be welcome, and where the dealers like to chat.

Xcentric Goods has a mix of dealers, with expertise ranging from Vic-torian and Art Nouveau decorative art to Asian and African objects.

“We wanted a collection of dealers with knowledge in different dis-ciplines,” Omer says. He hopes to provide a mentoring atmosphere, helping dealers educate customers and each other. There’s a range of decorative items and both fine and decorative art. There’s all man-ner of jewelry—Art Nouveau, Art Deco, mid-century modern, and whimsical contemporary. “Our strengths are in ethnographic items and jewelry.”

The customers are an eclectic mix, too. The shop attracts both neigh-bors who live nearby and others drawn to the neighborhood. Omer likes the location.

“It’s a great commercial corner,” he says, and having complementary businesses—a coffee shop, a yoga studio, an upscale resale shop, a gift shop, and a guitar shop—brings people to the area.

Now that Xcentric Goods has a web presence, customers have come from even farther away—from Wisconsin, Chicago, and from both coasts.

Omer looks forward to summer.

“We hope to have more decorative arts and furniture, once the weather gets better. It’s hard to carry a sideboard over a snowbank!”

For more information please see xcentricgoods.com.

Sabra Waldfogel lives in the Kingfield neighborhood.

David Peterson Gallery, The Movement Minneapolis, Salon 4 East & One 21 Barber, Steeple People, Theatre Garage, and a surface parking lot for those cus-tomers as well as Rudolphs.

Zoning detailThe six-story, mixed-use devel-opment contains five parcels. Four are zoned for C1, a Neigh-borhood Commercial District, described by City documents as “a convenient shopping envi-ronment of small scale retail sales and commercial services that are compatible with adja-cent residential uses. In addition to commercial uses, residential uses, institutional and public uses, parking facilities, limited production and processing and public services and utilities are allowed. Most development occurs at no more than 2.5 sto-ries.”

The fifth parcel sits on the cor-ner and is designated a C2, a Neighborhood Corridor Com-mercial District, described by City documents as “allowing for retail sales and commercial services that are larger in scale than allowed in the C1 District. In addition to commercial uses, residential uses, institutional and public uses, parking facili-ties, limited production and pro-cessing and public services and utilities are allowed. Most devel-opment occurs at no more than four stories.”

In addition, the corner parcel is identified as Mixed Use in the Lyn-Lake Small Area Plan as well as in the City Comprehen-sive Plan’s future land use map.

Although some details may change as the plan evolves, the

following land use applications were identified based on a pre-liminary review by the City in February:

• Petition to rezone the proper-ties from 2008 to 2018 Lyndale Avenue from the C1 Neigh-borhood Commercial District to the higher C2 Neighbor-hood Corridor Commercial District.

• Conditional use permitrequired to allow a principal district parking facility in the C2 Neighborhood Corridor Commercial District.

• Conditional use permitrequired to increase the max-imum allowed height from 56 feet to 75.4 feet.

• Variance required to increasethe maximum allowed floor area ratio.

• Variance required to reducethe rear yard setback from 15 to 3.2 feet.

• Variance required to reducethe south interior side yard set-back from 15 to 3.1 feet.

•Siteplanreviewrequiredforasix-story, mixed-use building with 85 dwelling units.

Additional feedback suggest-ed by the City to the developer included questions about traffic flow and parking area design, transition to residential prop-erties to the west of the devel-opment and screening of the parking structure.

Community ConcernsMany issues were raised at the meeting including aesthetics, the rooftop deck and small business displacement, but the most com-mon concerns from attendees revolved around the height of

the building and the location and need for a parking garage.

Paul Rucker, of 20XX Aldrich Avenue, just west of the site said, “The height concerns me direct-ly. I don’t want a building this high.”

Gerberding responded, “We can’t build with current codes. We need a 6-story building. We need density for the tax base and support services for us.”

Gary Thaden of 23XX Aldrich Avenue noted a traffic issue on the corner that could be exacer-bated by the development.

“People that come from the west [along Franklin] and try to turn left onto I-94. This project with those entrances and exits–that will make it worse. You are dra-matically increasing the conges-tion of automobiles in this area.”

However, not all neighbors shared that concern.

Countering the claim of increased traffic with the pro-posal Matt Brillhart of 28th and

Xcentric GoodsBringing antique and vintage to Uptown

Grand said, “The proposal will organize the traffic by combin-ing it in a better way. […] There will be very little percentage change overall.”

More meetings expectedAlthough the developer has submitted the project for initial feedback from the City, no for-mal Planning Commission pro-posal has been submitted at this time. Master is expected to come back to a future LHENA Z&P meeting. Pete Keeling, of Col-lage Architects mentioned they would bring a rendering of the west side of the building at that time.

After managing a very vocal group of attendees, Will Born-stein, president of LHENA, summed up the meeting and nature of the proposal.

“When a project has this many moving pieces it’s hard for us to sign off on it. Our neighbor-hood’s job is to represent every-one’s opinions and what is good for the neighborhood.”

DEBATE from 1

Xcentric Goods is located at 707 34th St.

This rooftop park is proposed as a commons area space open to the public as well as businesses and residents of the building. (Digital illustration courtesy of Collage Architects)

This is a view looking northwest across Lyndale Ave. Behind the residential units would be a five-story, parking garage for public use as well as for onsite residents and retail. (Digital illustration courtesy of Collage Architects)

is not required, when a project receives neighborhood approval it can potentially make it easier to acquire needed variances and approvals by the City.

A gateway to the neighborhoodAnchoring the corner, the proposal includes 85, one- to three-bedroom residential rent-al units. A solar panel array will be set back from the face of the building and located on the roof of the residential units. Don Ger-berding, managing partner at Master, and a Wedge resident, describes them as moderately priced.

“We are pricing 20-25 percent less than what is on the Green-way, about $1.80 to $1.90 persquare foot to rent,” Gerberding said.

Theatre Garage, currently on the site, would be rebuilt and relo-cated below grade with 150 seats and a lobby on street level. Com-pleting the first floor would be a restaurant facing Lyndale Ave-nue with additional retail space for four to five businesses.

Behind the residential units would be a five-story, 206-stall parking garage for public use as well as for onsite residents and retail. The proposal also includes a rooftop park and green plaza for public use. This will include a commons area space in which the restaurant may host special events, an urban setting in which the Theatre Garage could con-duct puppet shows and outdoor performances.

Current businesses on the site include Chi Tailor & Cleaner,

march 2014 uptown neighborhood news

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