Covering life, work, and play in the Historic Mill District and Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront neighborhoods. Have an opinion, local news or events to share? Contact us.
Taken on Sunday, November 24, the day before construction equipment starts arriving. We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.
The most detailed look yet at the proposed development adjacent to the new Vikings Stadium:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
Date: November 18, 2013
Time: 1:30 pm or shortly thereafter
Place: Minneapolis City Hall, Room 317
Purpose: To present information and solicit comments for the application from Day Block Brewing Company for the following licenses: On- Sale Liquor, Class B with Sunday Sales (Brewpub) and Off-Sale Malt Liquor (Growler). If approved, they intend to operate a full-service sit-down restaurant with liquor, wine and beer and a brewery selling growlers.
Applicant's Name (Legal Entity): Day Block Brewing Company, LLC
DBA/Trade Name: Day Block Brewing Company
Complete Address: 1105 Washington Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Telephone Number: (651) 232-1275
Current License(s): None. This space formerly held Spill the Wine Restaurant holder of an On Sale Liquor Class E license.
Requested License(s): On-Sale Liquor Class B with Sunday Sales to operate as a Brewpub, and Off-Sale Malt Liquor to operate as a brewery.
Nature of Entertainment: The Class B license allows for radio, a DJ, television, electronically reproduced music, karaoke and jukebox. There will be no live entertainment or dance floor.
Off Street Parking: The Zoning Department has determined that 16 off-street parking spots are required. The applicant meets this requirement. There is parking available for customers in the adjoining parking lot behind the building.
You are invited to attend, express your opinions, and/or submit such in writing by contacting Inspector Phil Schliesman at 612-673-3907 or philip.schliesman@minneapolismn.gov.
With results in from 9 of 9 precincts, MinnPost reports that Jacob Frey has been elected to the City Council for the new 3rd Ward. Jacob Frey garnered 61% to 26% for Diane Hofstede.
"A Time for Change, And the Status Quo - Mill City Times Candidate Endorsements"
A Time for Change - 3rd Ward City Council
Jacob Frey - 1st Choice for Third Ward City Council
The newly redrawn 3rd Ward of Minneapolis faces a few big challenges, and even greater opportunities to be the engine of both population and economic growth for the entire city. Jacob Frey is the candidate best suited to meet these head on.
From the start, Frey has taken the right positions on a number of high priority issues facing the new 3rd Ward, and laid out smart plans for tackling them. Here a few:
Downtown East Redevelopment. We can't afford another failure in redeveloping the area around the new stadium. We've lived with the last botched effort for 30 years. Frey's vision of diverse mixed use and focus on small independent businesses will best serve Minneapolis for decades to come.
Northeast Arts District - Building on Momentum. A thriving arts community has a big positive impact on the quality of life in any city. The Northeast Arts District has been a development and jobs engine as well. Frey will focus on building on that success.
A Northloop/Downtown School - Key to Population Growth. With a stated goal of doubling population Downtown by 2025, this is not a "nice to have", it's a must. We won't achieve our potential unless we meet this challenge. Frey has already started efforts to bring this to fruition.
Crown Hydro Project - Protecting the Central Riverfront. The City's investment on the Central Riverfront has generated $1.9 billion in private development and is a national showcase for urban renewal. Frey is a strong supporter of the broad based community effort underway to protect our falls. See the Park Board endorsements below for more details on this issue.
Gold Medal Park - A Long Term Plan. Current Council Member Lisa Goodman recently announced a plan to preserve the only park in the Downtown East neighborhood - Gold Medal Park - for 50 years. Frey came out in support of preserving the park 18 months ago, prior to the campaign. He's publicly committed to work toward finalizing the plan next year.
Meeting the opportunities facing us in the Third Ward will require mobilizing the entire community to join in. His effectiveness in mobilizing tens of thousands of Minneapolis residents for Marriage Equality, through founding the Big Gay Race, is an indication of what we should expect from Frey on the City Council. Jacob Frey is our choice for the new 3rd Ward.
A Time for the Status Quo - The River Champions
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
Named tops in the nation by The Trust for Public Land, the Minneapolis Park System plays a huge role in the lives of Minneapolitans. Our endorsed candidates have helped transform our park system over the last several years on many fronts. They've also demonstrated uncommon commitment to preserving and enhancing the vital Central Riverfront area.
