urbanMSP

Two things that might work in Uptown: Schuler Shoes and DQ.

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Two things that might work in Uptown: Schuler Shoes and DQ.

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I did a project for Schuler Shoes recently. I can guarantee you, without dedicated, storefront parking it's a nonstarter for them.

If the property owners would stop thinking of themselves as a retail destination and more of a neighborhood retail hub, we'd see a shift toward more vibrancy and less vacancy. But that would involve undoing a generation of the traditional wisdom that Uptown is this huge important hip location that needs destination retail, and a moment of introspection on whether they're leasing their retail space at rates appropriate for whats actually sustainable in Uptown.

I feel like they would get a lot of walk-up business from residents. People underestimate the number of children in the area.

IMPORTANT NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE: Meeting to determine the fate of The Mall in Uptown TONIGHT!!!

This may be your LAST chance before they start removing the trees and parking spaces along the Mall!!

The Park Board is looking to rush through a decision on removing the historic street "The Mall" in Uptown. This is more than a street, as you see in the picture above it's a beautiful path leading to the chain of Lakes surrounded by some of Uptown's designated historic brown stone apartments. It's used by our friends at Uptown Art Fair "Official" and East Isles Farmers Market.

This plan will include removing all of the large old trees, the parking that the retail workers of Uptown use and the affordable historic apartments use (they have little to no parking since they were built ~1900). This is really sad for Uptown that the minorities agenda is being pushed so they can have a volley ball court a few blocks closer.

Please consider attending this meeting and fighting for Uptown, it's tonight!! They have stacked it with people who support this, lets make sure regular people are being consulted too: Grace Church on 28th at 7 o’clock tonight. If you need transportation I can help, just ping me.

This conversation just reminds me how wild everyone went when someone put up fake Taco Johns announcements at the corner of LynLake. A store selling $400 jackets isn't going to bring regular activity to any neighborhood unless it's already a place people are going to spend thousands like its nothing. As far as I'm concerned, that's never been Uptown. But if someone could afford to fill some gaps in the area (like a good, cheap texmex chain) without being gouged as if they're equivalent to Columbia, I could see that being successful.

If the property owners would stop thinking of themselves as a retail destination and more of a neighborhood retail hub, we'd see a shift toward more vibrancy and less vacancy. But that would involve undoing a generation of the traditional wisdom that Uptown is this huge important hip location that needs destination retail, and a moment of introspection on whether they're leasing their retail space at rates appropriate for whats actually sustainable in Uptown.

I feel like they would get a lot of walk-up business from residents. People underestimate the number of children in the area.

Hmm...maybe a Five Below, then?

In July, the company closed the Calhoun Square location that it had operated since 1996. Originally, it planned to downsize the restaurant to fit into its new smaller footprint of one-third the size of its typical footprint as more customers nationwide choose takeout or delivery than dine-in.

Crivello said the restaurant was operating without a lease for two months and could not get a response to their requests to reconfigure the space. Calhoun Square has been for sale since early this year.

A new location in Uptown is expected to open later this year just a few blocks from the former location, Crivello said, but the plans are not yet final.

Maybe Ackerberg can sell the vacant lot in front of the parking ramp, and focus instead of redeveloping one or two pieces of the site with more intense use

It's kind of wild that the CB2 and LA Fitness corners are entirely new parts of the complex (replacing old buildings) within the past decade. And they don't include a vertical housing or hotel or even office component. In the case of CB2, I seem to recall the previous building had multiple storefronts AND a second floor - so the use we have now is less active and intense than the previous land use.