Forwarded on behalf of Allison Brueggemann, Assistant Project Manager at Sherman Associates:
Sherman Associates, Inc. would like to reply to the e-mail sent out by Bruce Shoemaker of the Holland Neighborhood on Thursday, November 7. We want to clarify assumptions made by Mr. Shoemaker in regard to our proposed project on Central Avenue. First of all, and most importantly, Sherman Associates, Inc. has no desire to go forth with this proposed project without the neighborhoods' support. We are an organization that works with neighborhoods on a matter of principal and practicality. We have no desire to force unwanted projects on neighborhoods. To do so would require us to break one of our company's most important goals, which is to revitalize the city in ways that are appealing, suiting and practical for its citizens. Furthermore, acting against the wishes of the neighborhoods would only create innumerous difficulties and barriers, which would make a project impossible to develop. Sherman Associates, Inc. has been working with the Northeast Community Development Corporation to reach out to the neighborhoods and hear their opinions about the proposed project because it is our understanding that this organization was established to represent the many neighborhoods of Northeast Minneapolis and its planning goals. It is our understanding that going through the Northeast CDC, who has the authorization to put together public forums to discuss the proposed project, is the appropriate process. We are trying to work within the framework Northeast has set up. Does it not make sense to use an organization that represents all of the neighborhoods and reach as many neighbors as possible at once? This proposed project, whose current design includes a Cub Foods store, small commercial retail space, and housing units, is in the very beginning stages of the planning and development process. We are trying to ascertain whether there is support within the neighborhoods for this proposed project as is. If there is not, perhaps the proposed project can be altered to suit neighborhood goals better, or the proposed project can be dropped completely. We are not at the planning stage right now to provide figures for cost. Nor are we at the stage to have had discussions with "relevant city departments" about the proposed project. Once again, we wish to stress that this proposed project is in the very early stages of planning. It is only an idea at this stage. If and when the neighborhoods decide they would like to support the proposed project, financing and other issues will be openly addressed. Lastly, we would like to address the statements regarding the affordability of our housing projects. (We cannot respond to affordability of the VOA project at 19th and Central because we are not the developers of this project, but we would like to clarify the affordability of the Bottineau Commons Apartments on University Avenue.) Out of the 119 apartment units in that building, twenty-five of those apartments are fixed at rental rates affordable to families earning 30% or less of median income. On the other hand, 25 of those apartments will be rented at market rate. The remaining sixty-nine apartments are fixed at rates which are affordable to families earning 60% of median income or less. Sherman Associates creates and develops its housing projects with a mixed income model, as exemplified by Bottineau Commons, because we find it is the strongest and most appropriate social model there is. How affordable the thirty-seven housing units of the proposed project on Central Avenue has not been thoroughly discussed as of yet. Sherman Associates would certainly never replace formal affordable housing with market rate housing. This would, again, go against one of our company's most important goals, which is to increase the number of quality affordable housing units available in the Twin Cities and other metro areas. If we were to go ahead with the proposed project, we would endeavor to make these housing units as affordable as possible. And this is where any public subsidies would go, to subsidize the cost of the housing. Not to the Cub Foods store. We welcome any responses and questions. Yours truly, Alison Brueggemann Assistant Project Manager Sherman Associates, Inc. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos http://launch.yahoo.com/u2 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@;mnforum.org Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