The River Champions
- John Erwin / Commissioner At Large
- Anita Tabb / 4th District Commissioner
- Scott Vreeland / 3rd District Commissioner
- Liz Wielinski / 1st District Commissioner
The four candidates have been especially effective on 3 key topics of concern:
Transparency. Taking a page out of the City of Minneapolis playbook, MPRB posts video of every Park Board meeting, along with the related plans and proposals under discussion. Besting the City Council, they post meeting agendas and supporting materials much further in advance than does the City. This level of transparency has not been a hallmark of MPRB in years gone by. All four candidates have played a strong role in this transformation.
Community Engagement. All levels of State and local government would do well to take community engagement as seriously as these four (and now the MPRB) do. It's common to see several dozen to a few hundred residents attend MPRB events sharing plans and seeking public input. They also listen to that feedback and adjust policies and projects - we've witnessed many examples of this "listening" in action. All four candidates have been central to this new way of doing business.
Crown Hydro Project - Protecting the Central Riverfront. The City's investment on the Central Riverfront has generated $1.9 billion in private development and is a national showcase for urban renewal. Prior to this effort, the Central Riverfront was a desolate landscape of abandoned buildings and empty surface parking lots. The Crown Hydro project threatens to damage everything that's been accomplished - under the current license, Crown would be able to "turn off" St. Anthony Falls 6 months out of the year when the flow over the falls is low. 1.6 million visitors to the Stone Arch Bridge area deserve to see more than a cement wall. The 4 River Champions have been especially effective in protecting us from this ill-conceived project.
The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, and our riverfront, will do well with the 4 River Champions representing us.
Full Disclosure: My wife Kim Eslinger and I have contributed the maximum allowable to the campaigns of all of the candidates endorsed above. I am also Chair of the Frey for City Council Campaign Committee.
The Star Tribune endorsed three candidates for City Council in today's edition, including Jacob Frey for the new 3rd Ward.
From the Star Tribune:
Generating stronger population growth, creating jobs, addressing vexing inequities in educational achievement, and strategically building growth-oriented transit were the focus of our recent editorial series, “Growing Minneapolis.” Achieving these objectives won’t come naturally, however. Smart, collaborative public-policy decisions will make all the difference.
This is particularly true in the city’s Third Ward, which encompasses portions of downtown, Northeast, and some neighborhoods bordering the University of Minnesota.
Third Ward
Jacob Frey, 32, is best equipped to represent those areas and to work with other members of the City Council to craft progrowth policies that will help Minneapolis realize its potential.
Frey, an attorney and former professional marathon runner, is a clear advocate for increasing housing density within the ward and citywide. He favors the proposed streetcar line that would run north on Nicollet Avenue into Northeast, and he would expand the line into other parts of the city.
Recognizing the need to keep young families in the city once their kids are of school age, he favors creating more public-school options in burgeoning neighborhoods in his district. Keeping these families will be essential to maintaining the vitality in the North Loop and Northeast neighborhoods, which have undergone rapid transformations in the past few years.
Small businesses have also played a prominent role in this growth, and Frey wants to focus on streamlining city processes to be more “goal-oriented” than “process-oriented.”
Frey’s ambitious agenda has won many converts among voters. And its earned him endorsements from elected officials and community leaders.
He wrested the DFL endorsement from the incumbent, Diane Hofstede, 64, and gained several union endorsements. He has the support of Rep. Keith Ellison, who represents the area in Congress, as well as several key state legislators. Most notably, six sitting council members have endorsed him over their current colleague, Hofstede.
Frey’s ability to build coalitions stands in contrast to Hofstede. While she has been elected to two terms on the City Council and led the Library Board before that, she is a polarizing figure for some, including former colleagues. There has been an unusually high degree of turnover in her office, and in response to a staffer’s claim in 2010, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development determined that there had been a “hostile work environment.”
Hofstede has several key endorsements, including Gov. Mark Dayton’s, and shares several public-policy goals with Frey. She showed leadership by backing the Vikings stadium. But on other issues, she has been inconsistent, such as pushing for a moratorium on development in Dinkytown instead of leading efforts to increase investment and population in the ward.
