Uptown - LynLake - The Wedge - News & General

Calhoun-Isles, Cedar-Riverside, Longfellow, Nokomis, Phillips, Powderhorn, and Southwest
Tcmetro
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1768
Joined: May 31st, 2012, 8:02 pm
Location: Chicago (ex-Minneapolitan)

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Tcmetro » October 25th, 2020, 5:21 pm

I think the boarded up stores doesn't really tell a good story about what's happening in Uptown. Here in Chicago, Michigan Ave was boarded up for months, and it was surreal to see lines of tourists (another issue in its own right) waiting to get into stores you couldn't even see into.

As I understand it, other cities like New York were also heavily boarded up and I'd imagine retail is doing fine with all the people traveling because flights and hotels are as cheap as they've ever been.

grrdanko
Landmark Center
Posts: 229
Joined: December 21st, 2014, 3:14 pm
Location: Downtown

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby grrdanko » October 25th, 2020, 6:05 pm

I agree that it doesn't tell the whole story. I thought it was interesting to see an outsider's non-informed perspective.

acs
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1364
Joined: March 26th, 2014, 8:41 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby acs » October 26th, 2020, 10:38 am

Looks like Chino Latino is closing too.

https://www.startribune.com/uptown-rest ... 572872061/

uptownbro
Rice Park
Posts: 451
Joined: February 10th, 2020, 11:00 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby uptownbro » October 26th, 2020, 10:38 am

This just adds on more bad news to this area. But I think this will start a trend with the lack of help from the feds

QuietBlue
Target Field
Posts: 579
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 8:50 am

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby QuietBlue » October 26th, 2020, 12:19 pm

This place seemed to be on borrowed time even before this year. It was really hot 15 or so years ago, but it struck me as more about drinks and the scene rather than the food, which was better elsewhere (and probably cheaper to boot). I'd bet that many people who loved it in its prime haven't been there in at least a decade.

John21
Rice Park
Posts: 449
Joined: June 8th, 2012, 8:23 am
Location: 38th Street Station

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby John21 » October 26th, 2020, 2:22 pm

This place seemed to be on borrowed time even before this year. It was really hot 15 or so years ago, but it struck me as more about drinks and the scene rather than the food, which was better elsewhere (and probably cheaper to boot). I'd bet that many people who loved it in its prime haven't been there in at least a decade.
This is me. I was bummed to hear the news. I used to go there a lot. But yeah, it's probably been 8-10 years since I've been there.

Austinite
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 122
Joined: August 10th, 2020, 9:50 am

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Austinite » October 26th, 2020, 2:48 pm

This place seemed to be on borrowed time even before this year. It was really hot 15 or so years ago, but it struck me as more about drinks and the scene rather than the food, which was better elsewhere (and probably cheaper to boot). I'd bet that many people who loved it in its prime haven't been there in at least a decade.
This is me. I was bummed to hear the news. I used to go there a lot. But yeah, it's probably been 8-10 years since I've been there.
20 years is a good run. Same - was "the place" to be back when. What's the hot spot now?

Anondson
IDS Center
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Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Anondson » October 26th, 2020, 6:06 pm

I’m eager for Uptown to rise of the ashes of luxury chain stores as a funky neighborhood commercial district again.

Didier
Capella Tower
Posts: 2511
Joined: June 3rd, 2012, 10:11 am
Location: MSP

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Didier » October 26th, 2020, 11:18 pm

Maybe I’m missing something, but the idea that Uptown is going to transform to a retail district catered toward small, independent, neighborhood businesses doesn’t make sense.

Uptown is a shopping mall surrounded by new, high-priced apartments. It’s basically the template for the opposite type of retail environment.

I also question what Uptown is desperately lacking for residents to spur such a revolution? It has two grocery stores, a mini Target, a Matterss Firm. I count two dry cleaners, a couple of banks, several salons and a FedEx store. I’m sure there’s room for more of these types of businesses, but how much more? Just filling the Apple, Victoria’s Secret and Columbia vacancies is a lot of square footage.

Uptown also, even with the recent closures, still has regional businesses like Kitchen Window and CB2 and even Magers and Quinn that don’t exist on walk up traffic. There are also several bars and restaurants catered to people coming in from outside the neighborhood, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere.

I obviously don’t know what’s going to happen, but if I had to guess I’d say the area continues adding expensive apartments and trying to attract more offices, while retail changes from one type of national chain to another, all of this resulting in an Uptown that remains fine but still not edgy and cool like it apparently used to be. And I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the reimagination of Calhoun Square involves a new attempt at a “destination” concept there, whether a new store or some kind of entertainment venue.

