Longfellow: the new Highland Park?

A once-languishing corridor is now very much in vogue

by Tesha M. Christensen

“Longfellow is the new Highland Park,” according to Eddie Landenberger of Redesign, a private, non-profit commercial and housing real estate developer based out of Seward that also provides community development services.

Landenberger noted that recently opened Longfellow restaurants are enticing folks from Meriam Park to cross the river and dine in Longfellow, rather than head south to Highland Park.

And Longfellow residents that were driving to Highland Park are “happy to have these options in their neighborhood,” he stated.

A real estate broker and senior projects manager at Redesign, Landenberger observed that much of the success of an area is based on perception, and when there are vacant buildings residents and business owners are discouraged from not just moving in but also frequenting the businesses already there.

SONORA GRILL REVIVES MOLLY QUINN BUILDING

Redesign has focused on filling empty buildings on Lake St., and has stepped in to rehabilitate buildings that others won’t touch.

Such was the case with the former Molly Quinn building at 3300 E. Lake St., now occupied by Sonora Grill. A collapsed foundation had doomed the property to vacancy since 2008, and there wasn’t a bank that would provide capital until Redesign got involved.

This is the first brick and mortar location for Sonora Grill, which has operated out of Midtown Global Market since 2011. 

Opened by Mexican immigrants Alejandro Castillon, Conrado Paredes, and Fernando Arnanda, the made-from-scratch menu is a fusion of South American and Spanish flavors. Since opening the Longfellow location in mid-December, Sonora Grill has been busy, despite the fact that January tends to be a slow month in the restaurant business.  Plus, they’re employing 35 local residents.

“Things are really good,” noted Paredes. “We’re really happy.”

Parades credits Edie Landenberger of Redesign for their move into Longfellow. “Edie did a good job presenting the project to us and showing us how it would look,” he said. He appreciates that they were able to occupy just part of the building, which made it seem like a “safer” investment for the Sonora Grill crew.

And Paredes believes that their presence and the support they’ve gotten from the neighborhood will encourage other small business owners to start up.

“Our goal was not just to turn the property around, but to turn the corner into an asset for the neighborhood,” stated Landenberger.

Sonora Grill is glad to be part of the revitalization of East Lake St.

“I think the fact that the building is not sitting here falling apart makes a big difference,” said Paredes. “That’s what I hear from neighbors and customers.”

292 TRANSFORMS FORMER MASSAGE PARLOR

A few blocks east, another decrepit building has been transformed by the 292 Design Group. The interior at 3533 E. Lake St. was gutted and replaced with an airy floorplan.

The building was once the notorious home of Diane’s Massage Parlor, just one of a string of prostitution fronts in the neighborhood that city officials and residents drove out over the last 30 years.

The new location brings 292 Design partners closer to their homes and their clients. Pam Anderson is a Nokomis resident and Mark Wentzell lives in Longfellow. Tom Betti lives just across the river in St. Paul.

The design firm has worked on the YWCA buildings in Midtown and Uptown, and is currently working with neighbors Merlin’s Rest and Graphic Systems. 

Anderson considers East Lake Street to be a great location, one that is easy to find, accessible by bus and walkable.

“It has been great to see other new businesses move into the area; we see a lot of excitement about the future of this neighborhood,” Anderson remarked.

CORRIDOR NOW THRIVING

“Fifteen years ago, Longfellow’s stretch of East Lake St. faced challenges: a closed gas station greeted traffic from St. Paul and the near-vacant Podany’s and Odd Fellows buildings occupied 27th and Lake,” pointed out longtime resident Dan Kennedy of Kennedy & Cain. “Three saunas, some vacant buildings, and scant lighting made the thoroughfare inhospitable.”

The revitalization of the major structures at 27th and the construction of a mixed use building at the river changed things.

 “The removal of these blighted bookends directly led to a burgeoning restaurant scene (Glaciers, Gandhi Mahal, El Nuevo Rodeo, Town Talk, T’s Place, Manny’s Tortas, Denny’s, and Longfellow Grill opened), but also created energy around maintaining momentum,” observed Kennedy.

 He credits the Longfellow Community Council and the Longfellow Business Association for championing a new business climate. The street became more welcoming after the reconstruction in 2007-08.

