Trader Joe's in downtown Minneapolis

[HiawathaGuy]

Trader Joe's sets its sights on downtown Minneapolis
May 2, 2014
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/n ... polis.html

Trader Joe's wants to bring its "Two Buck Chuck" to downtown Minneapolis. The specialty grocer is actively scouting for a site but does not yet have a deal in place, according to sources who asked not to be named to protect client relationships. Two years ago, the Monrovia, Calif.-based company proposed a store in Minneapolis' Lyn-Lake neighborhood, but a city committee rejected its rezoning request. It also has explored the area near the University of Minnesota.

Trader Joe's decision to shift its focus to downtown Minneapolis is significant because state law limits individuals or companies from owning more than one liquor store within a given municipality. The retailer sells beer and wine. Its low-cost wine is commonly referred to as Two Buck Chuck, though prices are slightly higher now.

[mattaudio]

Downtown East? Loring Park? Hm.

[Nathan]

in the Portland tower please! does anyone know where liquor stores cab go in downtown according to all the restrictions?

[Wedgeguy]

Downtown has a lot less restrictions. Should be ok except maybe next to a church or school, which there are not that many of. If you can put a wine store on the skyway, Quebec Building, I see no real problems in downtown.

[ECtransplant]

Trader Joe's decision to shift its focus to downtown Minneapolis is significant because state law limits individuals or companies from owning more than one liquor store within a given municipality.

Huh? Doesn't Lunds have liquor stores both downtown and in NE?

[TommyT]

Trader Joe's decision to shift its focus to downtown Minneapolis is significant because state law limits individuals or companies from owning more than one liquor store within a given municipality.

Huh? Doesn't Lunds have liquor stores both downtown and in NE?

Nope, no liquor store in NE

[John]

in the Portland tower please! does anyone know where liquor stores cab go in downtown according to all the restrictions?

The foot print is not large enough there. My best guess is they are looking in DTE, perhaps in the Mill District or near the Wells Fargo/Stadium projects.

[Nathan]

in the Portland tower please! does anyone know where liquor stores cab go in downtown according to all the restrictions?

The foot print is not large enough there. My best guess is they are looking in DTE, perhaps in the Mill District or near the Wells Fargo/Stadium projects.

It's a bigger than their spot at 27th and Hen. and the proposed Portland tower is in DTE...

[twincitizen]

Huge sigh of relief that they're looking downtown. There was a rumor they were going to try again in LynLake, across the street from the 2012 proposal. It would have gone between Flanders Cycle and Buffalo Exchange, maybe even swallowing one or both of those up with it.

I'm all for Trader Joes coming to Uptown/Whittier, but not to some random mid-block location that would totally **** traffic, just because it is the only spot they can squeeze inside Minneapolis' archaic 2000' liquor store spacing rules. I'd rather see the rules relaxed or TJ's get a variance so the store could be at a corner, or on Lake Street even.

Getting back on point to a downtown location, I don't believe the 2000' rule applies downtown, but I could be wrong.

[dingo]

A Traders Joes just north of the new stadium makes the most sense to me. Could serve the new development, Mill District and be close enough to 7-corners u of M crowd.

[John]

A Traders Joes just north of the new stadium makes the most sense to me. Could serve the new development, Mill District and be close enough to 7-corners u of M crowd.

Yes, that area makes the most sense to me too. Has a more centralized location to all the areas you mentioned. And its far enough away from both the Northeast and Hennepin and 12th Lunds ( in addition to Whole Foods ) so as not to compete for the large percentage of customers who live nearby and walk to these stores.

[Nick]

Getting back on point to a downtown location, I don't believe the 2000' rule applies downtown, but I could be wrong.

362.40. "Off-sale" license.

[...]

After April 15, 1994, no "off sale" license shall be issued for a location, the main entrance of which is within a radius of two thousand (2,000) feet from the main entrance of an existing "off sale" location. Any licenses in existence on April 15, 1994, may be renewed or reissued for such locations without regard to such distance limitations. The two thousand-foot limitation shall not apply to the issuance of any "off sale" liquor license for the following locations:

(a) In the B4 zoning district;

[...]

