Minneapolis Riverfront News
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.
Entries from October 1, 2013 - October 31, 2013
Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 5:35AM
Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan Public Input Opportunities
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Via an October 30 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:
Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan Public Input Opportunities
The Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board will host a two-day charrette to gather public input for the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park Master Plan. This is the second charrette of five for the Master Plan and will focus on Historic Main Street and its connections. A charrette is an intensive creative session intended to generate alternative approaches to a design problem. It is a way to immerse a project team with key stakeholders and the community in a real-time, iterative learning and creative process. Please join us!
Charrette Public Meeting Day 1:
Date – 11/6/13
Time – 8:00am to 10:00am
Location – Aster Café – River Room
Meeting Info: Comment and feedback to define key site program issues, possibilities, and limitations for Historic Main Street.
Charrette Public Meeting Day 2:
Date – 11/7/13
Time – 4:00pm to 5:30pm
Location – Aster Café – River Room
Meeting Info: Review preliminary design framework plan and concepts for Historic Main Street completed during the charrette.
The Park Board encourages the public to stop by the Aster Café’s River Room to share ideas, concerns and priorities with the Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park design team. Later in November, ideas from this two-day charrette will be presented to the project advisory committees and the second public open house for discussion.
For more information, please go to the MPRB project page.
Thank you!
CONTACT: Tyler Pederson, Landscape Architect
Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
612-230-6418
tpederson@minneapolisparks.org
2013 Nice Ride Season Ends Sunday, November 3rd
According to the Nice Ride Minnesota website, the 2013 Nice Ride season comes to a close at 10:00pm on Sunday, November 3rd. Check out the Nice Ride Annual Report for 2013, which details their mission, outreach efforts spanning 122 events, 90 led tours and more.
Jacob Frey Endorsed by Star Tribune for 3rd Ward City Council
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
Restaurant/Retail Proposed at 901 Washington Ave S
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.
'Images of Africa' Film Series from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul
Celebrating the state’s growing African communities, The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul will present Images of Africa, a film series highlighting the cinema of Africa. Films in the series will illuminate elements of the human experience that exist across all cultural boundaries. Images of Africa will present 30 narrative and documentary films, including titles from the African regions and nations represented locally.
Films will span a diverse range of topics, from African music and dance to soccer, food, war and exile, and the film industry itself. Images of Africawill draw titles from established film production regions like Senegal, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, and Nigeria’s Nollywood, as well as from countries such as Mali, Kenya, Somalia, Ghana, Rwanda and Liberia among others.
Week 25 at the 2013 Mill City Farmers Market
October 26 marked the end of the 2013 outdoor Market season. Thank You to Market Sponsor, Cynthia Froid, for the complimentary apples! Look for your favorite MCFM vendors at the indoor winter Markets - the first one being November 9.
Two lovely Market artists - Annika Kaplan and Annabella Sardelis. :)
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Crown Hydro Video
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.
Tomorrow: Final 'Outdoor' Mill City Farmers Market for the 2013 Season
October 26 is the final Mill City Farmers Market for the 2013 'outdoor' season. They'll be open 9:00am - 1:00pm, so bundle up and head over to stock up on lots of good stuff!
Don't forget - the 2013-2014 indoor Winter Market dates are:
November 9
November 23
December 14
January 11
February 8
March 8
March 15 (at the Arboretum, Chanhassen)
April 12
These are all Saturdays, all 10:00am-1:00pm. With the exception of March 15, they'll all be held in the Mill City Museum.
ReelAbilities Film Festival Playing in Minneapolis November 1 - 5
ReelAbilities is a film festival featuring work by and about people with physical and intellectual disabilities. It will run in Minneapolis November 1 - 5. In our neighborhood, showings will take place at the Guthrie, MacPhail Center for Music, and St. Anthony Main Theater. Click here to view the schedule at each venue.
ReelAbilities Festivals take place nationally, and include award winning films, music, dance, theater, discussions and other engaging programs.
Tomorrow Night: "A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" Exhibit Opening Reception at Mill City Museum
Via an October 23 e-ALERT from the Minnesota Historical Society:
Local High School Students to Showcase Work Alongside Gordon Parks Photography in New Exhibit Opening Thursday
WHAT: "A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" exhibit will go on display at Mill City Museum Oct. 24, 2013-June 8, 2014 with a companion exhibit at Juxtaposition Arts Oct. 24-Dec. 1, 2013. Both exhibits are free.
WHEN: Opening reception and panel discussion, Thursday Oct. 24, 6 to 9 p.m. (7 p.m. panel discussion)
WHERE: Mill City Museum, 704 S. Second St., Minneapolis
COST: Free. RSVP to oneread@minneapolismn.gov or 612-673-2509.
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT: The exhibit features approximately 30 photographs created by local high school students alongside images by Gordon Parks, on loan from The Gordon Parks Foundation. Using Park's autobiography "A Choice of Weapons" as inspiration, the students created images portraying people in their communities with dignity and pride. "A Choice of Weapons" is this year’s One Minneapolis One Read selection.
"A Choice of Weapons: A Living Legacy" is made possible by the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the vote of Minnesotans on Nov. 4, 2008. Administered by the Minnesota Historical Society.