“Often overlooked are the stalwarts that continue to draw people to Lake Street,” Kennedy stated. “Businesses such as the used car lots, the garages, the auto parts stores, the fast food restaurants and Honda Town retain the old flavor of Lake Street. Northern Sun and Northwest Graphics are established retail stores. American Rug Laundry and Don’s Leather Cleaning dominate their industries. Despite its incongruous suburban layout, Minnehaha Mall attracts shoppers from a wide area.  

“If these businesses had failed, Lake Street would have had multiple large vacancies that would discouraged the first developers.”

Investment in the middle section of Lake Street has led to the opening of Sonora Grill at 33rd Avenue and the redevelopment of the near-vacant CTC building at 34th, where the law firms of Kennedy & Cain and Eric Day will soon join Diversity Day Care and Bukhari Institute, remarked Kennedy. Parka and Forage are new at 41st Ave. Further east, Longfellow Market at 39th will open in 2014.

“Things have really turned around and I think you’ll see a lot more business and residential development coming,” remarked Lake Street Council Executive Director Joyce Wisdom.

Ask Landenberger to look into the future and this is what he sees: “More interest, more people moving into the neighborhood. I see developers who used to just be interested in the river moving west. I see more variety and more small businesses.” And as Lake Street continues to evolve, Landenberger also foresees retail growth along Minnehaha Ave.

“The challenge now is to sustain momentum,” said Kennedy.

Local man killed by light rail train at 42nd St.

by Tesha M. Christensen

An Ericsson resident became the 10th person to die after being struck by a light rail train in Minnesota.

The Blue Line along Hiawatha Ave. opened 10 years ago in June 2004.

According to John Siqveland of Metro Transit, Michael F. Kwosek, 62, was walking westbound on the southern side of the gated intersection at 42nd St. when he was struck by the braking southbound train at about 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014.

Kwosek was six blocks from his home on the 4200 block of 30th Ave. S.

The gate arms controlling the intersection were in the lowered position, and the train came to a stop a short distance beyond the intersection after striking the man.

The light rail line was closed and buses were brought in to transport rail passengers between Franklin and Fort Snelling stations until about 7:50 p.m.

According to Siqveland, of 10 fatal accidents since the Blue Line opened, five have involved pedestrians; four have involved motorists; and one has involved a bicyclist.

“This is the only pedestrian accident at this location,” stated Siqveland. “In September of 2004, motorist Hilmer Iverson, 87, drove through a gate arm at this intersection and his automobile was struck by a southbound train.”

Metro Transit Police, as well as Metro Transit’s Rail Safety division, are investigating the incident.

LIGHT RAIL VS. AUTOS

“Fatalities and crashes in this mode of transportation are rare, but they do happen,” observed Mantill Williams of the American Public Transportation Association. “There’s no mode of transportation that is risk free.”

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, fatalities on light rail lines over the last 15 years has ranged from a low of 13 in 2002 to a high of 33 in 2009.

There are 27 light rail lines in United States, and several get added every year, according to American Public Transportation Association Director of Policy Development and Research Darnell Grisdy.

He pointed out that the vast majority of deaths on light rails lines are suicides.

In comparison, 40,000 people a year died in automobile deaths, said Grisdy.

“It’s the safest mode of travel,” Grisdy remarked.

This story appeared in the February 2014 edition of the Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

NEIGHBORHOOD NOTES: Hiawatha Ski Hut open on Sundays thanks to neighborhood support

By Tesha Christensen, Neighborhood Notes

January 22, 2014

Over 550 people signed a petition asking that the Minneapolis Parks Board improve the skiing experience at Lake Hiawatha Golf Course, and they responded.

Residents asked that the clubhouse be open for a few hours on weekends so that the public, especially families with children, will have a place to warm up and get refreshments after cross-country skiing, and that the 4-mile-long trail with views of the Minneapolis skyline be groomed at least twice a week.

“We made a good impression on the Park Board, and those who signed the petition made it clear they value their nordic trail at Hiawatha,” stated Matt McKinney, who helped organize the neighbors.

“The result: the Park Board agreed to lower their price for opening the clubhouse, allowing the Hiawatha Skiklubb to pay for eight Sunday afternoons of open clubhouse time from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.,” he added.

