Stuck On Imperious
By Mitch Berg
Minneapolis is getting rid of some of its maze of one-way streets in downtown – most notably Hennepin and First Avenues.
The change is intended on one level to help make Minneapolis’ downtown streets more pedestrian-friendly, and on another to make the streets less-resemble spillways to allow commuters to escape the failed downtown area quickly at the end of the work day.
A story in the Strib focuses on the affect the change is having on downtown’s iconic First Avenue nightclub. The problem, according to the cluster of management and staff interviewed by Strib music critic Chris Riemenschneider, is that the change (adding bike and parking lanes on the new northbound lane on First Avenue) obliterates the bar’s load-in area, requiring bands to haul their gear a block to get in the door.
The whole story – in part inasmuch as it is actual reporting, rather than “music criticism” – is very much worth a read.
But for me, the payoff came near the end, in conversation with Warehouse District city councilwoman Lisa Goodman, whose answer to the plan’s critics is the classic urban politician’s retort; “Why should we let actual unintended consequences alter the Master Plan?”
Well, not quite in those exact words:
Goodman was not sympathetic to the club, though. She accused First Ave’s staff of solely looking out for its best interests. She also said its soon-to-be-obsolete load-in area — hooded meter spaces that have been in use as long as anybody at the club can remember, and for which the club pays about $120 per night — is not even a legal loading zone.”Why should they get any preferential treatment?” Goodman asked.
Oh, I dunno, Lisa Goodman. Perhaps because in the 39 years the club has existed in that space, the City of Minneapolis in its infinite wisdom has inflicted countless miseries upon that part of downtown – City Center, the Conservatory, Block E, the Target Center, the forced condemnation of an entire block of nearby downtown real estate to make way for a corporate HQ for a company that is quietly building a “real” headquarters out in Brooklyn Park, light rail – and yet First Avenue has improbably managed to survive, a tiny, improbable island of the free market in a sea of failed government meddling?
Because they’ve earned a little “preferential treatment” or, as we call it in the real world, “a concession from the Master Plan”, due to having survived the infinite wisdom of Lisa Goodman and the rest of the gabbling hamsters that run Minneapolis for all these years?
October 5th, 2009 at 8:34 am
Isn’t that what the Shubert Theater got? Preferential treatment for something with far less historic?
October 5th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Isn’t that what the Shubert Theater got? Preferential treatment for something with far less historic?
And that’s worked out so well, of course.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:06 am
Do I have this right? They want a first rate music venue downtown but they don’t want them to have anywhere that bands can load and unload their gear? These are the same people who want no truck traffic downtown but still want stores with items in them and residents being able to shop near where they live. I guess she’s waiting for teleportation.
October 5th, 2009 at 9:13 am
1st Ave to Myth space? Not that I want to see that happen, but what a business to do?
October 5th, 2009 at 9:58 am
1st Ave to Myth space?
But would they change it to “Beam Avenue and the County Road D Entry?”
October 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am
They could move to Maple Grove.
October 5th, 2009 at 10:33 am
For pols like Goodman all businesses are commodities and from her point of view First Ave is a poor performing one because it doesn’t pay taxes anywhere near what the buildings on adjacent corners do (in fact First Ave should move into the Block E complex where there is “extra space” and a loading zone). It also means Goodman and the city planners are eying that block for redevelopment possibly to provide a city owned parking ramp to service the Target Entertainment Complex.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:27 am
These people should have been in Moore’s film. They seem to hate capitalism as much as he does.
October 5th, 2009 at 11:58 am
Mpls is anything but business friendly. For the de-facto socialists on the Mpls council business is an advesary.
October 5th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
How about we try and pull out a pagte from the lefties and Alinksys playbook and do some community organizing/civil disobedience?
October 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
I can see it now – make it impossible for businesses to exist in Mpls downtown area, demolish and replace with high-rise cookie-cutter apartment buildings. Than pass laws that would allow forceful relocation of everyone from the ‘burbs there. Pop density up to the wazoo; no more cars needed for commutes; no more lawn watering on the odd/even days, etc ad nauseum… Urban paradise!
October 5th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
justplainangry:
“I can see it now -“ you’ve just described the PhD program at the Humphrey Institute in a nutshell – what you described is exactly what the newly minted crop of PhD “experts” are telling our estimable elected officials is “the only possible way”
October 5th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
First Avenue was embarrassing the Community Development planners, who’ve had how many mulligans with Block E? Doing it the Obama way: don’t compete, clear the field.
October 6th, 2009 at 9:36 am
We went to lunch on Sunday at our favorite Asian restuarant, Saigon, on University Ave. in St. Paul. As usual, the place was jammed even though they’d recently moved to a much larger place than their old digs, also on University. They had signs up in the waiting area urging their guests to help them “save our businesses, save our jobs” by calling Mayor Chris Coleman and Met Council head Peter Bell and ask them to move the controversial Central Line light rail development away from University Ave, which has become a thriving business and cultural center for the Asian community. “How quaint,” I thought, “imagining they can change Coleman or Bell’s minds when MPR and the U couldn’t do it.” On the plus side, we did see several Eva Ng campaign signs in windows along University.
October 6th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Mmm, Saigon. I was mortified to see they’d closed – and thrilled to see they’re back again, bigger and better.
The best Banh Mi Dac Biet sandwiches ever!
October 6th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
I’m partial to the spring rolls with peanut sauce and the combination “salad” with the crispy fried pork, sliced egg rolls, shrimp, noodles and mint. Saigon might survive the disruption of the Central Corridor; judging by the crowds their clientele appears to know a good thing when they see (eat) it and will be loyal enough to pick their way through the rubble. Other businesses along the route, however, may not have that advantage.