Again maybe I’m off base because I’ve never lived there, but Uptown feels like a place that’s always going to be geared toward attracting people from outside the neighborhood.

Mdcastle
Wells Fargo Center
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Location: Bloomington, MN

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Mdcastle » October 27th, 2020, 8:35 am

For a shopping mall with shopping mall type retail to work it needs to attract people from outside the area. As Uptown found out having a cute bar next door is not enough, Why go to Uptown to buy a new dress from Gap or a new phone from Apple when you can do so a lot easier at Southdale or Mall of America? If you surround it with housing there still won't be enough people to sustain that kind of retail on walk-up traffic alone.

Majors and Quinn et al work because they're not carbon copies of mall stores so people will put up with some inconvenience to visit them. I stopped going to Majors and Quinn because despite the comment of traffic on Lake Street going down, is seems parking has gotten worse in the last 10 years. That bargain book is no longer a bargain if you count parking at the Calhoun Square ramp or alternatively I've had to park up to a half mile away. Obviously people still go to Majors and Quinn, but I found Midway Books has free surface parking and easy freeway access while still having books and a cute building.

SurlyLHT
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1262
Joined: February 21st, 2017, 3:50 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby SurlyLHT » October 27th, 2020, 1:07 pm

Has anyone ever been to Church Street in Burlington Vermont? I think it might be a good model for Nicollet or areas like Uptown. We might have to reimagine what these areas are and how they're used and governed to make them work. A pedestrian mall on Hennepin starting at the Greenway and going to 31st and then turning and following 31st to the lake using half of the road and becoming more a green space between Hennepin and the Lake might be popular..and infeasible...but then if we have empty storefronts what good are traffic lanes and parking?

https://churchstmarketplace.com/about

https://churchstmarketplace.com/

Austinite
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 122
Joined: August 10th, 2020, 9:50 am

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Austinite » October 27th, 2020, 2:57 pm

Maybe I’m missing something, but the idea that Uptown is going to transform to a retail district catered toward small, independent, neighborhood businesses doesn’t make sense.

Uptown is a shopping mall surrounded by new, high-priced apartments. It’s basically the template for the opposite type of retail environment.

I also question what Uptown is desperately lacking for residents to spur such a revolution? It has two grocery stores, a mini Target, a Matterss Firm. I count two dry cleaners, a couple of banks, several salons and a FedEx store. I’m sure there’s room for more of these types of businesses, but how much more? Just filling the Apple, Victoria’s Secret and Columbia vacancies is a lot of square footage.

Uptown also, even with the recent closures, still has regional businesses like Kitchen Window and CB2 and even Magers and Quinn that don’t exist on walk up traffic. There are also several bars and restaurants catered to people coming in from outside the neighborhood, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere.

I obviously don’t know what’s going to happen, but if I had to guess I’d say the area continues adding expensive apartments and trying to attract more offices, while retail changes from one type of national chain to another, all of this resulting in an Uptown that remains fine but still not edgy and cool like it apparently used to be. And I wouldn’t be surprised if part of the reimagination of Calhoun Square involves a new attempt at a “destination” concept there, whether a new store or some kind of entertainment venue.

Again maybe I’m off base because I’ve never lived there, but Uptown feels like a place that’s always going to be geared toward attracting people from outside the neighborhood.
Very doubtful it will return to that funky area as well. Those days are gone. Different time, different people living and coming into the area, different shopping trends. Uptown is never going to get the small, independent shops it once did with big companies owning the properties (i.e. 7 Points). Uptown needs to decide what it wants to be - a place for locals, a place for tourists/out of town visitors, a nightlife center. Part of the problem as I see it is the powers that be saw something that happened on its own, was successful, and then they stepped in and tried to micro manage everything - make it into something it wasn't.

Also - as I recall from when I first starting going into Uptown, even in the late 80's early 90's - the stores in Calhoun Square and in the surrounding area were not exactly "cheap" - they were still pricey due to having brands, etc. you couldn't find anywhere else.

dillonfried
City Center
Posts: 46
Joined: March 5th, 2018, 4:02 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby dillonfried » October 27th, 2020, 4:04 pm

The whole area would benefit if the parking ramp at 7 Points (fka Calhoun Square) would lower their parking prices. Same thing with the Mozaic ramp. They are priced higher ($12 max reached in 3 hours) than many downtown parking facilities' evening/weekend rates and they typically sit half empty even on the busiest nights.

