Adult Basic Education program is moving west on Lake St.

Ground breaks on new $29 million facility next to YWCA and South High’s football field in early 2017

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Minneapolis Public Schools Adult Basic Education (ABE) program will be moving a few blocks west to a new building that will be under construction in early 2017.
The new property is located between the YWCA and South High School’s football field.
Currently, Adult Education occupies 54,000 sq ft in a three-story building at 2225 E. Lake St. known as the Brown Institute. However, the property was sold and is being transformed into a large commercial and residential development by L & H Station.
The first phase of L & H Station development, the five-story, 100,000-sq ft Hennepin County services building, is nearing completion. As part of the $8 million sale of that 6.5-acre parcel, the Minneapolis School District (MPS) was granted up to eight years to relocate its immigrant-focused Adult Basic Education from the “Brown” building to make way for future housing at the site. As part of the 2015 “leaseback” deal with the county, the school district can stay on the property without any assessment against the district for the first three years.
Photo right: The Adult Basic Education program is being displaced by the construction of Hennepin County’s new service building and a large commercial and residential development at 2225 E. Lake St. The school district had three years to vacate the Brown Building before penalties were applied. The new Hennepin County building is nearing completion. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
MPS opted to construct a new 87,000 sq ft educational building at 2005 E. Lake St. to house its Adult Education programs, as well as its Transition Plus, a program geared toward 18- to 21-year olds. Many students in the T+ program come from South High.
The new $29 million facility will open in the fall of 2018. That price tag includes the purchase price of the property (9 plats) for the new building of approx. $3.8 million and the site demolition budget of $429,840.
While the South High School booster club is concerned that the new building will thwart plans to expand the football field and track, the school district’s plan was supported by the Corcoran Neighborhood Organization (CNO), which seeks to have more “eyes on the street,” according to Phillip Koski, who represents CNO on the project task force.
This stretch of E. Lake St. is already difficult because of the cemetery on the north side. The Corcoran Midtown Revival Plan calls for mixed use with a multi-story building that houses commercial at the ground level and residential above commercial to create a vibrant street.CNO supported the school district’s plan and helped MPS assemble the properties it needed at Lake and 21st.
Photo left: The former buildings at 2005 E. Lake St. have all been torn down and the lot is ready for a new 87,000-square-foot facility that will house the Minneapolis Public School Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Transition Plus programs. The new property is located between the YWCA and South High School’s football field. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Several of the buildings on the site across from the Soldiers Memorial Cemetery were demolished in 2016. The demolition of the remaining building at 2019 E. Lake St. was approved by the Heritage Preservation Commission and City Council in late 2016.
New building tailored to program needs
The design proposes a three-story building along Lake Street consisting of three parts—a wing for each program and a communal center at its heart. This central space, known as the “Town Hall,” will be a social hub and provide common meeting rooms for both Minneapolis Public Schools and the community.
Classrooms and specialty education areas will be tailored to specific needs, and the programs will realize a synergy by sharing areas of overlap—social zones, meeting rooms, staff work areas and teacher collaboration.
The design follows recommendations outlined in the Hiawatha/Lake Station Area Master Plan, creating a pedestrian-friendly urban environment with active uses and civic open space. Welcoming entrance plazas from both Lake St. and the short-term parking to the south bring users into the same central space, whether arriving by transit, bicycle, car, or on foot. A courtyard and school bus drop-off in the middle of the block provides a safe and pedestrian-friendly outdoor amenity with access controls that allow it to be closed off and flexible for programming. The 121-stall surface parking continues the plaza design, with an additional 39 parking stalls provided underground.
The southern street that bisects the site, 30½ St. S., and the alley will be vacated.
The project will be a welcoming learning environment for adults, provide space that is both flexible and specialized, and be a place that fosters an active and inclusive sense of community, according to city documents.
Transition Plus currently occupies approximately 64,000 square feet in two levels of the Wilder School at 3320 Elliot Ave. S. in Minneapolis.
Neither the Wilder School nor the Brown building were designed specifically for these programs, resulting in inefficiency of space, function, and operation, according to documents filed with the city.
An advisory group comprised of various Minneapolis Public Schools staff, Board of Education members, parents of students, a City Council member, and members of the community formed a collective voice in determining the site location, establishing vision and goals, and reviewing the design. Additionally, representatives from both the Adult Education and Transition Plus program provided detailed input and feedback for the spatial program and design submitted.

