Wizard Marks writes: "There is an assumption that this mini-revival (on Lake Street) is a permanent fixture. I think that assumption doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Many of the businesses are micro-businesses which plays to a particular group of
immigrants. They are a stepping stone. Once they grow, the spaces they now have on Lake St. will not be enough. As this group assimilates, there is no guarantee that they will continue to cluster on Lake St...." AVIDOR: The 35W Expansion Project supporters have an amazing ability to see way into the future...it's wonderful how they can chart the business plan of all those immigrant-owned stores and restaurants on Lake Street! The Saigon Restaurant in my neighborhood has been here for ages and shows no sign of leaving...they must not have seen Wizard's business plan. WM-"....Their land connection, their home place is far away. In a generation, they will be fluent in English (children grown) so that they will not necessarily choose to live here. Or to stay here as businesses. Incubator and micro-businesses cannot, over the long haul, strengthen Lake St. to produce the kind of taxes we need to generate. If we're going to do this project, we want the positive effects to last at least 20 years. A large percentage of micro- and incubator businesses have not yet passed the five year mark. If taxes are raised suddenly to where we would want them to be, every business goes down. They're too small to bear that burden....." AVIDOR: And a big-box business, like K-Mart for instance has what it takes to stay in business? WM-".....If we juice the engine with bigger businesses with a history of success in this type of half-and-half environment AVIDOR: Can we really afford to continue to "juice the engine" of private enterprise? Is the $150+ Million worth it? WM:"......Not that many of these incubator and micro businesses are particularly interested in serving the general public at this point. Other than food products (in restaurant form or grocery form) may be all of the goods on offer I'm likely to need in all these businesses. These businesses are intent on playing to their choir, which is totally OK. However, I still have to leave the area for many of the things I need to buy--virtually all the things I need to buy. I really don't want to be pushed out of my neighborhood. I would like to be able to buy locally. AVIDOR: I really don't think the Somali, Asian or Mexican store owners have any intention of pushing Wizard Marks out of her neighborhood...I'm sure they would welcome her if she came into there stores. I was sorry to see the Grand Avenue Bakery close in my neighborhood...but now I walk 3 more blocks to the Marissa Bakery at Nicollet and 38th and get bread and pastries there....I can't speak Spanish but their baked goods are delicious in any language and they've never refused my money. WM:"... it's very interesting that among all of the new businesses on Lake St. East of the bridge, there may be a handful of businesses owned and operated by African Americans, the largest single minority group in this area." AVIDOR-Should the race and nationality of the business owners be matched with the race and nationality of the neighborhood? And how is this to be accomplished? This sort of thinking on the part of the 35W expansion supporters reveals their desire to control the economy of South Minneapolis....time and again they reveal their discomfort with the economic revival of South Minneapolis because it is happening naturally, without any input from them... rather than cover this grass-roots, economic miracle with concrete and Wal-Mart (WALL-MART!), I suggest they learn to get used to the taste of lychee nuts, curry and burritos....it's a lot more fun and a lot cheaper than expanding the freeway to accommodate a suburban-style, big-box "Regional Retail Center". Ken Avidor STRIDE Kingfield _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
