This Weekend in Mill City / November 18-20

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District and Minneapolis Riverfront Neighborhoods.  Have an event to share?  Contact us...

Friday, November 18

Eating Local Through the Winter Class at Local D'Lish

Il Campiello at Open Book (3 nights)

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

Saturday, November 19

First Pages: Capturing Life-Changing Experiences at Central Library

Printed Holiday Note Cards at MCBA

Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Childish Films at Central Library

Farmers Market at Local D'lish

Northeast Holiday Boutique Crawl

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

10th Annual Book Arts Festival at MCBA

Sunday, November 20

Turkey Day Leftovers Class at Local D'Lish

Vikings and Oakland Raiders at the Dome

Salon & Supper at Aster Cafe

Weekend Brunch

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at Spoonriver
750 South 2nd St (at Chicago Ave S)
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-436-2236

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Next Step in Revitalizing Washington Avenue - New Ramp to 35W Near Metrodome May Come Soon

From the Star Tribune:

A planned connection to northbound Interstate 35W near the Metrodome represents the first new freeway access from downtown Minneapolis in about 20 years.

A key City Council committee approved the project Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote by the full council Friday. Slotted for construction next year, the $13.5 million project is expected to improve access and flow on 35W and divert rush-hour traffic from Washington Avenue S.

Read the full article...

No, Thank You MacPhail @macphailmusic

For all you do for children and our neighborhood.  Visit MacPhail Center for Music on Twitter.

[Video] MPRB Meeting 11/9/11 - Public/Private Partnership to Take Over Downtown Parks and Public Spaces?

Resolution to Identify the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as a Partner with the Downtown Improvement District and to provide $25,000 toward hiring a Consultant to Conduct a Study to Determine the Feasibility and Approach for Creating a Downtown Minneapolis Public Realm Conservancy.

View the Meeting Agenda here...

Download the Resolution and Request for Proposal

View more documents from Mill City Times

Tonight - Publication Reading: Marge Barrett and Joanne Esser at The Loft

Publication Reading: Marge Barrett and Joanne Esser

Time: 7:00pm

Location:  The Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Join two Finishing Line Press authors to help celebrate their new poetry books.

Marge Barrett will read selections from her recent chapbook My Memoir Dress. The poetry chapbook was a finalist in Finishing Line’s critically acclaimed New Women’s Voices Competition. Of the chapbook, acclaimed author Wang Ping says, “Each poem from Memoir Dress is a seed from the rich soil of Minnesota. It may appear small and quiet, but read it slowly, and it blossoms with the smell and color of the prairie, each as hot as the noon sun. Every Minnesotan deserves this book.

MacPhail to Receive Matching Dollars on all November 16 'Give to the Max Day' Contributions

Two great reasons to add MacPhail Center for Music to your Give to the Max Day list:  Your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar thanks to a matching gift from the Classics for Kids Foundation, and your gift will help purchase new instruments for students who cannot afford them.

Help put an instrument in every hand! Click here for MacPhail's Give to the Max Day link.

Descending from Gold Medal Park

Gold Medal Park is located in the Historic Mill District of Downtown Minneapolis.

Video - Mill District of Minneapolis

The Week Ahead in Mill City / November 14-20

Each Monday morning we provide an easy to reference list of events and activities for the week ahead in the Mill City neighborhood.  Submit your events here...

