Downtown Minneapolis boosters are split over the news that Dollar General is putting a store on the ever-more-desolate Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.
On the one hand, you’ve got the one that chortle at all the “People of Walmart”-style stories they associate with Dollar General – a chain usually associated with towns too small or neighborhoods too poor for a Walmart.
On the other hand you’ve got the “aren’t we better than this?” mob.
Rick Nelson at the Strib kinda straddles the line:
Yes, “tacky” and “depressing” are two words to describe the appearance of a dollar store on what is widely viewed as Minneapolis’ Main Street, a thoroughfare that recently underwent a $50 million makeover. “Distressing” could be another, since the appearance of this type of merchant might be an indication that downtown’s dwindling retail scene is taking yet another step in the wrong direction.
The store’s new home in the Andrus (the historic building formerly known as Renaissance Square) at S. 5th Street and Nicollet Mall won’t be sullied with a glaring yellow-and-black Dollar General logo. Instead, there will be a hip “DGX” marquee, reflecting Dollar General’s curated version of its discount store.
So what does it all mean, for a street that the city of Minneapolis just spent tens of millions of dollars refurbing (and BLM and “Anti”-Fa spent a couple of nights hacking away at)?
Why, it’s almost as if when you treat a major city like an urban studies lab, make driving onerous and parking prohibitive, and treat public safety as a sign of misbegotten privilege even if someone hasn’t burned down your favorite destination (or closed it forever via a hamfisted lockdown), the people from the outlying parts of the city that downtown used to depend on for all that juicy revenue will take their money elsewhere?
5th and Nicollet, on the light rail route.
In true follow the money fashion it would be interesting to know if this is a franchise store or a corporate store. In either case they had to get approval from City Hall and the Downtown Council, both heavily infested with DFL, so money and “ political connections” are definitely involved.
Maybe its a way to punish Target for dispersing its downtown employees to suburban worksites after BLM critiqued their window displays this past summer.
Wrong question.
A better question, one that contains the answer: Who wants to loot a Dollar General?
This is a pretty darn funny post. All those Babbits of the Mpls power-elite from 60+ years ago who developed the Nicolett Mall must be rolling in their graves. And wasn’t Renaissance Square built/remodeled to offer shopping to people who don’t have to ask the price of things (you know, if you ask the price, you can’t afford it)? I don’t think those people come downtown on the light rail (thanks for that Fresch).
Interesting points there, Pig.
Greg, there’s video during the (first) Floyd riots of a women strolling around a smoky and gutted Target pushing a cart filled with household items. She would loot a DG.
It’ll be fun to watch the new urbanists cringe as they realize the truth of the old joke: “I really like Dollar General, because you don’t have to dress up to go there like you do at Wal-Mart.”
Once they had a Marshalls/TJ Maxx down there, I just figured that the Dollar Store wouldn’t be far behind.
A better question, one that contains the answer: Who wants to loot a Dollar General?
When there is nothing else left to loot, DGX will do just fine. And after they close the location, it will be blamed on capitalism.
Dollar general is pretty tacky, but I love National Dollar. It’s like a mini Walmart, but parking is easier & you can hit all of the aisles in about 3 minutes.
Everything you say is true. Some people say it will come back once COVID is gone, but I don’t see how that’s possible, especially with the current Council, who seem hell-bent on adding to the difficulties.
On second thought, there is logic to placing a DG on the mall. Maybe people will loot it. Maybe they might even prefer to loot it.
Wasn’t it Marie Antonetta (Ellison-Jenkins), who once said, “Let them loot Dollar General.”
There might even be a new name for this: sacrificial retail.
Great idea, take a city whose downtown retail is in a death spiral and build a light rail line that will take folks away from the city and deliver them the to biggest shopping mall in the country. BRILLIANT!
Wonder if the Boy Mayor and the City Council will be there for the ribbon cutting? First 500 customers will receive BLM trucker caps.
Scott; yes, and even better, let the suburbanites be shocked, SHOCKED, that criminals take the same train there to practice their trade.
I once took a look at the path of subsidies, from the building of the Homer Dome through the MOA to the Death Train to Block E and more trains, then finishing with three new stadia being built because the original one was a boondoggle. It was depressing, especially when the logical thing to do would have been simply to tear down a portion of the old stadium and build a new one (or two) on the same site without tearing down the U’s old stadium.
But of course, we need to build the entire stadium all at once, because it’s not like Wrigley Field was built in several stages without disrupting baseball to achieve its present form. Except, of course, it was. And it would have saved billions for the DeathTrain, HomerDome, NewCrystalCathedral, Blockk E, and more.
There was a time, before the vibrancy, when America was a festering hell hole of whiteness. Great cities were defined by the grand hotels and gracious dining they offered.
Can you imagine?
Minneapolis now shares the distinction of a downtown Dollar General with Covington, KY.
Will Covington be craving a few blocks of burned out, looted shells to improve their standing in the new, vibrant America?
Only time will tell, but this I know. You rubes are not deserving of a Waffle House. Not now, not ever.
It’s too bad the reprobates tore Thanksgiving off its pedistal. Your new Dollar General might have sponsored a parade through downtown.
Thank goodness you have Homosexuals on Parade to spark wonder in the minds of your kiddies.