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. 48 July 29, 2002
********************************************************** THIS WEEK IN THE OBSERVER: * Stadium Not a Priority, Says Rybak * Panel Suggests Downtown Parking Changes * Lake Street Getting Wider? * Affordable Housing vs. Community Gardens * Day Care for Your Dog Plus: Selwyn Ortega's 10 grand, Dave Pirner's mea culpa, Loring Park's virtual block club, a gardener's ode to blue butterflies, and Chief Olson's friends at the Justice Department. *********************************************************** RYBAK: STADIUM IS NOT A PRIORITY With St. Paul suddenly out of the running (walking?) for a new Twins stadium, media attention in recent weeks has turned once again to our fair burgh and a mayor who has been characterized as a suddenly avid supporter of the ballpark--a position that contradicts his stance during last fall's mayoral campaign. But Mayor R.T. Rybak contends that the ballpark talk remains low on his agenda. "The media coverage of the ballpark has been such that I'm constantly asked about it, and there are seemingly endless stories about this topic when very little is happening, so reports you get in the media are not an accurate reflection of how I'm spending my time," Rybak told The Observer. The mayor said he is focused almost exclusively these days on budget issues and the reorganization of the city's development agencies. And, though he said he'd like to keep the Twins in town, it can't be done at the expense of other, more pressing, needs. "I believe a ballpark would help keep the Twins operating here but it's also clear that there are far larger issues with baseball," Rybak said. "Funding for this needs to come from places that do not affect larger needs, ie. delivering basic services, housing, etc., so the kinds of revenue I could see would be those that would not be here if there wasn't a ballpark (ie. if ramps around the would-be ballpark are almost empty on weekends, I could see gameday parking revenue from ramps going to the project because that would be new money.)" Rybak said he believes Minneapolis remains the most cost-effective site for a new ballpark, but adds that no city can do this project on its own. Hennepin County must be a partner in any proposed development. And to charges that he and Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat are ready to roll over to make the stadium happen, Rybak argues that they have their eyes wide open. "They--and I--have the appropriate skepticism about numbers/threats, etc," he said. "I, and they, have also made it quite clear that there can't be any progress on this until the ownership is clarified." PANEL RECOMMENDS DOWNTOWN PARKING CHANGES Responding to reports that up to half of downtown meters are occupied by nonpaying vehicles driven by people with disabilities, an advisory committee has recommended major changes in the city's parking policies. LAKE STREET MAY GET WIDER Lake Street will be widened by some 40 feet for several blocks near Nicollet Avenue, according to a tentative agreement between developers and area planners. CITY ANNEXING COMMUNITY GARDENS Community gardens have become an unintended victim of the city's affordable housing crisis. ************************************************************** AND NOW WE'RE ON TELEVISION, TOO!!! See firsthand why none of us ever went into TV as a career. Tune in to The Minneapolis Observer on MTN cable channel 17 Sunday nights at 8:30 for news, weather, and sports with a Minneapolis perspective. ********************************************************** 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: Sheila Cracraft Fehler ******************************************************* Fight media consolidation! Support the independent press! Pick up your neighborhood newspaper! ******************************************************* _______________________________________ 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