Monday, November 14

Chefs for Change at People Serving People

Wednesday, November 16

Quick Week Night Meals Class at Local D'Lish

'Triple Espresso' Preview at Southern Theater

Publication Reading: Marge Barrett and Joanne Esser at The Loft

Thursday, November 17

Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

Friday, November 18

Eating Local Through the Winter Class at Local D'Lish

Il Campiello at Open Book (3 nights)

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

Saturday, November 19

First Pages: Capturing Life-Changing Experiences at Central Library

Printed Holiday Note Cards at MCBA

Washburn A Mill Tour at Mill City Museum

Childish Films at Central Library

Farmers Market at Local D'lish

Northeast Holiday Boutique Crawl

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Taste Twin Cities Downtown Minneapolis Skyway Tour

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

10th Annual Book Arts Festival at MCBA

Sunday, November 20

Turkey Day Leftovers Class at Local D'Lish

Vikings and Oakland Raiders at the Dome

Salon & Supper at Aster Cafe

The Soap Factory and Mill Ruins Park Awarded Grants from Partners in Preservation

Partners in Preservation announced the 13 2011 award winners to receive a share of $1 million in preservation grants. Included on that list was The Soap Factory, receiving $70,000 towards the repair of the failing roof of the main building.

Twenty-five historic sites participated in the program, competing for votes on Facebook for a part of the $1 million.  The remaining 12 sites participating in the initiative, including Mill Ruins Park, were each granted $5,000 in funding.

On Sunday - Great River Outing / Gems Along the Mississippi Trail

View Full Screen - Great River Outing - Gems Along the Mississippi Trail

This Weekend in Mill City / November 11-13

Events this weekend in and around the Historic Mill District and Minneapolis Riverfront Neighborhoods.  Have an event to share?  Contact us...

Friday, November 11

Beer, Beer, Beer Class at Local D'Lish

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Mentor Series Reading: Dinty Moore with Rebecca Dosch Brown and Diana Xin at The Loft

Saturday, November 12

Thanksgiving Paper Dinner at MCBA

Create Your Own Magical World: Creative Writing and Bookmaking - a Special Combo Class with MCBA and Loft Staff

Live Music at Crooked Pint Ale House

Live Music at Aster Cafe

Publication Reading: Jill Breckenridge - Miss Priss and the Con Man at The Loft

Sunday, November 13

Fun Fall Desserts Class at Local D'Lish

Spotlight Series at MacPhail

Great River Outing: Gems Along the Mississippi River Trail with the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership

Second Story Reading: Kelly Barnhill and Anne Ursu at The Loft

Weekend Brunch

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at Spoonriver
750 South 2nd St (at Chicago Ave S)
Minneapolis, MN 55401
612-436-2236

Reservations recommended

10:00am - 2:00pm

See the menu...

Saturday & Sunday

Brunch at the Aster Cafe
St. Anthony Main
125 SE Main Street
Minneapolis, MN 55414
612-379-3138

Until 2pm.

See the menu...

Sunday

Brunch at Spill the Wine
1101 Washington Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-339-3388

brunch buffet 10am- 2pm Sunday
$12/person (kids 3 and under eat free, 4-12 years are 1/2 price!)

includes: eggs, bacon, french toast, hash browns, fresh salad and fruit, pastries, build your own omlette bar and more...

featuring absolut bloody bar for $5.

also offering fair trade coffee and full bar.

Tonight - North Star Cocktails Book Launch Party at the Mill City Museum

Thursday, November 10, 2011, 7:00-10:00 pm

Tickets: $25, $20 for Minnesota Historical Society Members

On sale online or at 612-341-7555. Must be 21 or older to     attend.  Valid i.d. required for admittance

Sample craft cocktails and meet Johnny Michaels and other premiere Twin Cities bartenders to celebrate the publication of North Star Cocktails. This new book features 125 original, crafted cocktail recipes utilizing fresh fruits and vegetables, tips on barkeep techniques and tools, and guides to artisanal liquors and bitters.

Johnny Michaels and five other members of the North Star Bartenders’ Guild will be on hand mixing their cocktail recipe featured in the book. Participants will receive a voucher for three half-size cocktails with paid admission, and can purchase vouchers for additional cocktails. Pip Hanson of Marvel Bar will be conducting a demonstration of hand ice chipping. Nick Kosevich of Bittercube will deliver a tutorial on the art of hand-crafting artisanal bitters. Dean Phillips will have a memorabilia display highlighting the history of Phillips Distilling Company and its deep Minnesota roots. Complimentary light hors d’oeuvres will be served. North Star Bartenders Guild members will be on hand to copies of the book, which will be for sale in the museum store.

