I have not heard any recent positions from any of the council members regarding
the motel on Lake Street. I am interested in their positions, as well as the
positions of potential challengers in the fall elections.
I personally feel a motel would be a terrible option for Lake Street ultimately
jeopardizing the revitalization of the area. One comment that has been repeated
to concerned constituents in the area is that the developer feels that in this
location they can tap into downtown hotel stays via the bus line. Well, I love
my neighborhood, but as a person who works downtown and occasionally travels on
company business I seriously doubt that people with expense accounts are
interested in staying at the AmericInn on Lake Street vs the array of downtown
options.
I've also heard "jobs" as a consideration for the motel; essentially a handfull
of cleaning jobs in an industry that received a very poor score on Diversity
from the NAACP. In October of 2000, Kweisi Mfume, president of the NAACP said
"relatively little progress" had been made by the hotel industry in getting
African Americans into management positions, or doing business with minority
vendors. I don't think job availability is currently as pressing as helping
people get good jobs that already exist - there are many unfilled positions in
the metro as well as the specific area noted, and not nearly enough effort being
put into helping people obtain those jobs. (another story for another time,
though) We already have several major employers in the area, and the fact that
those jobs are in our neighborhood hasn't changed the fact that most are held by
suburbanites who commute.
I hope that Brian Herron and the rest of the council do not support the motel in
this location. While I personally oppose a motel entirely, if one is built I
believe it would only be appropriate to build in a location where it is
surrounded by commercial properties and no residential immediatly adjacent that
would be impacted - like the Nicollet Ave & Lake re-development proposal, for
example, or even the Chicago Lake development. This is what I consider to be
more prudent urban planning, with an eye on mitigating spill-over effects up
front vs. reacting to them later. To date, everyone I have heard from is
opposed to the concept, with the exception of the people who will benefit
financially from this development.
I think it is interesting that there is such a high degree of secrecy
surrounding the proposal; it has been extremely difficult to get information,
and I don't like the patronizing attitude that some people involved have
displayed. In November of 2000 I was threatened by an employee of AmericInn
when I contacted them for information.
Related or not, the former owners of one of the properties required for this
proposal received death threats prior to agreeing to sell their house.
In my opinion, the handling of this process and the concept itself qualifies as
an issue to be addressed in the election process; I would seriously like to
know what each of the candidates who seek to represent this area think about
both the process and the concept.
It is also imprtant to note that the idea of a hotel has been presented several
times by Urban Ventures over the past six or seven years, and is voted down by
the residents every time. Such a use is also inconsistent with current zoning,
the small area plan, and the NRP plan.
I attended the plan review meeting earlier this morning, and the three parties
involved are as follows:
John Kennedy of AmericInn (franchisor)
Mike Fruen, investor (franchisee)
Basim Sabri (owner of much of the affected land)
and Urban Ventures as (apparently) facilitators
The proposal calls for zoning to change to C3A or C4 to accomodate the hotel and
some small shops. The parking requirement is 101 spaces, and the plan currently
allows for 116 spaces. Much of the parking is in front of the building
(streetside) and as one member of the review committee termed it, a "suburban
solution in an urban setting"
The hotel itself would have 67 rooms for rent.
The entire building would have about 27,000 square feet of space.
The plan for the same location that was brushed aside by Basim Sabri last year
after he purchased the land would have created at least 30 units of affordable
housing, become a center for neighborhood based ethnic art, and provided work
space for several art-oriented entrepreneurs. I challenge Basim and the City
officials to consider ways to revive that or similar proposals that benefit the
neighborhood instead of suburban speculators.
Thoughts?
David Piehl
Central Resident
"wizardmarks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on 03/13/2001 10:30:31 PM
To: Dave G Piehl/USA/Pillsbury@Pillsbury
cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Mpls] East Lake Street Motel
B. Herron and I were talking about this just a day or two ago. I'm beginning to
see
a picture where Basim has enough friends on the council that he doesn't need
Brian's
vote to get what he wants. The one company I heard who seems to have been
interested at one point is a group called American Hotel or Motel Co. If so,
they
are a subsidiary of Wells Fargo. If so, I'd say the impetus is from that
direction
since WF just move their HQ to Honeywell Campus.
WMarks
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> cc:
> Subject: East Lake Street Motel (Document link not converted)
>
> Many of you may not be aware that a developer is attempting to build a Motel
on
> Lake Street behind the former Irish Too (currently Round Up) bar.
>
> The neighborhood had been pursuing affordable artist housing with ArtSpace
when
> one of the artist housing task force members, Basim Sabri, purchased the land
> out from under the project and immediatly killed it.
>
> A motel has been a very unpopular proposal, and Brian Herron says he might
> support it, but not before there are several public meetings. No public
> meetings have been held, and the motel is now on various zoning and planning
> agendas; I don't know if Brian is aware of that or not, but I'm trying to
find
> out.
>
> A motel is a bad idea for a lot reasons - Whittier suffered for 20 + years
> before they got rid of their hotel.
>
> Development in the neighborhood should benefit area residents, and there is a
> drastic shortage of services in this area - most law abiding citizens will
have
> no need or ability to afford a hotel.
>
> I believe there is a lot more going on, that this has intentionally been kept
> "below the radar"; I know for a fact that the mayor's office has been trying
to
> meet with the developer since November, and got brushed aside. Now the
> developer tells the mayor's office that he has Brian Herron's full support.
> (that is a claim, as yet un-verified).
>
> Thoughts?
>
>
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