Hello everyone, First, thank you Tim for inviting me to this list. Also, thank you Bob for also sending me an eMail to subscribe. Thank you Patti for your good words about the Box. I was sad that you did not win the judgeship. (Anyone running for office should not ask me to vote for them, I haven't been on a winning side for almost a decade.)
My name is Martin Lubell, and I'm the owner of the Renaissance Box (Rebirth in French) building on Sibley between 9th and 10th Streets. We have been developing this seven-story building for 6 years. It's been hard and slow work, and very costly. Unfortunately, we are now entering our hardest phase. Even though we're so close to finishing up the building, there is a chance that the building will not survive as it is. What is the RenBox? Well, let me copy and paste two reflections from Macalester students. (I did ask for permission to publish them.) And if you're still with me after these pieces, I'll try to convince you to come visit us tomorrow, Dec 15th at 5Pm (till midnight) for our Open House and Potluck Dinner. (We'll be working overnight getting ready for a Fire Inspection tomorrow morning, and trying to get as much of Ma Barker's stairway finished as well.) Here they are: 1.) Molly Bowen/Political Geography/November 23, 204 Ren Box Reflection The Ren Box is the kind of building that should thrive and be embraced by its community. It�s quirky, it�s local, it has the sense of humor and love for diverse city-life that is missing from most new developments. The relationships between the tenants and the owner were very apparent from our visit; Martin greeted and introduced everyone we passed, and mentioned that many of them contributed web or construction skills to help develop the building. The shared space definitely helps foster a strong sense of community-in Ma Barker�s Bazaar different retailers are separated only by a mesh fence. The Ren Box should use this unusual aspect of the building as a draw for visitors/customers and potential tenants. They could organize monthly or bi-monthly dinners where people can come in, eat with the tenants, learn about their businesses and beliefs, and take a tour of the building. Martin�s description and the listings on the Ren Box website seem to indicate that the individuals in the building share a different idea of what a business should be than most; whether by environmental education, creation of dumpster-diving art, or meditating with juvenile delinquents, they act as responsible members of the community. Offering necessary and helpful services is a component of these businesses, as well as making money. The Ren Box is a space of citizenship through participation in a community with a shared idea that businesses should offer services to the community, remain aware of environmental consequences of ones� actions, and maintain personal connections and character through small business. I am not sure, though, that the Ren Box is a third space because everything in the building costs money. My definition of third space rests on accessibility, and though Martin seemed extremely flexible about the price of rent, I did not see any free amenities in the Ren Box. Maybe in the future a small library or garden could be incorporated to create a space for people to just be in the Ren Box. Despite this, success of the Ren Box looks unlikely due to its location in an out of the way neighborhood surrounded by new condominiums. There is no bus stop or foot traffic to draw one into the area; people who end up there will have sought out the building rather than running across it. Once inside the Ren Box it is difficult to know who the tenants are; the artistic mailboxes are very attractive but do not tell visitors where they are welcome to wander around and what they may find in the hallways. This problem is echoed in the marketing efforts. The buttons and postcards give no indication of how the Ren Box differs from the traditional downtown building and why people should want to work or visit there. Creation of a brief vision/mission statement explaining that the Ren Box is a multi-functional, collaborative space for office, studios, stores, theaters, and restaurants and writing it on every material with the Ren Box name would improve their marketing. Martin and the tenants should do what they can to make the Ren Box a campaign; it is not just a building, it is a necessary way to view downtown development. This entails a giant marketing campaign to show people how the space is used, as well as the fact that it exists as a rental option. They need to advertise the Writer�s Refuge at local colleges, with flyers presenting how great an option the Ren Box is for individuals who need to write and have a certain set of values relating to uses of space. Market the rooms as studios for artists and start a little store in the lobby with a piece of work from all the tenants be that a painting, some salt-water fish, a bicycle, or a piece of music. This would give visitors a better idea of what can be found throughout the rest of the building. The Ren Box does not really fit into the surrounding landscape; it offers unique individuals and opportunities in a neighborhood with relatively bland condominium construction. People will not really understand or care about the Ren Box until they step inside it, so the goal has to be to draw in those who already or soon will live in the neighborhood as well as those in the larger community of the city. Although I have (unfortunately) not spent significant time in the Twin Cities downtowns, but my limited impressions suggest that community-building and drawing in a large customer base is difficult due to low density and limited public transit. The cities do not have very high populations, but they cover quite a bit of land. Walking through multiple neighborhoods here is more difficult than in a city like Chicago where the majority of construction is vertical. The Ren Box seems to share more of the artistic character of Minneapolis than the financial/business nature of the St. Paul downtown. Perhaps the building would be better suited there, where people have greater expectations of finding galleries and small theatres. 2.) Elianne Farhat The RenBox Response 18 November 2004 As we were leaving Macalester for The Renaissance Box I was really unsure as to what the whole building was about. After a trip and tour of the place, I still don�t think I get it. It seems like a hodge-podge of ideas, dreams and visions � at some levels I think it works, but at others I�m not so sure. I really enjoyed the spirit behind and in the building � growing the place through the work of its members, using a non-corporate America mentality and integrating many forms of art into the space. On the other hand, I almost felt like there was just too much going on � that The RenBox was trying to do and be too many things. The building gave me the impression of disorganization and randomness � two feelings that I don�t particularly enjoy. As a space of citizenship though, I loved how the building was being constructed by those who lived and worked there. The feeling of community and solidarity in the building was almost tangible. I also really enjoyed the fearlessness of the creators of The RenBox to try anything once � or twice � and not give up on their dream. The Renaissance Building, should it survive, could be a wonderful contribution to the Downtown St. Paul Community. Personally, I hope it not only survives, but thrives and realizes its full potential. ... Martin back, and I'll continue ... (even though I can't write as well...) The best compliment we got for the building was when a blind woman told us that she could "feel" the building. When you hear something like that, you know you're doing something right, but why is it so hard to make something work that's a little different from the norm, (nowadays lots of condo building.) I feel one of our biggest handicaps is not having been able to connect to the different "groups" of people of St Paul, we haven't connected with St Paul African-Americans, or the Hmong Community, or the Somalian one. And when certain groups did show up, they didn't come back regularly. (Dance lesson group, Vietnam Vets group,...) Of course, we're pro- bably not doing a great job marketing and there is a lot of construction going on. We also haven't connected with many senior citizens either. Maybe I've been spoiled in France, where different generations seem to mix easier. But it should be possible, playing cards in the cafe, maybe opening a bingo hall (anyone interested in running that?) By now, you're all thinking, shut this guy up! But we're so close, come tomorrow and see for yourself, and if there is anything you can help with, go for it. Also, if anyone has any ideas how I can ask the City of St Paul to give us a little more time to make it work. They have just called on a loan I have with their STAR program. So, instead of being able to concentrate on completing the building (and concentrating on leasing more space), we're wasting time trying to sell the building even though that's the last thing we want to do. You're free to call me on my cellphone 651-210-0928 for any suggestions. Does anybody know any St Paul people who might want to invest into the building? The investment could be considered long-term, steady and socially conscience, without a speculative carrot at the end. Thank you for your attention, m a r t i n (www.RenBox.com) P.S. I hope I haven't offended anyone. That's the scary thing about these listservs, that one could have written something bad, and it gets distributed to so many people at the same time. Keep in mind, I love St Paul! _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