Also on the ballot are the Green Party’s Kristina Gronquist, as well as Michael Katch, endorsed by the Libertarian and Pirate parties.
With a new mayor and several new council members soon to be sworn in, consensus-builders are needed. Frey has been that kind of candidate, and he should be that kind of council member.
Read the full story :
http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/229328221.html
From Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
Developer Mike Roess plans to build a 10,000-square-foot building at the site of a Washington Avenue surface parking lot in downtown Minneapolis.
The roughly $3 million project will include a restaurant that will occupy 5,000 square feet of space on the first floor, plus another 5,000 square feet on a rooftop patio, Roess said. The Minneapolis developer is in talks with an "upscale, urban furniture store" for the second floor
The property is located at 901 Washington Ave., next to a building that houses Wasabi Fusion Restaurant, Sactuary Restaurant, Stonebridge Bank, Level Salon and GlobalBridge Inc. Roess has owned that property since it was renovated in 2007.
MPRB President John Erwin hosted a forum for the issues surrounding the Crown Hydro project was held last Monday at the Mill District Neighborhood Association meeting.
City Council Member Lisa Goodman announced a long term solution for preserving Gold Medal Park at the October 21, 2013 meeting of the Mill District Neighborhood Association.
Dubbed the “Gold Medal Park Permanence Plan”, Council Member Goodman outlined a very simple plan: Use the existing lease arrangement between the Parks Foundation and the City, due to expire in 2 years, as the template and make two simple changes – the term of the lease would be 50 years and the foundation would no longer pay the City of Minneapolis $50,000 per year for the “right” to provide a public amenity for city residents.
Goodman stated that she believes she has the votes to pass the plan, targeting December 2013 for passage. Prior to the vote, the plan would be heard by the City Planning Commission.
Time: 4:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Outside the Bulldog NE @ E Hennepin & 4th Street NE
Get your Halloween spirit started with a neighborhood pumpkin sale featuring prizes and giveaways. Trick or Treat!
Festivities include:
- Costume Contest
- Trick or Treating at participating locations
- Free Prizes and Gift Bag for Early Birds
A Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership Event. Featured keynote speaker was Dorothy Bridges, Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank. In addition to the first release of the Minneapolis Riverfront Vitality Report, sponsored by MRP, this event showcased key Riverfront plans, highlighted progress, and reinforced the strong partnerships that support Riverfront development. October 7, 2013 at the Mill City Museum.
Download a copy of the 2013 Riverfront Vitality Project...
THE OCTOBER MILL DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING
WHEN - Monday, October 21, 2013 / 6:30 – 8:00 PM
WHERE - *Mill City Museum / 1st Floor Commons* (note room change)
Arrive early to assure a seat
AGENDA
- Lisa Goodman / 7th Ward Update
City Council Member Lisa Goodman will give her last update as our Mill District representative. Redistricting has shifted us to the new 3rd Ward. Hear her thoughts on the past, present and future of our neighborhood. Lisa will also be giving an update on Gold Medal Park.
- Laurie Jones, HOA Update
Update on the Minneapolis Riverfront HOA Collaborative.
- Magna Health and Fitness / New Business Introduction
- John Erwin / Crown Hydro Forum
The Crown Hydro project has taken an unexpected turn. Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board President John Erwin will discuss the specifics of the proposed project in the Mill District, on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront. Learn about potential impacts on:
() St. Anthony Falls
() The Stone Arch Bridge
() Economic development, and more…
Bring your questions about Crown Hydro and share your opinions.
A first of it's kind theater crawl was held on the Minneapolis Riverfront. It took place on October 13 & 14 starting at Mill Ruins Park and was free and open to all!
From Director Josh Fazeli:
In world where we face impossible odds against a myriad of various of pressures, citizens committed to the community purpose have consistently prevailed in their cause. Whether it was 600 years ago and thousands of men less than the overwhelming favorite - the French, mankind has prevailed for the cause in the act of valor and courage. We achieve this because we stand together, work together, and band together as brothers, sisters, neighbors, families, and comrades in the act of setting aside our differences and coming together in the practice of intentional and amicable purposes.
This piece ignites theatrical activism in the community by calling upon people who live next to one another to get to know their neighbors and reacquaint their surroundings. While the weather is still above sub-zero, lets come together and call upon our city to ask for a re-igniting activism that creatively purposes new approaches by looking at our architecture and bestow new ways to honor those who blessed our land with the options we are afforded to live by today.
