Solved!
By Mitch Berg
The simultaneous human tsunamis of Pride and two nights of Taylor Swift saved downtown Minneapolis!
Here’s one of about 50 Twin Cities media stories to that effect – almost as if they were written in advance:
Besides the obvious economic benefit of having half a million people wandering about with purpose, big crowds (that aren’t there to riot, anyway) are generally pretty safe from most violent and property crime.
So the solution is clear.
Downtown Council needs to make Taylor Swift the house band at USBank Stadium, and turn Hennepin from 10th to Loring Park into a new “PrideLand” theme park.
Simple as.
June 28th, 2023 at 7:00 am
“Another big event coming to downtown next weekend is Taste of Minnesota, which will be on Nicollet Mall Sunday and Monday. Tickets for that event are free.”
There ya go. That’ll bring the highs and lows downtown.
June 28th, 2023 at 7:02 am
One weekend doesn’t prove anything, silly DFL boosters. The question is, how will things go on a normal weekend that may or may not include a Twins baseball series (and the way they’re hitting, attendance will be dropping).
I’m a conservative that doesn’t care about the LGB, but I have problems with agenda being pushed by the TUVEI3&+ part of the coalition, and I definitely don’t approve of the public nudity and lewdness that is a PRIDE festival. (For those that claim that doesn’t happen, there’s plenty of video that says otherwise, including a local news stations B roll that included woman walking hand in hand with a child and the woman’s only “top” was two stickers. Technically decent enough to get aired, but I’m not attending that, and I’m definitely not taking my children.)
And Taylor Swift is the hottest ticket in the world right now. Even at over a $1000.00 a seat on the secondary market and Congressional Hearings, of course it was going to sell out…on the secondary market.
As you said Mitch, there’s safety in crowds. And lets be brutally honest. The thugs committing the muggings in Minneapolis don’t look like PRIDE attendees or Swiftees. They’d standout, which isn’t good for criming. So sales tax receipts are up for weekend and crime is down. Congrats Minneapolis. It won’t continue.
June 28th, 2023 at 8:08 am
The thing these people never admit to understanding, never acknowledge, is actually what Mitch said- crowds are good for the economy and for reducing crime. The reason they never want to acknowledge that is because they are so anti-business that they can never advocate for policies that would actually build downtown to anything that would ever be beneficial for crime reduction and the economy. All those people descending upon Minneapolis this weekend found exactly what people coming downtown have found for several years- there are people and traffic related to an event-like the concert, or a sports event- but there is absolutely nothing else. Everything is shuttered, or on the verge of closing. None of those people who attended the Taylor Swift concert will be back to downtown simply because there is no reason to come back. Unless, as Mitch suggests, she becomes the house band. But even that is going to get old if there is nothing else.
June 28th, 2023 at 8:27 am
With the new COVID variant discussed on the weather channe as per comment on other thread, crowds are to be verbotten in three.. two… What a libturd to do? Can’t have it both ways.
June 28th, 2023 at 8:31 am
Minneapolis is doomed if it cannot bring daytime office workers back downtown.
June 28th, 2023 at 9:05 am
Doomers are gonna doom.
A city full of Swifties plus Pride. What a joyful positive weekend for Minneapolis.
June 28th, 2023 at 9:12 am
Minneapolis announces new plan to revitalized downtown: Bread and Circuses!
June 28th, 2023 at 9:34 am
Taylor Swift been here many times before. As have Springsteen, Rolling Stones, U2, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, etc. etc. Having a big name concert here is not a new thing, although based on SiTD you’d think this was the first concert we’ve ever had.
The Twin Cities is the 16th largest market in the US, larger than KC and much larger than Milwaukee, right? Minneapolis itself has only 430,000 people, but St. Paul has another 310,000 and the entire metro area has almost 3 million people.
June 28th, 2023 at 9:43 am
Good case of climate vs weather.
June 28th, 2023 at 9:59 am
Yes, Swift’s concert brought a lot of people to town, but at a certain point, those big acts are going to dry up as concert-goers realize that the restaurants and bars they’d like to patronize before and after the show are not there anymore. Bigger changes are needed.
June 28th, 2023 at 10:23 am
bike – we had a pair of “Swifties” stay at our Airbnb, located in the ‘burbs.