The “Ski Hut” idea is one that neighborhood ski enthusiasts John Saunders, Pete West, and Matt McKinney pitched during the SENA annual meeting. It was selected as the winning Big Idea for 2013, which came with $1,000 to be used to accomplish the goal.

Funds for opening the clubhouse will also come from the Minnesota Youth Ski League, which has a chapter operating at Hiawatha this year.

Saunders, West, and McKinney, neighborhood ski enthusiasts have already founded a children’s ski race called the “Hiawatha Hustle.”

“Also, the Park Board responded in a big way to our request for improved grooming of the Hiawatha trail, with staff now grooming the trail four times a week,” said McKinney.

“We feel the Park Board, and in particular Park Board staff member Sara Ackmann and our new Park Board commissioner Steffanie Musich, really listened to us. We hope to build on this relationship going forward to see that the trail and winter activities at Hiawatha continue to improve. My sense is that the Park Board commissioners and staff are behind us, and may even have had some plans for improvements before we all started rattling our ski poles. If you do ski at Hiawatha, be sure to throw a thanks to the groomers if you happen to see them out there. Or to Sara or Steffanie, if you feel so inclined. There's a lot of good momentum at our little neighborhood ski trail these days,” observed McKinney.

A $45 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board fee is required to ski at the Hiawatha Golf Course for those 12 and up.

Local resident Maggie Mahoney posted online at the petition site: "I saw more people skiing at Hiawatha on 01/04/14 than I have ever seen in the 17 years I've lived in the neighborhood. Everyone I encountered asked me if I knew when the trails would be groomed again. There definitely is demand and interest!"


ABOUT THE HIAWATHA SKI TRAIL
According to the petition 500 residents signed @ http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/improve-hiawatha-nordic/:

Most ski areas talk about their trails. At Hiawatha, we talk about *the* trail, because there’s just one. It’s small, for sure, but Hiawatha is a special place to those of us who use it. The wide open spaces mean parents can easily keep an eye on their kids as everyone skis at their own pace. The gentle slopes make it an ideal place for beginners, or for those who want to try skate skiing for the first time. Experienced skiiers who live in South Minneapolis can rack up some kilometers without the longer drive over to Theodore Wirth.

It’s a special place for others, too: snowshoers, skijorers, people out for a walk with or without a dog. While it’s fantastic that Hiawatha serves all forms of winter recreation, the foot traffic chews up Hiawatha’s trail. Grooming the less-than-two-mile trail at least twice a week seems feasible, and would keep the trail in good shape for skiiers.

We also want to see the clubhouse opened to the public on weekends. It’s a fantastic asset and should be put to use. It wouldn’t take much time to create a space where neighbors could meet up, share a hot chocolate and head out onto the trail. After skiing, families and groups could spend time with each other, talking about the day while people warm up.

We talk about building community in our neighborhoods, but wintertime requires some effort. It’s a time of year when people don’t linger in their yards or on their front steps. The clubhouse, if even just for a few hours on weekend afternoons, could serve everyone in the community who wants to share a space together, catch up on neighborhood news and enjoy Minnesota’s best season.

OTHER BIG IDEA WINNERS

Of the four other ideas offered in 2013, two of them ‘won’ in a different way. After the vote, SENA staff member Shirley Yeoman announced that an anonymous donor would give $1,000 to fund a non-winning idea focused on improving the environment. “Save the Beach” and “Adopt a Storm Drain,” both of which addressed improving the water quality in Lake Hiawatha, will share in this award.

If you have interest in helping develop any of these Big Ideas, please contact the SENA office at (612) 721-1601.

PAST BIG IDEA WINNERS
In 2012 the winning Big Idea was to create an old-fashioned holiday tree lighting event. The event was a big success and SENA hosted a second event on Dec. 8, 2013. The winning idea in 2011 was to build raised garden beds at the Southside Star Community Garden to make gardening accessible to people with limited mobility.