Austinite
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 122
Joined: August 10th, 2020, 9:50 am

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Austinite » October 27th, 2020, 8:10 pm

The whole area would benefit if the parking ramp at 7 Points (fka Calhoun Square) would lower their parking prices. Same thing with the Mozaic ramp. They are priced higher ($12 max reached in 3 hours) than many downtown parking facilities' evening/weekend rates and they typically sit half empty even on the busiest nights.
Does anyone know how much one makes off of parking ramps? You would even that the ones like downtown that have long been paid for in terms of construction could lower prices, but I suppose it's a business and with properties taxes continually going up, etc....Sometimes I think the owners of with paid parking make more from the rents they receive from building tenants...would seem to be the case since they don't lower parking rates and many don't seem too concerned about attracting tenants to empty spaces (i.e. downtown).

dillonfried
City Center
Posts: 46
Joined: March 5th, 2018, 4:02 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby dillonfried » October 28th, 2020, 6:04 am


Does anyone know how much one makes off of parking ramps? You would even that the ones like downtown that have long been paid for in terms of construction could lower prices, but I suppose it's a business and with properties taxes continually going up, etc....Sometimes I think the owners of with paid parking make more from the rents they receive from building tenants...would seem to be the case since they don't lower parking rates and many don't seem too concerned about attracting tenants to empty spaces (i.e. downtown).
Off street parking facilities generally operate with very narrow margins. Security, maintenance, and taxes really add up. As they age and and financing payments become less then the maintenance costs skyrocket. They are not a good stand alone business. Some operators intentionally keep prices high to limit occupancy so they have less maintenance expenses. This however is a terrible practice for parking that is intended as a "district" parking option since fewer people are likely to visit the area. It also creates the situation where people perceive a "parking problem" in an area because the street parking is full even though there are hundreds of open spaces in the ramps.

Austinite
Nicollet Mall
Posts: 122
Joined: August 10th, 2020, 9:50 am

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Austinite » October 28th, 2020, 9:00 am


Does anyone know how much one makes off of parking ramps? You would even that the ones like downtown that have long been paid for in terms of construction could lower prices, but I suppose it's a business and with properties taxes continually going up, etc....Sometimes I think the owners of with paid parking make more from the rents they receive from building tenants...would seem to be the case since they don't lower parking rates and many don't seem too concerned about attracting tenants to empty spaces (i.e. downtown).
Off street parking facilities generally operate with very narrow margins. Security, maintenance, and taxes really add up. As they age and and financing payments become less then the maintenance costs skyrocket. They are not a good stand alone business. Some operators intentionally keep prices high to limit occupancy so they have less maintenance expenses. This however is a terrible practice for parking that is intended as a "district" parking option since fewer people are likely to visit the area. It also creates the situation where people perceive a "parking problem" in an area because the street parking is full even though there are hundreds of open spaces in the ramps.
Thanks for the info. Doesn't seem like a business one would want to get into. Not very profitable.

Anondson
IDS Center
Posts: 4646
Joined: July 21st, 2013, 8:57 pm
Location: Where West Minneapolis Once Was

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby Anondson » October 28th, 2020, 9:03 am

My recollection is that parking land uses (especially surface parking) are taxed at levels that any other property owner would consider subsidization.

rynet91
City Center
Posts: 37
Joined: February 17th, 2015, 2:04 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby rynet91 » December 11th, 2020, 10:44 am

A "For Lease" sign has appeared in the location that was Blue Door Pub Lyn-Lake (Uptown). Their website still lists the location as temporarily closed, for now. I hope they return to the area in a bigger location at some point in the future.

tedlanda2571
Metrodome
Posts: 98
Joined: June 25th, 2020, 1:50 pm

Re: Uptown Retail & Restaurant News

Postby tedlanda2571 » December 11th, 2020, 12:27 pm

^Maybe after commercial rents crash we can get another rendition of the country bar!

twincitizen
Moderator
Posts: 6368
Joined: May 31st, 2012, 7:27 pm
Location: Standish-Ericsson

Re: Uptown (and LynLake) Development & General Topics

Postby twincitizen » December 12th, 2020, 1:59 am

Massive 1.3 acre chunk of properties listed for sale on the 2700 blocks of Hennepin/Girard (Ace Hardware, Kinhdo, and more): https://www.edinarealty.com/commercial- ... 08-5629592
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Anyone have $7.5mm?


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