MPS Headquarters - (1250 West Broadway)

[Nick]

This has been done for a bit, but I figured I'd take a couple pictures anywho.

[seanrichardryan]

It's on the Northside, and it's not a tower. No one cares.

[Didier]

What is the north side?

[dmdhashw]

What is the north side?

South Brooklyn Park?

[Nick]

This isn't aimed at anyone specifically, but the whole "liberals pretending to care about the Northside" thing is getting really played out. I went, I took some pictures of the vacant lots that will hopefully eventually be nicer. In my walk down Broadway from Penn to Lyndale, I was only threatened once, by a group of "youths" who stomped their feet and yelled "gonna get you!" when I had to walk through them on the sidewalk. If you're super concerned about the Northside, by all means, please take some money out and start making some investments.

[MNdible]

No photos of the sweet surface parking lots?

[nordeast homer]

This isn't aimed at anyone specifically, but the whole "liberals pretending to care about the Northside" thing is getting really played out. I went, I took some pictures of the vacant lots that will hopefully eventually be nicer. In my walk down Broadway from Penn to Lyndale, I was only threatened once, by a group of "youths" who stomped their feet and yelled "gonna get you!" when I had to walk through them on the sidewalk. If you're super concerned about the Northside, by all means, please take some money out and start making some investments.

Whenever I send employees in to the area I still make sure it's light out and there are at least two employees...it's sad, but it's a reality, this is not a safe area! It's not for a lack of effort. I applaud Don Samuels and people like him who care about the area, but the lack of parental guidance, the support of gangs, and the complete lack of fathers in the neighborhood have taken their toll. This is not a judgement, but a plethora of experience.

[min-chi-cbus]

This isn't aimed at anyone specifically, but the whole "liberals pretending to care about the Northside" thing is getting really played out. I went, I took some pictures of the vacant lots that will hopefully eventually be nicer. In my walk down Broadway from Penn to Lyndale, I was only threatened once, by a group of "youths" who stomped their feet and yelled "gonna get you!" when I had to walk through them on the sidewalk. If you're super concerned about the Northside, by all means, please take some money out and start making some investments.

Youths stomped their feet and yelled at you? That's odd. In Cleveland I've never had that experience, and there's certainly been the opportunity for it. Although the area is a bit more integrated I suppose than North Minneapolis (it's pretty much black and white where I live now), but still, that's not necessarily a "normal" thing in my experience.

You should have stomped your feet and yelled at them "I'm taking pictures of your lovely neighborhood!"

[stock345]

That would have been cute!

[min-chi-cbus]

That would have been cute!

That was my goal.....as well as my #1 defense against loud youths -- being cute!

[Nathan]

That would have been cute!

That was my goal.....as well as my #1 defense against loud youths -- being cute!

[alleycat]

This is my fist post here. I've lived in North for 3 years (own a home northwest of Penn and Broadway) and have worked on multiple photography projects on Broadway. I used to live in Stevens Square and Phillips.

Most recently I just finished the <a href="http://westbroadway.tumblr.com">West Broadway Facade Project</a> for CPED. Walking and biking down Broadway I had no issues this time around. That's three months, a couple days a week and, I'll admit, mostly during the day carrying a $3600 camera/lens.

I also bike regularly down 26th, Lowry and meander through Near North to get places. Again never have had an issue.

The only time I've ever had an encounter was during a project in college that I was working on for MinnPost back in 2008. That was a drunk guy harassing my friend.

The only other time I can think of was some stupid bros yelling at my wife and I, "You're going to get shot," as we walked down the street. I'm pretty sure the bros on mopeds were more likely to take a hit.

BTW North is 43 percent Black, 30 percent White, 13 percent Asian, 8 percent Hispanic & 1 percent Native American.

[Moderato]

What is striking to me about about the last photo posted above is the gas station in the foreground, specifically that it lacks a sign identifying itself. I guess most city officials would agree that the new headquarters will be deemed successful only in so far as it has a positive, stimulating influence on the area immediately surrounding it. Six months in, not even the gas station directly across the street has been sufficiently motivated to put up basic signage to draw in a few of the 1000+ people that visit the MPS building on an average weekday. I cannot point to a single, positive trickle down effect of the headquarters on surrounding blocks. In fact, the coffee shop a block away (Avenue Eatery) actually CLOSED and was sold a month or two after the opening of the headquarters. I think the owners were holding out for a fresh influx of patrons from the headquarters, and they threw in the towel when they didn't materialize. Why no new patrons for a very nice, friendly, fully operational coffee shop? Probably attributable in part to the fact that the headquarters has it's own coffee bar inside, but mostly to the fact that your average MPS administrator wouldn't venture onto West Broadway if they were paid to. I had high hopes for this development, but it has had no effect thus far.