Article appeared in the March 2017 Longfellow Nokomis Messenger.

Under helm of SENA resident, company knits community together

GetKnit supports local businesses while drawing people together for pub crawls, terrarium making, and more

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Four years ago, Stand­ish-Ericsson resident Nick Blake (photo right) wanted to meld together his desire to support local businesses and bring together friends for fun gatherings, and to turn that into something bigger than himself.
GetKnit Events was born.
The locally-owned experiential events company focuses on Minneapolis and St. Paul, but also offers activities in the suburbs and Greater Minnesota.
“The inspiration behind starting GetKnit was fueled by a love for supporting local and creating community,” remarked Blake, who serves as president. “From the beginning, my team and I often joked that GetKnit is the ‘love child’ of bringing those two concepts together.”
The business name says it all, according to Blake. “Not to be cheesy, but we really do aim to ‘knit’ the community together through our events. We do that through creating opportunities for our local partners to work together to showcase their products and services in interactive ways via our event packages. Those events are then offered up to the public with the goal of inspiring our participants to get out there, try something new, and experience all our surroundings have to offer. And the great thing about Minnesota is it offers so much!”
Since 2013, over 15,000 people have participated in GetKnit events. “I love that we’re given the opportunity to be memory makers for our participants,” said Blake.
Upcoming brewpub tours
The Progressive Meal Brewpub Tour features four local brewpubs, including Northbound Smokehouse at 2716 E. 38th St. At each pub participants will enjoy two small plates paired with a beer flight. “It’s a great way to experience the diversity of that scene in our neighborhood and throughout the metro!” said Blake.
Photo left: Brews & Buses, one of GetKnit’s two biggest events of the year, offers a door-to-door tour of all 11 breweries located in St. Paul, for a one-day, large-scale event. “It gives us a great opportunity to showcase what is happening in the brewing community across the river, and to truly highlight to diverse breweries in our capital city,” said GetKnit President Nick Blake. “It truly is a special day.”  (Photo submitted)

The progressive tour was held on Mar. 18 and will be offered again on Apr. 8.
Also in April is Brews & Buses, one of GetKnit’s two biggest events of the year. A fleet of buses creates a ‘brewery circuit’ that goes door-to-door to all 11 breweries located in St. Paul, for a one-day, large-scale event.
It’s one of the most logistically challenging as GetKnit creates its own line of transportation for the day, remarked Blake.
“What I am the most excited about this event, and all our bigger events, is that it allows us to expand our reach in one single day—not only in terms of our participants but also our partners,” he said. “It gives us a great opportunity to showcase what is happening in the brewing community across the river, and to truly highlight to diverse breweries in our capital city. It truly is a special day!”
The third annual ‘Brews & Buses: St. Paul Brewery Bus Crawl’ on Sat., Apr. 29 runs from 11am to 6pm. Early registration tickets are available for $45 until Apr. 9; after that prices rise to $55.
The event begins at Union Depot in Lowertown Saint Paul, where participants will check in and receive two beer tokens, each good for a pint of beer at any participating brewery, an event T-shirt which will unlock special discounts at each stop, and an event passport which contains maps, contests, and information to guide them. From there, the event is a self-guided crawl—allowing participants to plot their own route as they visit new breweries and old favorites.
Each brewery will be serving specialty beers just for Brews & Buses participants, have special activities including live music and games, and offer discounts on food, beers, and merchandise throughout the event.
Something larger than himself
Blake had been involved in the event world since before he dove into the workforce out of college. His first job was with Event360, a company based out of Chicago, where he worked on cause-focused events with non-profit organizations to bring their large-scale events to life. His main client during those five years was Susan G. Komen.
“This job gave me the opportunity to work for something larger than myself, but I got to work alongside some of the most creative, hardworking people I’ve ever known,” recalled Blake. “I also got to travel all around the States, and in doing so, my heart for exploration and adventure really came to life.”
Minnesota called him home, and he took a job with the start-up LivingSocial, helping create and build the event arm of the company for Minnesota. “The leadership in our division here would always preach ‘this is your company…make it what you will.’ I attest the fostering of my entrepreneurial spirit to that team,” stated Blake.
He moved to the LivingSocial travel division when they stopped planning events, and learned through travel what it was that his heart most loved about home. It motivated him to take the next step and start his own business.
Before GetKnit was created, Blake met with some local businesses from the beer, art, adventure, tourism, sightseeing, wine, and food industries. He remembers sharing with them what he was hoping to do, and the response was a unanimous “Yes, we need something like this!”
Photo right: The GetKnit Team celebrates its fourth anniversary together in March 2017. Standish-Ericsson resident Nick Blake credits the GetKnit team of ‘Local Gurus’ for keeping the events afloat. “Our team is made up of some of the most engaging, outgoing, and dynamic individuals around,” he praised. Since 2013, over 15,000 people have participated in GetKnit events. (Photo submitted)
“That was wildly affirming and all of those things combined, along with the support of family and friends, inevitably led to the creation of GetKnit Events,” said Blake. “It’s so exciting to see how that original idea has grown, evolved, and impacted so many local businesses and participants alike.”
To those who want to start their own companies, Blake recommends this: “No matter your business, success lies in the details. Pay attention to those and you’ll soar.”
Success lies in the details
What sets GetKnit apart? According to Blake, it’s the details.
“We put a strong emphasis on ensuring that everything is well thought out and executed accordingly on our events,” said Blake.
He praised the GetKnit team of ‘Local Gurus.’ “They are the spirit that keeps our events afloat,” said Blake. “Our team is made up of some of the most engaging, outgoing, and dynamic individuals around.”
But GetKnit wouldn’t be a success without the willingness of participants to try something new. “Without them, and their support, our events would be lifeless,” observed Blake.
More at getknitevents.com.