 

The six bartenders who will mix their cocktails are:

• Johnny Michaels - La Belle Vie
• Adam Harness - Cafe Maude
• Gina Kent - Bradstreet Crafthouse
• Jesse Held
• Chad Larson - Barrio Tequila Bars
• Rob Jones - Meritage

Recognized as one of the twin cities’ best drink makers, Johnny Michaels is the cocktail connoisseur’s answer to a gourmet chef. His home base is the James Beard award–winning La Belle Vie, but he’s designed the cocktail menus for several of its sister restaurants and other top metro eateries. Together with premiere bartenders such as Pip Hanson, Nick Kosevich, Jesse Held, Thea Sheffert, and others in the North Star Bartenders’ Guild, Michaels shares 125 original cocktail recipes.

Tonight - Jazz Thursday at MacPhail Center for Music

Time:  7:00pm

Location: MacPhail Center for Music
Antonello Hall, 501 2nd Street South

Jazz Integration

$10 Adults; $5 Youth - at the door

What better way to hear unlikely jazz duos and trios than in a concert featuring MacPhail jazz faculty together for the first time. A combination of rarely heard tunes and a unique grouping of instruments will set this evening in motion.

Then experience the harmonious finale of the evening as all musicians take the stage for a final piece signifying unity of the night’s musical scene.

Tonight - Great River Outing: Inside the Grain Belt Complex with the Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership

Time: 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Location: Grain Belt Office and Brewery Buildings, 1220 Marshall Street NE

We will go inside both the Grain Belt Office Building and the Grain Belt Brewery, with guides from the City of Minneapolis and RSP Architects.

THIS TOUR IS FULL

PROGRAM FULL - please sign up for the waiting list for future date!

Experience some of the most stunning vistas of the city while discovering the history of this northeast landmark, which produced its first beer in 1893. Hear the story behind the rise of Grain Belt beer, the slow decline of this 19th century industrial complex and its innovative and award-winning rehabilitation. On this special tour, we will visit both the BREW HOUSE (RSP Architects) and the OFFICE BUILDING (City owned). Co-hosted by Minneapolis Riverfront Partnership, RSP Architects, and the City of Minneapolis - CPED.

Star Trib Article on Central Library's Treasures in the Special Collections Room

We were shown the grand entry to Central Library's Special Collections room during a tour last year.  With reservation-only access, I assumed it housed old and rare items of historical significance, but Father Hennepin's 1698 journal?  Now that's old and rare!

Kevin Duchschere's Star Trib article about the Minneapolis Athenaeum, a private subscription library founded in 1859 that gave birth to the Minneapolis Public Library, gives us an idea of what can be found in the Special Collections room.  Click here for the online version. 

Only two items from Minneapolis' original 1889 library were incorporated into the new Central Library.  One is this ornate doorway, which currently serves as the entrance to the Special Collections room on the 4th floor.  The other is a statue of Minerva, the Goddess of Wisdom, which stands at the base of the escalator on the ground floor.

Tonight / Important Item on MPRB Agenda - Public/Private Partnership to Take Over Downtown Parks and Public Spaces?

Time: 5:00pm

Location:  Minneapolis Park and Rec Board, 2117 West River Road

Resolution to Identify the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as a Partner with the Downtown Improvement District and to provide $25,000 toward hiring a Consultant to Conduct a Study to Determine the Feasibility and Approach for Creating a Downtown Minneapolis Public Realm Conservancy.

View the Meeting Agenda here...

Download the Resolution and Request for Proposal

View more documents from Mill City Times

Tonight - Important Item on DMNA Board Meeting Agenda

Time: 6:00pm

Location:  Central Library, Room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall

*The CPED update on 1100 2nd St. S. also has the potential to affect the planned development of the Park Vista Condos on the adjacent property.