[min-chi-cbus]

That's too bad....I can't say I'm surprised though.

[mrcity]

Compared to major metros on the east and west coast, Minneapolis has a great deal of affordable space available for development near downtown or in other high trafficked areas of the city such as Lyndale avenue or Lake street. Until land costs rise significantly in more affluent neighborhoods to a tipping point, there is no reason to take a financial risk and develop on West Broadway or similar streets experiencing urban blight. Put yourself in the shoes of any small business person interested in opening a low cost super market, coffee shop, deli, clothing store, etc. There are so many options in Minneapolis, why would you open a store on West Broadway to perhaps save a few hundred dollars per month in rent? If the difference was significant, lets say thousands of dollars per month, those on a budget will start taking a chance in the area. This is what has happened in New York city, Washinton DC, San Francisco, and other real estate markets where land is the #1 cost. We do not have that problem in the Twin cities, and I think city planners and those interested in change to the area need to look at a development model unique to this area, rather than home for urban renewel copying the economics in high cost real estate markets.

[MNdible]

What you say might be the case for developing, say, a new apartment complex, but I'm not convinced the same holds true for "convenience" businesses. These need to follow where the people are -- even if the people aren't living in the best neighborhood. The stores may not be as fancy, but businesses need to serve these communities, and if they're not, somebody will realize it and fill the vacuum.

[Nick]

The stores may not be as fancy, but businesses need to serve these communities, and if they're not, somebody will realize it and fill the vacuum.

But will they though? I think I've pointed out before that there seems to be very little legitimate economic activity of any sort happening in the whole Near North community. Which isn't to say everyone in that area is a drug dealer, but if you removed every social service organization, non-profit, and church from it, what would the commercial vacancy rate be? 80 percent?? There are other parts of the city that, while a little depressed, have all kinds of commerce going on. It's not always pretty, but money is being made and work is being done in Midtown, Cedar-Riverside, etc.

This excludes the industrial area east of I-94, of course. I mean retail and such.

[alleycat]

The lack of a diverse business base on the north side is a profound issue. Ackerberg/Catalyst did some great rehabs along Broadway, but they charged DT rental rates/sf.

They failed miserably when they took over Avenue Eatery. Catalyst knew how to develop, but didn't know how to run a coffee shop. I've heard the new shop is doing quite well. They are doing a lot of large orders with MPS. The sale is now old news.

At the same time the housing stock is very good. Compared to NE and south you get a quality home with the historic detailing intact. Demographics are shifting and perhaps the crime and business environment will improve. It's going to be slow going.

[editcostarica]

At the same time the housing stock is very good. Compared to NE and south you get a quality home with the historic detailing intact. Demographics are shifting and perhaps the crime and business environment will improve. It's going to be slow going.

Exactly! I've cleaned out many foreclosed homes in both NE and NoMi, and there's no comparison to the merchant-class quality that you find in many of these homes. The Northside has a truly impressive housing stock. It's just run down. Like this place: http://www.duallservices.com/cleaned-ho ... rack-house

And while North Minneapolis is the most notorious neighborhood for hundreds of miles around, it's not that bad. Compared to many struggling U.S. cities, MSP looks pretty appealing to all income levels.

[min-chi-cbus]

Compared to major metros on the east and west coast, Minneapolis has a great deal of affordable space available for development near downtown or in other high trafficked areas of the city such as Lyndale avenue or Lake street. Until land costs rise significantly in more affluent neighborhoods to a tipping point, there is no reason to take a financial risk and develop on West Broadway or similar streets experiencing urban blight. Put yourself in the shoes of any small business person interested in opening a low cost super market, coffee shop, deli, clothing store, etc. There are so many options in Minneapolis, why would you open a store on West Broadway to perhaps save a few hundred dollars per month in rent? If the difference was significant, lets say thousands of dollars per month, those on a budget will start taking a chance in the area. This is what has happened in New York city, Washinton DC, San Francisco, and other real estate markets where land is the #1 cost. We do not have that problem in the Twin cities, and I think city planners and those interested in change to the area need to look at a development model unique to this area, rather than home for urban renewel copying the economics in high cost real estate markets.

Totally agree! But subsidies are often what attract people to these locations, and local governments SHOULD use some incentives as a means to revitalize these areas. With the subsidies, the playing field evens and locations such as W. Broadway become a viable option. I'd like to see more subsidies for these purposes (moreso than subsidies for wealthy mega banks....cough Wells cough)!