Commons at Penn Brings 47 Units of Affordable Housing and Health and Wellness Services to North Minneapolis
 Above Top: Rendering by Building Blocks of Commons at Penn; Below: Ceremonial Ground breaking on Tuesday, October 30.
On
Tuesday, September 30, 2014, locally based nonprofit Building Blocks broke
ground on the Commons at Penn, a new 47-unit affordable housing apartment
complex located at 2201 Golden Valley Road. Once completed, the Commons will offer office and program space for
Building Blocks, the nonprofit founded by former NBA player and North
Minneapolis native Devean George in 2011 and the lead developer of the
project. Building Blocks supports the
development of youth and families by focusing on a combination of housing,
mentoring, and educational programming. The first floor of the building will also include space for an outreach
clinic operated by NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center where community members
will have access to health education classes, events, and health care services.
The $10.7M project is being supported by the City of Minneapolis through the Affordable
Housing Trust Fund and Tax Exempt Housing Revenue Bonds, Hennepin County
through its Environmental Response Fund, Transit-Oriented Development program
and Affordable Housing Incentive Fund (AHIF), Metropolitan Council through its
Livable Communities Demonstration Account program, Minnesota Housing through
its Economic Development and Housing Challenge program, the Pohlad Foundation,
the Family Housing Fund, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and
Sunrise Bank who is providing the first mortgage.
Construction
of Commons at Penn is expected to wrap up by mid-2015 with the first residents
moving in by the fall.
Parklets Foster Interaction and Engagement
 Parklet in North Minneapolis on Emerson Avenue North
On September 16th, Council Members Yang, Bender
and Frey announced the launch of parklets, a new City of Minneapolis initiative
reimagining public space. Parklets,
temporary structures placed in the parking lane of City streets, offer a new
type of public space for people to linger and enjoy the outdoors. The parklet program fulfills several City
goals by creating more livable communities through the creation of great places
for neighbors to gather and relax. Parklets foster community interaction and social engagement, while
supporting local business communities by activating community corridors.
Three sites were selected for pilot installation; Spyhouse
Coffee in Ward 10 on Nicollet Avenue; Juxtaposition Arts in Ward 5 on Emerson
Ave. N.; and outside Martin Patrick 3 in Ward 3 on 3rd Ave. N. Please check the City of Minneapolis website later this fall for information on eligibility requirements and applying to the
Parklet program.
Business Spotlight
The Nicollet Diner Goes 24/7
 Sam Turner is not new to the
Minneapolis restaurant scene. He’s helped run some of the Twin Cities’
most beloved restaurants including Tailgate, Cintia’s, and Bobino. Now, after a few years of
dreaming and planning, he’s running his own concept: The Nicollet Diner.
Opened on September 8, 2014 at 1428 Nicollet Avenue, the diner is focused on
making the best burgers, fries and shakes you have ever tasted in a casual, neighborhood
setting. Sam says originally he was considering either a coffee shop or a
diner, but when he did the market research and realized there was not a burger
or breakfast place in the area, which happens to be the most highly densely
populated square mile in Minneapolis, he quickly saw the opportunity to fill
the gap.
On September 23, several impassioned and supportive community members spoke on behalf of granting The Nicollet Dinner the 24/7 business license they'd requested from the City at a public hearing including Sister Girtha Rotunda and
Christmas Morningwood of The Ladies of the Lake and Jana Metge of Citizens for a
Loring Community. The expressions of support for Sam and the diner memorable. With full Council approval passing October 3, the diner is now able to
serve customers 24/7. As part of their commitment to providing good
customer service and being responsible neighbors, Sam plans to continually make
sharing safety reminders and being respectful to area residents a priority with
staff and customers.
The Nicollet Diner Online
Business Spotlight
Olu's Home: A New Adult and Child Day Center to Add 25 Jobs in North
 Olu's Home Owner Gloria Freeman (center) celebrates ground breaking with project partners and Mayor Betsy Hodges
Already
the provider of in-home services for senior residents living in Hennepin and
Ramsey Counties and the owner and operator of seven residential homes in the
Metro Area, Gloria Freeman felt that it was the right time to do something that
would directly benefit North Minneapolis. So, she started to look for a building to serve as a child and adult day center. When her agent proposed the
old City Inc. building located at 1315 12th Avenue North, at 18,000
square feet, it was over twice the space she had imagined. However, with the support of her family,
Gloria decided to proceed, and on Thursday, October 2, along with the City, MEDA,
CRF USA and other supporters, she celebrated the ground breaking of Olu’s Home.
The
Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA) was the business
development agency that connected Gloria to Community Reinvestment Fund USA
(CRF), a national nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that supports
businesses that have the potential to make a large impact on their
community. After reviewing Gloria’s
16-year history of successfully starting and managing her business as well as
dedication to giving back to the communities she operates within, CRF approved
a $1.2 million SBA 7(a) loan to buy and renovate the building. Over the next nine weeks the building is
going to get a complete uplift including paint inside and out, new windows,
floor work, removing some walls, and adding a playground and fencing among
other items.
