Been wondering what's happening with some commercial spaces around the neighborhood? Here's a brief round-up:
4312 Upton Commonly referred to as: Modern, empty restaurant space Status: Erick Harcey's restaurant, Upton 43, is set to open in late October. Read more here.
43rd & Upton Commonly referred to as: Former Famous Dave’s site Status: Developer Clark Gassen's mixed-use (retail and apartments) project was approved by the City Planning Commission on Sept. 8 (see the staff report here). The plan has been appealed, and the appeal will be heard by the City Council's Zoning & Planning Committee on Oct. 1.
5003 Bryant Ave S Commonly referred to as: Former Lynn on Bryant restaurant Status: Steven Joel Brown's restaurant, St. Genevieve, is set to open (fingers crossed) before the end of the year. Read more here.
55th & Lyndale Commonly referred to as: Former Borton Volvo site Status: Walgreen's has opened at the north end of the site. As of spring, the one-story retail building at the south end was looking for tenants ("Interested users have included hair salons, yoga studios and one possible restaurant operator."). The developer did not respond to a request for updated information.
5336 Lyndale Commonly referred to as: Former Beek’s Pizza Status: Plans are being finalized for a mixed-use building with 2-3 storefronts. Permits should be issued shortly.
49 ½ & France Commonly referred to as: Walgreen's (Edina) Status: The Edina City Council is considering a proposal to rebuild the Walgreen's at 49 1/2 & France and add 64 apartments above it. Read more about the proposal here.
And, opening soon: 5005 Ewing Ave S Commonly referred to as: Sotarol Status: Sotarol will be present at Sunday's Open Streets event, and will be opening very soon.
Community Forum: Working Families Agenda
On Wed., 9/30, my office will be co-hosting a community forum about the Working Families Agenda with Council Members Elizabeth Glidden & John Quincy. This initiative resulted from a work group formed earlier this year by City Council to address issues working families face in our City. While I am not a member of the committee, I am anxious to hear from 13th Ward residents about these proposals before the issue comes before me at City Council. (My office is also in the process of scheduling a forum for 13th Ward business owners on Oct. 6.)
Here is a one-pager that nicely summarizes the work group's recommendations, which highlight two issues commonly faced by low-income workers: fair scheduling and sick pay. More background information can be found here.
Community Forum Wed., 9/30 6:30 pm Mayflower Church 106 E. Diamond Lk. Rd.
If you cannot attend, but want to voice your thoughts, please send a message to my office and directly to the staff working on this issue at workingfamilies@minneapolismn.gov.
While the 13th Ward always leads the city in National Night Out events, we also have a great number of block parties throughout the summer. On Sept. 12, we had 17 block parties in our ward. Despite my best attempt, I only made it to 6 of them, but these community events are always a great way for me to hear from you. And the weather was perfect! Thanks for the great conversations, everyone! (Photo: 4700 block of Aldrich.)
Free Home Energy Efficiency Visits!
The City of Minneapolis is offering free Home Energy
Squad visits to income-qualified Minneapolis households while funds last.
Qualified households have incomes less than $35,310 for one person and $12,480
for each additional person - that’s $47,790 for two people, or $72,750 for a family of four. (If your household income is over the limit, a visit is offered for $70.)
The Home Energy Squad visits bring energy efficiency
experts to participants’ homes to install energy-saving materials and make
recommendations on energy-saving upgrades. A crew of energy consultants will
visit homes and:
Install energy-saving materials such as door
weatherstripping, compact fluorescent light bulbs, a programmable
thermostat, and high-efficiency showerheads and faucet aerators.
Test for air leaks.
Inspect the insulation in attics and walls.
Check heating systems and water heaters for safety.
Recommend energy upgrades based on what they find in
the tests.
Refer homeowners to no-interest financing if they
decide to do certain recommended upgrades.
To confirm your eligibilty and schedule a Home Energy Squad visit, call 612-335-5874
or visit mncee.org/hes-mpls.
For a limited time, the City of Minneapolis also offers
no-interest financing to participants making insulation and air sealing
upgrades recommended by the Home Energy Squad. For more information about
no-interest financing on recommended insulation and air sealing upgrades, call
612-335-5884.
Tools to Make Recycling Easier
Free recycling resources from Hennepin County are
available for you, including recycling labels, bags for collecting recyclables
and a recycling guide. You can order onlinefor your household, or get larger
quantities to use and share at events, at work or in your community.
You can also find other tools online to help you spread the word about recycling.
Staying in Touch with My Office
Are you facing an issue with the City? My office is glad to try and help! Whether this means a phone call, an email conversation, or an in-person meeting (I'm happy to meet constituents in the ward!), please reach out.
Additionally, if you want to be updated about airplane noise issues, please subscribe to my airport-specific newsletter by sending an email to my aide Emily Ziring (emily.ziring@minneapolismn.gov) with the subject line "Airplane Noise Newsletter."
Enjoy your fall!
Yours in service,
For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact the 13th Ward office at 612-673-2213, or Ken Dahler via ken.dahler@minneapolismn.gov . People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 agents at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.
Para asistencia 612-673-2700 • Rau kev pab 612-673-2800 • Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 612-673-3500.