Henry V and the St. Crispin's Day Speech is an example of heroism and champions community advocacy. We hope you will join in banding together with our brothers and sisters and support artists expressing their form of engagement in the NEW third Ward.
The final debate for the 3rd Ward City Council race took place at Open Book last night. All candidates for the new 3rd Ward participated:
- Jacob Frey (DFL Endorsed Candidate)
- Kristina Gronquist (Green Party Endorsed Candidate)
- Diane Hofstede (DFL Incumbent Councilwoman)
- Michael Katch (Libertarian Endorsed Candidate)
Sarah McKenzie from the Downtown Journal moderated the debate.
A first of it's kind theater crawl on the Minneapolis Riverfront. 6:00 PM - October 13 & 14 starting at Mill Ruins Park. Free and open to all!
From Director Josh Fazeli:
In world where we face impossible odds against a myriad of various of pressures, citizens committed to the community purpose have consistently prevailed in their cause. Whether it was 600 years ago and thousands of men less than the overwhelming favorite - the French, mankind has prevailed for the cause in the act of valor and courage. We achieve this because we stand together, work together, and band together as brothers, sisters, neighbors, families, and comrades in the act of setting aside our differences and coming together in the practice of intentional and amicable purposes.
This piece ignites theatrical activism in the community by calling upon people who live next to one another to get to know their neighbors and reacquaint their surroundings. While the weather is still above sub-zero, lets come together and call upon our city to ask for a re-igniting activism that creatively purposes new approaches by looking at our architecture and bestow new ways to honor those who blessed our land with the options we are afforded to live by today.
Henry V and the St. Crispin's Day Speech is an example of heroism and champions community advocacy. We hope you will join in banding together with our brothers and sisters and support artists expressing their form of engagement in the NEW third Ward.
HCMC celebrates the opening of a brand new, 9-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Open House on Wednesday, October 9 from 2:30-6:30 p.m. Red Building – Level 7
Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) – a statewide leader in providing care to critically ill and injured pediatric patients – opens a brand new, 9-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) on Thursday, October 10.
At the forefront of pediatric trauma care since it was the first hospital to achieve Level I Trauma verification in 1989, HCMC’s busy PICU was outgrowing its space. The needed expansion offered an opportunity to re-create a more family-friendly area to support HCMC’s high level of pediatric trauma and critical care services.
“It’s important to us that our patients and families experience a warm, welcoming environment to contrast the intense atmosphere of care,” explains Julie Curti, RN, Nurse Manager of Pediatrics at HCMC. “Anything we can do to help families and patients feel comfortable and supported will also help with the healing process.”
That’s why every room is designed around the needs of the patient for privacy, connection to families and loved ones, and state-of-the-art, experienced pediatric care.
Each family-centered room has comfortable couches that fold out into double beds so parents and siblings can stay close to the patient at night. Monitors near the patient’s bed display real-time data, including lab results, so parents can track their child's progress. These and many of the other features of the new PICU were suggested by patients and families, including the adjustable colored lights, and lighted display panels for photos that bring a personalized warmth and sense of home to each child's room.
The 5,500-square-foot area also provides natural light from wrap-around windows so the young patients can stay connected to the natural rhythms of the day, which is important for critically ill children.
“This is especially true for children with traumatic brain injuries,” says Dr. Andrew Kiragu, the Medical Director of HCMC’s PICU, where they specialize in the treatment of children with concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. “Natural daylight may also improve outcomes for all kids who are in the intensive care unit.”
Critical care physicians like Dr. Kiragu as well as trauma and burn surgeons and other specialty trained staff are onsite at HCMC 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for patients in the PICU and the pediatric Burn ICU. Nurses in the PICU and the Burn Unit are specially trained to care for the smallest trauma patients.
The new PICU is now located directly across the hallway from the adult intensive care units, which may not seem very relevant, but if other family members have been critically injured it can make a big difference.
“As a Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, we unfortunately see many instances where multiple family members are involved in car crashes, fires or other incidents,” explains Dr. Kiragu. “Thankfully, we’ve always been able to keep families together at our Trauma Center, and now injured children can be even closer to other family members receiving intensive care.