Olu’s
Home is expected to bring at least 25 new jobs to North, and Gloria is committed
to hiring locally. She estimates that the center will be able to serve 100
children ages infant through school age and 70 seniors with some unique opportunities
for structured, cross-over programming between the children and adults. The
opening is planned for January 2015.
Videos Explain the Business Licensing Process in Spanish, Hmong, and Somali
Navigating the City’s business licensing process can seem intimidating, especially if English is not your first language. To help entrepreneurs who speak Spanish, Hmong and Somali, the City created a “Business Licensing 101” video in each of these languages. The videos provide entrepreneurs helpful tips like not to sign a lease before verifying that the business is zoned properly and the value of working with the business association in the area. |
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The videos also show entrepreneurs what happens during an inspection and the best place to park when coming Downtown to talk with City staff. Overall, they cover 25 quick resources to make doing business in the City of Minneapolis easier.
The videos
are available on the City’s Business Licensing web pages under the “BLIP”
Business Licensing Information resources. Spoiler Alert! If you feel like you recognize the actors, you probably
do as they are all City employees.
More multilingual videos are available on the City’s YouTube Channel. Also, CPED is in the process of developing four
new multilingual videos focused on increasing access and awareness on the
Development Services division and the programs and services offered by Housing,
Business Development and Employment and Training. For questions about these tools, please
contact Rose Lindsay.
Play on Penn
Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis and Metro Transit are working together with the community to make positive changes for those who live, work, and play along Penn Avenue North in Minneapolis. The project includes re-envisioning Penn Avenue as a complete street, promoting economic opportunity and stimulating private investment along Penn and enhancing livability. |
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To raise awareness of the project and to generate some early results, a series of activities were launched along Penn Avenue this summer called “Play on Penn." The activities ranged from new streetscape elements to community events such as BBQs to live music. The activities and spaces were created by West Broadway Business and Area Coalition and the Musicant Group.
Specifically, the Musicant Group focused on a vacant lot located at Penn and Plymouth. They wanted to create a place where people wanted to be so, they started by asking the employees at nearby NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center what they wanted in the area and learned that seating during lunch and increased food options were main priorities. With this information, they set to work creating an engaging space with physical installations that included colorful seating, tree swings, and a ping pong table. Next, they recruited Harvest Grill Food Truck to visit every Monday.
Feedback has been very positive about “Play on Penn.” At present, data is being gathered on the outcomes of the various activities to share with Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis to use as part of the larger Community Works on Penn Avenue Project. One known outcome is that an opportunity exists for a permanent food establishment near Penn and Plymouth.
More information
Minneapolis Employment and Training Recognizes Outstanding Partners
Left to Right: Ibrahim Noor, new Minneapolis
WorkForce Center manager, Steve Chirpich, Abdi Isse, Heidi Stay, Catherine
Christian, Deb Bahr-Helgen, Christine Schaerf, and Laura Keiser
Each year, City of
Minneapolis Employment and Training, and the Minneapolis Workforce Council
present awards to agencies that have provided outstanding employment services
to Minneapolis youth and adults.
On September 23, the
Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s dislocated worker
team was recognized as the outstanding Adult Service Partner of the Year for
excellent service to their Minneapolis customers. A quote from a recent client
best describes their attention to customer service, “Being able to step away
from that crippling anxiety and fear, develop a sense of direction, set goals,
then have the support to move forward has meant more to me than anyone could
understand. I will always be grateful to
you.”
Left to Right: Sterling Adams, Lashonda Stone, Renisha Gray, Linda Bryant, Ramadan Campbell-bey, and Mike Wynne
EMERGE was selected as Youth Service
Partner of the Year for providing Minneapolis youth, ages 14-21, with
comprehensive, individualized education, employment and training services to
ensure that they are better prepared to enter the workforce and/or attain their
educational goals.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
The new Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) is a five-year initiative designed to
update the nation’s workforce development system.
WIOA creates a
streamlined workforce development system by:
- Applying a single
set of outcome metrics to workforce programs.
- Integrating case
management and reporting systems while strengthening evaluations.
Greater value by:
- Empowering state
and local boards to tailor services to their region’s needs.
- Supporting access
to real world education and workforce development.
Better coordination
by:
- Aligning workforce
programs with economic development and education initiatives.
- Ensuring
individuals with disabilities the skills to be successful in employment.
Improved outreach
to disconnected youth by:
- Focusing services
on out-of-school youth, drop-out recovery, and attainment of post-secondary
credentials.
- Providing youth
with disabilities services and support to be successful in employment.
The Minnesota
Workforce Council Association (the City of Minneapolis is a member) will work
with state and federal agencies to ensure that the local system is heard in the
implementation of the new legislation.
Learn more
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