Article appeared in the March 2017 Longfellow Nokomis Messenger.

No specific grocery store picked yet for 46th and Hiawatha

Residents crowd meeting for information and to share input on grocery store proposed for ‘town square retail’ site

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Over 100 residents showed up at the Hiawatha School Recreation Center to talk about a potential grocery store at 46th St. and Hiawatha during a Feb. 23 community meeting, filling up the available space and spilling into the hallway.
‘Why a grocery store at this site?’ wondered some.
“The demand for groceries in this part of the city is incredible high,” remarked Joe Bernard, Minneapolis Principal Planner. “There’s demand for more than one grocery store in this location.”
Illustration right: A market analysis shows that $1.5 million in grocery store sales are leaving the trade area each week. Grocery offerings not currently in the trade area include a hot bar with indoor/outdoor seating, a full deli, a bakery, floral and ethnic/specialty foods.(Illustration provided)
Oppidan has proposed investing $38-44 million in a five-story building. The 5.7-acre parcel that currently houses the Creative Kidstuff building, and sits adjacent to the Burger King, Holiday, strip mall and Falls Liquor.
According to Drew Johnson, Oppidan’s planning began with a review of the city’s transit-oriented development guidelines for the area, starting with the 2001 committee recommendations for the neighborhood and followed by the 2014 update.
Phase one would include 45,000 square feet of retail on the ground level with 146 apartments in upper levels and resident parking beneath. To encourage residents to use the nearby public transportation options, there would be less than one parking space allocated per apartment, according to Johnson. A second-story plaza would be used by building residents while a smaller outdoor plaza on the ground floor would be used by shoppers.
“Everything is preliminary,” stressed Johnson.
Photo right: According to Drew Johnson of Oppidan, phase one of the project would include 45,000 square feet of retail on the ground level with 146 apartments in upper levels and parking beneath for residents. Developers have not yet selected a specific grocery store, but note the space available would fit a medium-size store. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Developers have not yet selected a specific grocery store to fit into the 45,000 sq ft retail space, but note the space available would fit a medium-size store. To put that in perspective, a Hyvee is typically 90,000 sq ft, a Cub ranges from 65-80,000 sq ft, Lunds & Byerly’s range from 50-90,000 sq ft, a Trader Joe’s is 12,000 sq ft, and an Aldi is 19,000 sq ft.
A large, underground system would collect water run-off and treat it.
Other green space would be along the former railroad track, which those with the Mi Hi Line Coalition (www.minhiline.org) envision becoming a bike/walk trail and linear park.
Traffic concerns
Residents are concerned about traffic on 46th, especially the area near the railroad tracks where traffic currently empties onto the heavily traveled street.
“My concern with any development in this area is the traffic it will bring,” stated resident Kevin Baumgartner. “This is a really bad stretch of 46th.” He questioned adding another stoplight between the one on Hiawatha and Minnehaha Ave., and how it would add to the bottleneck near Burger King and Holiday. Plus he pointed out that those on the trail will want to cross 46th there and not move east to a stoplight.
Johnson acknowledged that traffic is a concern in the area, and pointed out that it was brought up by residents at the first community meeting on the project held in January.
They are currently working on a traffic management plan with the goal of improving traffic in the area, he pointed out.
Photo right: Residents Zak R. Stephens, Maja Bjornson, and Deb Stancevic learn about the development planned near 46th and Hiawatha during a community meeting on Feb. 23. Stancevic is excited about the plans and has been pushing for a grocery store in the area. Bjornson is a 61-year neighborhood resident and lives adjacent to the proposed site. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)
