Brakes On Magic-Thinking Gravy Train

The Midway in Saint Paul – at least, the part between Selby and Thomas – could use a break. After the “Green Line” strangled dozens of local businesses and ate up most of the parking that the street’s businesses depended on, the city looks ready to inflict a soccer stadium on the neighborhood.

But it appears at least one business thought it’d be worth taking a risk on stale, blighted, and ostensibly demo-bound Midway Center.

Which makes the local Soccergentsia nervous:

Well, this doesn’t seem to be a good sign. Three doors down from the Midway Rainbow, RK Midway fixing up empty retail to rent again? pic.twitter.com/vMcEhFw7nG

— Brian Quarstad (@IMSoccerNews) November 16, 2016

Magical thinking is, apparently, not robust thinking.

Posted

November 30, 2016

St. Paul, Urban Progressive Privilege

Mitch Berg

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4 responses to “Brakes On Magic-Thinking Gravy Train”

Joe Doakes

November 30, 2016

It might be an outdated, ugly, crappy old strip mall sitting right where we’d love to build a cool new soccer stadium . . . but the owner still has to pay the property taxes, which just came due November 15th. Writing that check probably motivated the owner to say “No more waiting, get it rented, some income is better than none.”

Odd how writing checks focuses your attention on essentials over luxuries.
DMA

November 30, 2016

It must kill them to have to say Soccer so people will know what they are talking about.

How much more satisfying to say Foot Ball like all the cool people in the world do.
Scott Hughes

November 30, 2016

Perhaps Brian doesn’t realize he could make an offer to buy the property with HIS own money. My guess he was hoping for government to fund the purchase probably forcing the sale by eminent domain. An alternative for him is explore a deal with Blaine Soccer Center. All these sporting types have no concern with RIV when the burden of risk involved are shouldered completely or in large part by others.
bikebubba

November 30, 2016

One would think that perhaps what is going on is that the strip mall’s owner has figured out that with an increased GOP contingent in the legislature and a Governor who doesn’t want to risk a special session, the soccer stadium is all but dead.