Published at Twin Cities Daily Planet. http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2014/01/22/hiawatha-ski-hut-open-sundays-thanks-neighborhood-support

COMMUNITY VOICES | Meet Lindsay Walz of courageous heARTS

By Tesha Christensen, Community Voices

December 30, 2013

 

Get to know Lindsay Walz, the leader of courageous heARTS, Standish-Ericsson's own arts program for kids. Courageous heARTS opened in 2013 at 4164 Cedar Ave. in Minneapolis. For more information and class schedules, browse http://www.courageous-hearts.org or call 612-729-2483.

- Why did you decide to start this non-profit?
Lindsay Walz: My dream of opening a youth center started when I was still in high school myself when I had the opportunity to be on the founding board of a nonprofit in my hometown community.  The idea ebbed and flowed for many years until 2007, when I was on the 35W bridge when it collapsed.  I nearly drowned in my car (still don't know how I got out) and while sitting on the bridge "island" waiting for help it occurred to me that the dream I had always carried with me might be the reason I survived.  A few weeks after the collapse, when I was sitting at home with a broken back, I received a community education flyer and found a class called Soul Painting.  That class became a catalyst for my healing over the next 5 years and I knew that my dream had to be rooted in the healing power of art-- not for the product, but for the process.  There is another synopsis of this on my website, if you want additional information: http://www.courageous-hearts.org/roots-of-a-dream.html. 

- What is your background? Degree? From what college? Past experience? Etc.
Walz: I graduated from the U of M in 2005 with my bachelor's in Family Social Science and minor in Youth Studies.  I recently completed my Master's of Education in Youth Development Leadership- also at the U.  I have worked at Lutheran Social Service of MN since graduating in 2005.  I first worked at a group home for youth with emotional and behavioral concerns.  After some time away following the bridge collapse, I was rehired with LSS as an Educational Support Advocate for a supportive housing program.  I now supervise the Empowering Students to Achieve program and a team of Educational Support Advocates.  I also participated in the 2012 MN Youth Worker Walkabout Fellowship through the University of MN Extension.

- What will courageous heARTS offer?
Walz: We want to create a safe space for youth to express themselves. We want to be a home away from home and we also want to create meaningful and lasting connections to the surrounding community.  I want to partner with schools and business leaders and city officials to create meaningful opportunities for youth to find connection to the neighborhood.

Classes at courageous heARTS range across a spectrum of expressive arts-- from painting and sculpture to music and writing classes.  All are aimed at emphasizing the process of creating rather than the product created. 
"I hope to co-facilitate these classes with mentoring artists who are willing to  share their time, expertise and passion for the arts with the youth who walk through our doors," said Walz.  

There are two elements of programming that won't be tied to a particular activity, but rather are integrated into everything we do.  They are restorative practices and a trauma-informed approach.  I am a trained circle keeper and have volunteered for many years with the Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership as a conference facilitator.  These practices are imperative to building and maintaining community and will be embedded into all our programs.  By taking a trauma-informed approach to our work we will ensure that all of our staff and volunteers understand what trauma is and that it has a pervasive impact on our communities (and I'm not talking about the obvious traumas like a bridge falling down, I'm talking the more everyday traumas such as bullying or community violence). Being trauma-informed helps us to recognize that anyone who walks through our doors might have a heart wound and that we can take pre-cautions to ensure a safe space for all.

- What do you hope to accomplish? What are your 5/10-year goals?
The courageous heARTS vision statement is:  Youth will discover, heal, and strengthen their hearts so they can thrive as active, engaged, and courageous members of the community.

We want to build courage through expressive arts, build community through restorative practices, and build leaders with our Youth Advisory Board. 

It's hard for me to say what the 5/10 year goals are because I am so steeped in the present.  Everyday offers a new opportunity or challenge and it has been the thrill of a lifetime.  My biggest goal right now is to secure operation dollars so this can be my one and only job and we can keep the lights on!  Right now, everything's purely voluntary-- both of my time and my money-- but my heart is filled to the brim with all the kindness and positive energy I've felt and that makes it all worth it.  I hope that we can eventually offer programming for children and youth from 0-18.

 - Why did you decide to locate the nonprofit at the corner of Cedar and 42nd?
Walz: It was really important to me to stay connected to my own neighborhood (I'm an Ericsson resident).  The power of connection has been a constant theme in my life-- from growing up in a town of 250 people, to watching the world stop for everyone the day the bridge fell down. Our connection to one another is vital and I hope that courageous heARTS can serve as glue for this community.