Zoning Map

Looks like it'd be okay south of Washington, which is luckily where the best sites are.

[John]

On the south side of Washington Ave or maybe along Third Street would be perfect. Also seems like a good fit for the stadium parking ramp air rights development if the project could accommodate the square footage needed for a grocery store at the base.

[HiawathaGuy]

On the south side of Washington Ave or maybe along Third Street would be perfect. Also seems like a good fit for the stadium parking ramp air rights development if the project could accommodate the square footage needed for a grocery store at the base.

Or in conjunction with one of the two northern edge apartment developments with the Wells Fargo Towers.

[twinkess]

Living in Skyscape and knowing people in the area, I'd LOVE it to be in the Portland Tower.

[mattaudio]

It would be cool if this somehow anchored a walkable S. 3rd St. - I think it could thrive as the equivalent of 2nd St on the north side of Washington - a calm, neighborhood-feeling street. People want smaller, approachable, more intimate public spaces just as much as expansive public spaces.

On the east end of DT, 3rd St only has 6700 AADT. This could definitely be converted to a two-way street east of 5th Ave, with one lane in each direction (but with things like LTLs that favor westbound people heading towards the core). West of 5th Ave, it could pick up a second westbound lane. But nowhere downtown does it need three westbound lanes as it has today. Anyways, tying it back to Trader Joes, a human-scale conversion of 3rd Street, splitting the difference between broad Washington Blvd and the expansive Yard, would create a pleasant corridor for people to walk/bike to grocery shop from the Core or the West Bank.

[MNdible]

Or in conjunction with one of the two northern edge apartment developments with the Wells Fargo Towers.

Yes, this would seem to be the obvious location, if they can figure out a way to make the timing and the site planning work out. It appears that there's about 1/3 of a block left to work with, which is probably big enough, although the original plans had conceptually shown these to be courtyard buildings.

I'm sure that Trader Joe's would love to be skyway connected.

Also seems like a good fit for the stadium parking ramp air rights development if the project could accommodate the square footage needed for a grocery store at the base.

This could be a great fit for some of the (proposed future) commercial space in the non-air rights part of this ramp.

[John]

On the south side of Washington Ave or maybe along Third Street would be perfect. Also seems like a good fit for the stadium parking ramp air rights development if the project could accommodate the square footage needed for a grocery store at the base.

Or in conjunction with one of the two northern edge apartment developments with the Wells Fargo Towers.

Another great location! The developer George Sherman also owns parcels in this area. I think he is eager to move forward with a large multi-use project so he may be courting Trader Joe's as well. Agree that 3rd Street would be great as a buffer street with ground floor retail between The Yard and Washington Ave.

As far as Trader Joe's going south of The Yard towards the proposed Portland tower, I'm a little skeptical. There's just less residential density close by as compared to the Mill District and what's going on along Washington, Ryan's project, Stadium, etc. Not to mention it would be very convenient to LRT.

[Nathan]

On the south side of Washington Ave or maybe along Third Street would be perfect. Also seems like a good fit for the stadium parking ramp air rights development if the project could accommodate the square footage needed for a grocery store at the base.

Or in conjunction with one of the two northern edge apartment developments with the Wells Fargo Towers.

Another great location! The developer George Sherman also owns parcels in this area. I think he is eager to move forward with a large multi-use project so he may be courting Trader Joe's as well. Agree that 3rd Street would be great as a buffer street with ground floor retail between The Yard and Washington Ave.

As far as Trader Joe's going south of The Yard towards the proposed Portland tower, I'm a little skeptical. There's just less residential density close by as compared to the Mill District and what's going on along Washington, Ryan's prject, Stadium, etc. Not to mention it would be very convenient to LRT.

i personally think Elliott park is pretty dense and deserving of a closer grocery store as the people there are typically more transit reliant. the Portland tower would be equidistance from Elliott park and mill city plus be in the center of whatever the future developed dte is.

[MNdible]

I think the Portland Tower site is just too small for this. It's only a quarter block, and the ground floor is going to be chewed up by a big elevator bank for the tall building, a lobby for the apartments, separate auto access ramps for both the residents and the public, loading facilites and trash for both the aparment and the store, etc. I just don't see it working.