City of Minneapolis Description of the development:

This City-owned .22-acre site is currently a vacant lot. City staff members are currently discussing a sale of the property to a local company that would construct a new 1½-story, approximately 5,800 square foot building that would include space for light manufacturing, wholesale customer pickup, demonstrations to corporate and small groups, and administrative offices. The Minneapolis Plan for Sustainable Growth identifies this site for Mixed-Use. The proposed uses are permitted under the existing I1 zoning but the proposed project has not been through a formal zoning review and approval process at this time. Grant funds, if awarded, would be used for soil remediation and the installation of the vapor mitigation system.

Download - DMNA November Board Meeting Agenda 11-8-11

View more documents from Mill City Times

Breaking News - Manufacturing Site Proposed Next to Gold Medal Park - Mill City Times Exclusive

Attend the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association meeting tomorrow night and share your opinion on this proposed development.

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Time: 6:00pm

Location:  Central Library, Room N-202, 300 Nicollet Mall

*The CPED update on 1100 2nd St. S. has the potential to negatively affect Gold Medal Park and the Mill District Neighborhood.

Download the agenda here...

If you can't attend the meeting please email DMNA Board Member Eric Laska - elaska@gmail.com - with your opinion of this topic.

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A manufacturing facility, including loading docks ("wholesale customer pickup"), is being proposed by the City of Minneapolis right across the street from Gold Medal Park, the 35W Bridge Memorial, and the Bridgewater Lofts in the Historic Mill District of Minneapolis.

The facility would sit between Gold Medal Park and the planned Park Vista Condominiums planned by developer Jim Stanton.

Park Vista would generate over $1,000,000 in licensing and inspection fees to the city for construction, and in excess of $1,500,000 per year in property taxes annually.

Should the manufacturing facility move forward it is doubtful that Park Vista would be viable.  The manufacturing plant would be directly next door to, and between the park and condos.

Maybe Stanton could rename the development "Truck Dock Vista"...is this really the best use of this land?

One more thing, Stanton was the highest (and only) bidder on this parcel under the original RFP, offering MORE than market rate based on comparable recent sales.  What is really going on here?

From the RFP offering this site for sale:

The Site has an excellent corner location in the Mill District at the intersection of 2nd Street South and 11th Avenue South. The Site has spectacular views of Gold Medal Park – located across the street – the Guthrie Theater, and the Mississippi riverfront...The City would also like to see a development that contributes to the vibrancy of the Mill District area.

Description of the development:

This City-owned .22-acre site is currently a vacant lot. City staff members are currently discussing a sale of the property to a local company that would construct a new 1½-story, approximately 5,800 square foot building that would include space for light manufacturing, wholesale customer pickup, demonstrations to corporate and small groups, and administrative offices. The Minneapolis Plan for Sustainable Growth identifies this site for Mixed-Use. The proposed uses are permitted under the existing I1 zoning but the proposed project has not been through a formal zoning review and approval process at this time. Grant funds, if awarded, would be used for soil remediation and the installation of the vapor mitigation system.

This development hardly meets this criteria - "The City would also like to see a development that contributes to the vibrancy of the Mill District area."

Download - Re - 1100 2nd Street S Environmental_RCA

View more documents from Mill City Times

Download - 1100 2nd St S RFP_2010 2

View more documents from Mill City Times

Important Item on MPRB Agenda for 11/9/11 - Public/Private Partnership to Take Over Downtown Parks and Public Spaces?

Resolution to Identify the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board as a Partner with the Downtown Improvement District and to provide $25,000 toward hiring a Consultant to Conduct a Study to Determine the Feasibility and Approach for Creating a Downtown Minneapolis Public Realm Conservancy.

View the Meeting Agenda here...

Download the Resolution and Request for Proposal

View more documents from Mill City Times