Dinkytown

[Nick]

http://www.startribune.com/opinion/comm ... 35191.html

Dinkytown is imperiled by redevelopment plan

Article by: MATT HAWBAKER
Updated: June 2, 2013 - 5:50 PM

Wayward redevelopment threatens the character of this eclectic district near the U (and later, one near you).

Dinkytown, USA, the unique historic small-business district in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood near the University of Minnesota, is targeted for destruction.

The Opus Development Company, part of the Rauenhorst Trusts, wants to tear down The Podium, The Book House, House of Hanson and other small businesses in order to build a six-story upscale “dormitory-style” complex affordable to well-off university students.

To do so, the developer needs Minneapolis City Council members to approve an arguably illegal “spot zoning” change from “C1” (small-scale neighborhood commercial uses) to “C3A” (higher-density, mixed-use commercial and housing) for a roughly half-block area of Dinkytown.

[...]

I kind of want to write some sort of rebuttal to this?

[go4guy]

As the article states, they want you to contact Ryback. I think I may do that, but not in the way they would prefer me to.

[twincitizen]

Nick, you totally should.

In fact, the Strib already published their own editorial in favor of the development a couple months ago: http://www.startribune.com/opinion/edit ... 69801.html

[woofner]

It is completely outrageous to suggest that this rezoning is anything other than standard procedure. A rudimentary understanding of zoning and a quick glance at the City's comp plan would tell you that this is not spot zoning. It's such a sneaky move that he calls this "arguably illegal" spot zoning and then proceeds as though this were a fact. There is nothing arguably illegal about spot zoning; MN's zoning enabling law requires zoning to follow guidance. There is nothing about this rezoning that is arguably spot rezoning; the rezoning would change it to the C3A Activity Center district to match the Activity Center guidance in the comp plan. This guy either (a) actually knows nothing about zoning, or (b) is lying to appeal to those fat middle-class academics who like to pretend that they're a persecuted class, or both.

[Tom H.]

I noticed that the Wikipedia entry for Dinkytown is not exactly, shall we say, completely objective. It appears to have been edited by someone(s) opposed to the Opus development.

Several landmarks are considered historic including Vescio's Italian restaurant, which opened in the 1950s, The Book House, and the House of Hanson grocery store. The former Marshall-University High School on the corner of 14th Avenue and 5th street was closed in 1982 due to low enrollment and was purchased and converted into the University Technology Enterprise Center (UTEC) for startups.[3] The Chateau co-op built their brutalist-style 22-story apartment co-op in 1973 at 13th Avenue Southeast and 5th Street Southeast.[4] Many of these landmarks are being threatened -- or, as in the case of the UTEC, have already been demolished[5] -- by a wave of development[6] led by the Opus development firm as part of the University's plan to attract more wealthy students to live on campus instead of remaining in its traditional role of a land-grant university whose mission is to serve all Minnesotans regardless of income.

Passive aggressive much? Somebody who knows how should probably flag this portion of the entry for not maintaining objectivity standards.

[Snelbian]

I just attempted to edit it, but Wiki doesn't like my tablet. I could try later with a desktop browser. What a ridiculously petty attempt at PR.

[TheUrbanGopher]

Ohhh goodness, they are reaching now. Looks like that stuff is gone now.

On a completely different topic, I noticed there wasn't any place for U of MN Retail News, so this is the closest I could think of.

Some interesting new places are opening soon: Insomnia Cookies, a cookie bakery that will deliver fresh goodness until 3AM, is opening in an old barber next to Jimmy John's. One Two Three Sushi is also opening up next to Qdoba. Both sound great.

[talindsay]

Sweet, the absence of a sushi restaurant in Dinkytown, Stadium Village, or Seven Corners has disappointed me for years. Hope it's good.

[Silophant]

The Chateau is being threatened? I wish.

Edit: I believe the non-Walgreen's retail in the Station will also be a sushi place. It never rains but it pours.

[mamundsen]

One Two Three Sushi has been a hit downtown. I think this will be good.

[Silophant]

The DBA is starting a late-afternoon shuttle bus between Dinkytown and the 4th St. Ramp. Cool, I guess, though I feel like 3 blocks isn't really a long enough walk to require a shuttle.

[FISHMANPET]

I thought this was a brilliant idea myself as soon as someone here pointed out that there's tons of parking in that ramp that's not used. Dinkytown can shutup about parking, there's so much of it.

[RailBaronYarr]

A shuttle for 3 blocks? Really? So much for the 1/4 mile walk-shed theory.. or is that just for people who use transit and aren't complete lazy pieces of crap?

[ECtransplant]

This is why Americans are obese

[min-chi-cbus]

AND, you can walk diagonally across the vacant lots in parts of Dinkytown where protestors are trying to block a 6-story apartment building, so it's an even shorter walk than a normal city block (that's built up)!

[Silophant]

I measured in Google Earth. Walking distance from the east entrance to the 4th St. Ramp to 4th and 14th: .17 miles. From the entrance to the old UTECH lot to 4th and 14th: .15 miles. That bus is necessary, no one would have walked the extra hundred feet!

[MNdible]

I agree that the shuttle isn't necessary, but I will suggest that the University should work with the business owners to make their pricing for parking more dynamic and responsive to demand. Parking is probably too cheap during the day when commuter demand is high, and too expensive on the weekends and evenings when demand is lower. Not sure if it's in the works, but it would also be great if the DBA were able to set up a validation program for evenings and weekends in this ramp.

[Silk]

I plan to show up at the City Council meeting at 9:00, August 2, with a few colleagues. We will bring signs (in support of the development). It's sad that volume seems to hold more sway than reason in this instance, but if those are the ground rules, I can play that game, too. I encourage all of you who care about the future of this city to show up. If you work downtown, it's easy. The meeting is at 9:00. You can be back to work by 10:00 or 10:30; no more disruptive than a dental appointment. See you there.

[FISHMANPET]

Community meeting on the small area plan currently being worked on:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2013/ ... term-plans

I think I'll have to be there.

[FISHMANPET]

Dinkytown Moratorium being discussed right now in the City Council:
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/tv/79