Developers are asking, “How low do we think traffic can go?” according to Johnson, and have set the goal of seeing at least 50% of residents use another form of transportation than a car. They’re also hoping that shoppers use the Blue Line, A Line, and other public transit options, as well as the nearby trail system for biking and walking.
Snelling extension, access closures
The plan to extend Snelling Ave. into the site and curve it over to Hiawatha would provide access to the area. The exact route of the roadway has not been determined, but eventually it would likely be the only access point from the retail area onto 46th.
Baumgartner pushed for the closure of the other accesses right away. “We can’t wait 20 years when there is a 40,000 sq ft grocery store there. Traffic is bad,” he said. “We need a future plan now.”
Bernard pointed out that the developer will need to meet current standards and mitigate the impacts of traffic from the site. However, the city can’t just remove accesses to businesses.
“We need to maintain access for private property owners to the street system,” said Bernard.
Additionally, 46th St. needs to be rebuilt within the next few years as it is at the end of its life. It may be done in the 2019-2020 Capital Improvement Project cycle; however, the county has 10 years worth of projects for the next five years, according to Hennepin County Transportation Engineer Bob Byers.
Residents expressed concerns about the hostile environment between Hiawatha and Minnehaha and suggested that more trees be planted.
Park Board won’t manage Linear Park
A bike/walk trail in this area would create a protected connection between the Midtown Greenway and Minnehaha Pkwy., and complete the Longfellow Grand Rounds, as noted in the Minneapolis Bicycle Master Plan.
However, District 5 Park Commissioner Steffanie Musich stressed that this trail will not be managed by the Park and Recreation Board, but rather by the city or county like the Midtown Greenway.
“This is not an area we have planned to invest in public land,” said Musich. “I don’t see us taking that on.”
While the Park Board had once owned the former railroad land, in 2007 it traded it to the city as representatives then thought it would make a good transit corridor. In return, the Park Board received the riverfront from Plymouth to Broadway in North Minneapolis, an area not as well served as South Minneapolis regarding parks.
Of course, Park Board planners will work with the city to connect any trails in the development to its existing trail system.
The main connection the Park Board would have with the project is that it would benefit from the park dedication fees paid by the developer. They could range from $230,000-280,000 and be used at the nearby Adams Triangle Park, Hiawatha School Park or Minnehaha Park. The money can’t be used on operations or to replace an amenity, but can be used on new amenities, according to Musich. For example, they couldn’t be used to fix a baseball field, but could be used to install multi-purpose fields at Hiawatha School Park.
Musich responded to a concern about the lack of enough trash cans at parks and how late bathrooms open in the spring. She pointed out that thanks to the financial agreement made with the city last year, the Park Board is working on an asset management plan and mapping out where items, such as trash cans, should be placed each season. With the additional funds, the Park Board will also hire more plumbers to open bathrooms quicker each spring. “This will get things done that affect your experience at the parks,” said Musich.
Share your opinions
“I am thrilled to see the turnout tonight,” said council member Andrew Johnson, who added that it shows how engaged the community is and how important this project it. “We will continue to take feedback on this important project that is really at the heart of our community,” he said.
To comment, contact the Longfellow Community Council or Johnson’s office.

Article appeared in the March 2017 Longfellow Nokomis Messenger.