June 28th, 2023 at 10:23 am
although based on SiTD you’d think this was the first concert we’ve ever had
You got something to back this up? Otherwise, a guy might think you were trolling.
June 28th, 2023 at 10:39 am
“Taste of Minnesota” is an event that’s got that “state fair midway” vibe. It used to attract the East Side trash when it was in St. Paul. We went once, spent ~10 minutes there and left.
Now, it will attract the trash from S & N Minneapolis.
Gonna be super duper.
If there is not at least one shooting, I’ll donate $100 to rAT Emery’s Trap League.
June 28th, 2023 at 10:41 am
I have found that whenever I have a large crowd of Swifty’s in town, it’s always wholesome, safe and fun. 👍🏻
June 28th, 2023 at 11:08 am
⬆️ Says the person who backs up his blustering asseveration with — nothing.
June 28th, 2023 at 1:05 pm
LaSalle Plaza in Minneapolis is a 30 story office tower. It just sold for $74/sq ft.
https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2023/06/27/lasalle-plaza-downtown-minneapolis-sells.html?utm_source=st
In 2021 the average sale price for office space in Minneapolis was $170/sq ft.
Banks could get hit by a double whammy — collapse in real estate mortgages + collapse in the value of low interest treasuries.
All do to the covid over reaction and the George Floyd nonsense.
June 28th, 2023 at 1:18 pm
Solved!
The simultaneous human tsunamis of Pride and two nights of Taylor Swift saved downtown Minneapolis
This says otherwise:
https://twitter.com/RebsBrannon/status/1672829222300073985?t=Z4W2NdhY0DvFkq86mdCCHw&s=19
June 28th, 2023 at 1:42 pm
Ha! That woman defending the North Loop must be hallucinating, because I’ve been there a few times in the last year and have yet to see it “packed”, even on a Friday or Saturday night.
Also, during Viking home games, we tailgate with several hundred others scattered in what few lots are left around the stadium. During those parties, I’ve spoken to at least 50 people that live in the condos on Washington and the surrounding area. ALL of them told me that they love game days, because of all of the activities. They expressed frustration and disappointment that on most weekends, the streets are pretty dead.
June 28th, 2023 at 1:44 pm
The gal running the Karaoke trailer is getting paid no matter how many people are or are not watching and/or participating (never mind the first participant obviously doesn’t even know the song, let alone can’t sing…either that or she is intoxicated). Same for the utterly unnecessary row of 20-30 outhouses. In fact, if no one uses them, that’s less cleaning that the outhouse company has to perform.
As a former Uber driver, I feel SLIGHTLY sorry for the two guys who were sitting there in the pedal chariots and the guy manning the food vendor cart. They’re just hustling and trying to make some scratch. Unless they live in Minneapolis and voted for the victors of city elections. Then I have zero sympathy. They’re getting what they voted for, good and hard.
June 28th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
say rAY?
I’ve backed my blustering asseverations with my physical presence, address and home phone#,…
You?
Lol…you festering piece of shit. I wouldn’t let you carry my ditty bag.
June 28th, 2023 at 3:32 pm
rAT…
June 28th, 2023 at 3:42 pm
As a conquering warrior, I wouldn’t even debauch rAT’s daughter, for fear of mixing my genetic material with inferior swine.
June 28th, 2023 at 4:16 pm
Loved the link to Rebs, Bill. Suffice it to say that if you can block off the street without causing a problem, downtown has some serious, serious problems.
June 29th, 2023 at 9:38 am
Woolly writes: “LaSalle Plaza in Minneapolis is a 30 story office tower. It just sold for $74/sq ft.”
Just look at REIT prices to provide a gauge — Public office REITs whose portfolios are in Gateway markets are down 70% – 80% and those in higher growth Sun Belt cities are down 50%.
On top of no one understanding (really) what the future demand holds for office due to WFH you have the combination of :
1) No debt being provided by lenders for new buys – typically that debt provides 50% – 65% of cost. Think of the capital needed for this entire sector to recapitalize.
2) Institutions who were the primary buyers of office have redlined that sector so if you take the chance today and buy a cheap asset, who will be your take out in 3 – 7 years?
A real mess.
June 29th, 2023 at 9:48 am
Nobody went downtown last weekend. There were way too many people there. I thought nobody goes downtown anymore. Guess I was wrong. /s