WizardMarks, Central
Lisa McDonald wrote:
The problem with the 35-Access project is that it will take all the on-street parking off of 38th street. This will be the death knell for many of these small businesses including Quality Coaches. When we talked about dedicated bus lanes on Hennepin Avenue the businesses came out in full force against removing on-street parking. All the access project does is move traffic. It doesn't improve small business access.
Lisa McDonald
East harriet
----- Original Message -----
From: David Brauer
Sent: Monday, November 25, 2002 9:04 AM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [Mpls] 35W Access Project-Urban Legend
While I agree with Ken that ramps at 38th won't make the street more
economically viable, he asks:
> the Urban Legend I was referring to is the one the
> Access Project supporters are spreading that Lake Street and the
> intersecton of 38th and Nicollet Avenue are blighted business
districts
> with failed and "struggling" businesses.
>
> I'm still waiting for evidence that this is so. What are the
addresses of
> the empty stores at 38th and Nicollet?
There are a few.
On the northeast corner, 3 storefronts on either side of Finer
Meats are
vacant (2 of a former Latino market, not Marissa's, and a former
bakery).
On the northwest corner, the former Domino's Pizza storefront remains
vacant, and when I walked by Midtown Chicken Shack on Saturday
afternoon, it
was closed - despite hours-of-operation sign saying it should be open.
On the southeast corner, it appears that the former exterminator
office on
the corner is vacant, but he is moving around the corner to
between Nicollet
and 1st on 38th. The owner of the building is marketing the corner
space as
a coffee shop. A dentist at 38th & 1st is never open, but he is
rehabbing
his exterior with help from the neighborhood association.
The southwest corner sometime APPEARS vacant because of the
hulking Theissen
Vending. However, they will undergo an extensive exterior rehab
soon, so
should add some visual life to the intersection.
It's true that there are several vital consumer businesses at the
intersection: Nicollet Ace Hardware, Marissa's, Finer Meats,
Shorty & Wags,
Tacos Blass - but this is an intersection that is struggling.
Whether tons of cars whizzing past will make it better remains to
be seen.
Also, on the subject of thriving Nicollet business nodes at 46th &
54th, but
not 38th: let's not ascribe everything to transportation. As you move
further south on Nicollet, disposable income also climbs - which,
I submit,
has more to do with supporting strong neighborhood businesses than
anything.
38th was THE major east-west bus street between streetcar lines, but I
submit the hollowing out of business nodes had at least as much to
do with
increased poverty and declining real incomes than building ramps at
35th/36th instead.
It is certainly possible that the Access Project could raise the
standard of
living north of 38th, especially if 35th and 36th become more sane
places to
live (or at least compensate for 38th's decreased sanity). Still,
I think
it's a huge gamble, especially for $150 million.
David Brauer
King Field
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