Long Term Plan for Gold Medal Park Announced at Mill District Neighborhood Forum
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.
Rental Property Owner Workshops from the Minneapolis Police Dept.
One of our Mill District neighbors recently obtained a Rental Property Owner Workshop Certificate from the Minneapolis Police Department and wanted to share the information for the benefit of others who own rental property.
The Minneapolis Police Department provides ten or more Rental Property Owner Workshops for rental property owners and managers each year. Attending the workshop provides attendees with valuable information, resources and opportunities to network with other property owners.
If you own or manager rental property and haven't yet attended one of these workshops, or enrolled in Action Alert lists, contact Luther Krueger, Crime Prevention Analyst. He can also provide you with a list of owners who have rentals on the same blocks as your rental properties.
You can reach him at:
Luther Krueger, Crime Prevention Analyst
Minneapolis Police Dept., Property Information Center
350 S. 5th Street, Room 100 City Hall, Minneapolis MN 55415
612-673-5371, Luther.Krueger@MinneapolisMN.gov
Week 24 at the 2013 Mill City Farmers Market
Shoppers looking for the perfect Halloween pumpkin, decorative gourds or yummy squash for baking had the pick of the crop at the October 19 Market.
Public Comment Opportunities for Proposed 2014 Minneapolis Park Board Budget
Excerpts from an October 17 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board:
Proposed 2014 Minneapolis Park Board Budget Continues Focus on Fiscal Responsibility, Service Delivery and Maintaining Park System.
The Superintendent's Recommended 2014 Budget for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) focuses on maintaining park services and facilities, strategically addressing financial and operational challenges, improving organizational efficiency and service delivery, and addressing threats to the urban tree canopy.
The proposed budget and budget related documents are available for viewing at www.minneapolisparks.org/budget or by calling 612-230-6400. The public may comment on the proposed budget during the following times:
Nov. 6, Public Comment Session– Administration and Finance Committee meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis. The Committee meeting will follow the Board's regular meeting at 5 pm.
Nov. 20, Public Comment Session– Regular Board meeting, MPRB Headquarters, 2117 West River Road, Minneapolis, at 5 pm
Dec. 11, Public Hearing – City of Minneapolis public hearing on 2014 tax levy and 2014 Budget, City Hall, Council Chambers Room 317, 350 South 5th Street, Minneapolis, at 6:05 pm
This Weekend at the Guthrie Theater - Telling: Minnesota
This weekend the Guthrie Theater will present The Telling Project's production of Telling: Minnesota in association with the Guthrie Theater's production of An Iliad.
The Saturday, October 19, performance at 10:00amis being made available for active military service people, veterans and their families, and the public. The performance will be followed by a reception for attendees in the Pohlad Lobby.
The Sunday, October 20, performance at 1:00pm is for the general public as well as active military service people, veterans and their families. This performance will be followed by a short discussion.
Detailing military service from Vietnam through to the present, six Minnesota veterans will step onstage at the Guthrie Theater's Dowling Studio to give their first-hand accounts of their lives and the military. Telling: Minnesota is an original play written from interviews with the performers themselves, interwoven into three continuous acts.
The performances are free, but tickets are required. Tickets may be reserved by phone at 612.377.2224 or toll-free at 1.877.44STAGE or in person at the Guthrie's Box Office.
This piece is recommended for adult audiences, as it contains mature content and themes.
Restaurant Week Fall 2013: October 20-25
Time to start planning for the upcoming October 20 - 25 Restaurant Week. It's a week's worth of fabulous food at unbeatable prices from some of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities. Participating restaurants will present specially priced meals (lunch, dinner, or both) that showcase their culinary offerings in the local dining scenes.
In our neighborhood and near by, visit the following restaurants:
Friday Night - The Great Northeast Pumpkin Grab and Costume Contest
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
Creative City Challenge Returns for 2nd Year - Entry Process is Under Way
The Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC) and The Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy of the City of Minneapolis, and Meet Minneapolis, in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn and the Northern Spark festival, are pleased to announce the second annual Creative City Challenge, a competition for Minnesotan architects, urban designers, engineers, scientists, artists, students and individuals of all backgrounds to create and install at the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza a temporary, desitnation artwork, which acts as a sociable and participatory platform for summer-long onsite programming, reflects the city's commitment to sound ecological practices, and encourages a sense of connectedness to the city as a whole and its rich cultural and natural offerings.
In its inaugural year, the Creative City Challenge selected the Minneapolis Interactive Macro Mood Installation (MIMMI) as the winner.
This year a jury of city officials and urban placemaking professionals will select 3 finalists to receive a stipend to develop their proposals. The public will then vote on the final proposals, and the selected proposal will receive a $75,000 commission to produce their project for a summer-long installation on the Convention Center Plaza in 2014. The installation will be unveiled at the Northern Spark Festival on June 14, 2014.
Entries are due by 4:30pm November 18. The first information session is October 15 at 8:00am. Here is the link to this webinar and additional details.
2nd Annual Riverfront Summit - A River of Opportunity [Video]
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...
