[Mpls] This Week in The Minneapolis Observer

[Craig Cox]

T H E M I N N E A P O L I S O B S E R V E R
A Weekly Digest of All Things Minneapolitan
www.mplsobserver.com
Vol. 1, No. 46
July 15, 2002

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THIS WEEK IN THE OBSERVER:
* Development Ban Irks Developers
* McDonald on McKinsey
* Light Rail for University Avenue?
* Park Board Angered Over Council Budget-Cutting
* Mill Ruins Road Project on Hold
Plus: R.T. in love, the subway that never was, the garden path, and the end of the stadium debate.

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DEVELOPMENT BAN IRKS DEVELOPERS
Developers and business owners on the east side of downtown and in the north loop are criticizing what appears to be a hastily considered moratorium on development passed at the City Council's June 21 meeting.

The move, promoted by Seventh Ward Council Member Lisa Goodman, bans all new development in the areas for as long as 30 months, while the city completes its master plan for that part of town, according to Kevin Featherly in Skyway News (www.skywaynews.net). But after hearing from business owners and others whose plans have been suddenly derailed, two council members who joined the unanimous vote--Ninth Ward Council Member Gary Schiff and Fifth Ward CM Natalie Johnson-Lee--are having second thoughts. "I thought there was greater [moratorium] need than what I've since discovered," says Schiff. "I regret having voted for it."

But Sixth Ward CM Dean Zimmerman has no such regrets. "We're interested in making sure that we don't do any developments that are going to have to be redone because they don't fit very well with the light-rail configurations," he says.

Schiff said he hoped to get the moratorium rescinded at the next City Council meeting.

MCDONALD ON MCKINSEY
Former 10th Ward council member Lisa McDonald has been fairly quiet since she lost her mayoral bid in last September's primary, but last week's presentation of the long-awaited McKinsey report on restructuring the city's development agencies had her firing with both barrels.

LIGHT RAIL FOR UNIVERSITY AVENUE?
The Central Corridor Coordinating Committee, representing the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin and Ramsey Counties, and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, last month recommended constructing a light rail line along University Avenue as part of its review of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). As Linda Picone notes in the Seward Profile, the recommendation is not binding but will form the basis for a number of community meetings in the months--and yes, years--ahead.

PARK BOARD ANGERED OVER COUNCIL BUDGET-CUTTING
In the first volley of what promises to be a season of budget-cutting battles, the City Council last week recommended cutting the Park Board's levy by 6.1 percent, a move that will "virtually eliminate" the department's capital projects program.

PROMISES, PROMISES
Politicos are making much of Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Pawlenty's decision to rule out any tax increases if elected in November, so what will they make of Booker T. Hodges IV?

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RAVES, RANTS, AND OTHER CONSIDERED OPINIONS
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IT'S JUST MY OPINION, BUT . . .
There was good news and bad news last week, when St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly and his stadium-seeking knuckleheads announced that they would no longer entertain the idea of bilking local taxpayers to build a ballpark for Carl Pohlad and his baseball company.

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The Minneapolis Observer is published 48 times/year by Independent Media, L.L.C. ©2002 Independent Media, 4152 Snelling Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406; www.mplsobserver.com. No part of this publication may be reprinted without the permission of Independent Media. Subscriptions: $12/yr. To unsubscribe, send us an e-mail ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) and we'll get you off the list and refund the unused portion of your subscription.

Editor: Craig Cox
Associate Editor: Sharon Parker
Contributing writers: Nora Cox, Laine Bergeson, Chris Dodge, Mark Engebretson, Tim Herwig, Leo Mezzrow, Sarah Wash
Occasional research assistance: Martin and Nora Cox
Online technical assistance: Christopher Pollard
Thanks to: Robert Ramstad

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