David Piehl writes: Selwyn came in and bought a few buildings long before anyone else was interested, and helped stabilize the area. He does own a number of buildings, but I'd wager Basim owns more. Are you implying that Basim doesn't see hisproperties as real estate investments as well? Why the campaign against Selwyn? I haven't observed problematic behavior around Selwyn's buildings.
MJ Mueller replies: I work at In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre at 15th Avenue and Lake, which is next door to the Antiques Minnesota building and down the street from a Las Americas Mercado, both of which Selwin Ortega owns. Since the Antiques Minnesota building has been unoccupied, I have noticed an increase in prostitution activity around our corner and the Bloomington and Lake corner. I have watched the building fall further and further into disrepair. There has also been increased graffiti and vandalism in the area. There is graffiti on both the above mentioned bulidings that has been there for weeks, if not months. I was shopping in the Las Americas store last fall when I spotted a rat scurrying down the chip aisle. (Yes, I CAN tell a RAT from a mouse - spotting either in a grocery store is a bad thing.) Needless to say, I no longer shop there. I have called the police, the Health Dept., and the graffiti hot-line regarding these conditions, but the problems continue. If you look the Antiques Minnesota building up on the City of Minneapolis property information web site and click on the tax info link, you will see there are delinquent taxes due on this building. It doesn't do anyone any good to have usable buildings sitting vacant and it does nothing to "stabilize the area." MJ Mueller Seward _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