“We understand that an intensive care unit is the last place any parent would want to see their child,” Dr. Kiragu adds. “So in addition to providing the best medical care possible – we want to do everything in our power to help reduce the stress families go through when their loved one is experiencing an illness or injury. Providing thoughtful, intentional measures of comfort with a beautiful new PICU is one simple way we can do this.”
For more than 120 years, Hennepin County Medical Center has successfully taken care of critically injured and ill children. That experience makes a huge difference when a child’s life is at risk. HCMC is a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center with the right people and equipment in place, ready to care for critically injured children from the time of injury through rehabilitation. For more information about pediatric trauma and critical care services at HCMC, go to www.hcmc.org/pediatrics.
Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
Location: Mill City Museum, 704 South 2nd Street
2nd Annual Riverfront Summit - A River of Opportunity
Featured keynote speaker will be Dorothy Bridges, Senior Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank. In addition to the first release of the Minneapolis Riverfront Vitality Report, sponsored by MRP, this event will showcase key Riverfront plans, highlight progress and reinforce the strong partnerships that support Riverfront development.
Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership
OPEN BOOK / 1011 WASHINGTON AVE S
Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting
6:00PM – 8:00PM on Tuesday October 8
Two big events are planned for the DMNA Annual Meeting, and a happy hour at 5:00 PM.
THE FINAL DEBATE FOR 3rd WARD CITY COUNCIL
A candidate’s forum for the new Third Ward City Council. All candidates for the new 3rd Ward City Council race have committed to participating:
- Jacob Frey (DFL Endorsed Candidate)
- Kristina Gronquist (Green Party Endorsed Candidate)
- Diane Hofstede (DFL Incumbent Councilwoman)
- Michael Katch (Libertarian Endorsed Candidate)
Sarah McKenzie from the Downtown Journal will moderate the debate.
DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ELECTION
4 Votes. There are four seats up for election to the DMNA Board of Directors. This means if you live or work Downtown you have 4 votes, one for each seat.
These four Mill District residents, all extraordinarily engaged at the neighborhood level, will serve the Mill District/Downtown East area well:
- Chad DiDonato
- Laurie Jones
- Claudia Kittock
- Peter Zenner
Currently, and in the recent past, the Mill District/Downtown East neighborhood has been under-represented on the DMNA Board, which represents all of Downtown Minneapolis. Not intentionally, but just the way it’s worked out.
Make Sure We Have a Seat at the Table. From redevelopment of the area surrounding the new Vikings Stadium, to the creation of a new Central Riverfront Master Plan, and the infill development already planned, you can ensure our neighborhood has a seat at the table. Write Them Down, Use All Four Votes!
A first of it's kind theater crawl on the Minneapolis Riverfront. October 13 & 14 starting at Mill Ruins Park.
From Director Josh Fazeli:
In world where we face impossible odds against a myriad of various of pressures, citizens committed to the community purpose have consistently prevailed in their cause. Whether it was 600 years ago and thousands of men less than the overwhelming favorite - the French, mankind has prevailed for the cause in the act of valor and courage. We achieve this because we stand together, work together, and band together as brothers, sisters, neighbors, families, and comrades in the act of setting aside our differences and coming together in the practice of intentional and amicable purposes.
This piece ignites theatrical activism in the community by calling upon people who live next to one another to get to know their neighbors and reacquaint their surroundings. While the weather is still above sub-zero, lets come together and call upon our city to ask for a re-igniting activism that creatively purposes new approaches by looking at our architecture and bestow new ways to honor those who blessed our land with the options we are afforded to live by today.
Henry V and the St. Crispin's Day Speech is an example of heroism and champions community advocacy. We hope you will join in banding together with our brothers and sisters and support artists expressing their form of engagement in the NEW third Ward.
RSVP on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/240678922751659/
When: Tuesday, September 24, 2013, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Where: Mill City Museum ground-floor lobby, 704 South 2nd Street, 55401
Staff contact: Andrew Caddock, Project Manageracaddock@minneapolisparks.org
More info:
http://millcitytimes.com/news/public-meeting-gathering-input-on-a-master-plan-for-central.html
Mill City Times | 35W Bridge Memorial | Mill District Block Party | Mill City Media
Monday, November 25, 2013 at 5:00AM