There was a practical reason for my decision as well.  Often times, youth programs seem to concentrate in areas of the city with the most poverty.  This is essential, but having worked for a housing program (It's All About the Kids) for the past 5 years that actively seeks to move families out of the city's highest poverty zones, I know that the opportunities for youth living in Standish-Ericsson and other neighborhoods further south are limited.  There is room for more opportunities for youth beyond the public sector (parks, libraries, schools).

- How can neighborhood residents get involved?
Walz: People power will be critical and so will be donations of money, services or materials (http://www.courageous-hearts.org/support-our-work.html). Artists with an interest in teaching a class or helping with a one time project should fill out our volunteer registration form on the website so I can add them to the artist directory.  My hours at the building are somewhat limited right now as I balance a paying job with this work, but if you see me there stop by and say hello-- that kind of moral support is the stuff that keeps me going!

 Published on Twin Cities Daily Planet. http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2013/12/30/meet-lindsay-walz-courgeous-hearts

Hennepin County to transform Hiawatha Ave. from bleak to appealing

County working on landscape plan that will feature a taller and fuller tree canopy, more plants

Existing shrubs and plants will be removed and replanted over the next few years, with the specimens in the worst condition removed first and trees in good condition left. Perennials, trees and shrubs will then fill in over several years, and there won’t be a time when the area looks even bleaker because a clear-cut was done.

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Hiawatha Ave. will soon be a bit prettier as well as more pedestrian friendly.

Hennepin County is working on a plan to improve the landscape along the corridor between 32nd and 46th Streets.

“Hiawatha Ave. is the gateway to Minneapolis for people coming into the city from the airport,” said Robb Luckow of Hennepin County Housing, Community Works, & Transit. “The corridor should welcome people to Minneapolis and to our neighborhoods.”

AMUR MAPLES TO BE REPLACED WITH MORE AND BIGGER TREES

Right now, there are about 400 amur maples located in the boulevards of the road. “The current trees are mature, and at a maximum height of 20 feet, do not fit the grand scale of the corridor,” said Luckow.

“According to our assessment, more than a quarter of the trees are in poor or very poor condition, and many of the rest are reaching their natural life span. There are also significant gaps where trees have been removed and not replaced. In addition, the medians contain some shrubs, but little else.”

This restoration plan seeks to create a more fully developed tree canopy that will provide shade for people on the multi-use trail and people walking to the LRT stations. The number and diversity of trees will be increased. “Trees can help reduce air pollution and improve air quality along Hiawatha Ave.,” pointed out Luckow.

While trees are the main focus of this plan, designers are also looking at opportunities for ground level plantings in key areas. “The project proposed groups of plantings (in 100-300 foot long sections) along the corridor, targeting areas that currently lack tree cover and areas of high visibility,” said Luckow.

Planners are also looking at how stormwater management can be improved in the area, and rain gardens are being considered for 35th, 38th and 42nd.

What types of plants will be used? A mix of native, cultivars of natives, and non-native plantings that can withstand a harsh urban environment have been proposed. Options include large trees such as bur oaks, red maples, honeylocust and hybrid elms; as well as small trees such as crabapples, serviceberry, and Japanese tree lilac. Possible shrubs include autumn fire sedum, daylillies, prairie dropseed and chokeberry. All plants used must be able to tolerate the harsh conditions of the corridor, fit the scale and aesthetics of the area, and require minimal maintenance.  Existing trees in good condition will remain.

The project area includes the median, the boulevards on the east and west side of Hiawatha, and the area between the sidewalk/trail and the LRT fence. The project does not include the berm/area west of the LRT line.

COUNTY CONSIDERS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

A maintenance strategy for the corridor is part of the plan. Following comments at two public meetings on the landscape plan held in December 2013, planners are investigating partnerships with other community groups and volunteer organizations.

Currently, trees are maintained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board forestry department. Grass mowing is done by the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

‘PEOPLE ARE EXCITED’

“The plans look great!” said Standish resident Minke Sundseth.

“The plan was well presented and everyone agrees that we are happy to have some attention paid to this gateway to our neighborhood,” said Hiawatha resident Deb Reierson.

“People are excited that this project would make the corridor a more attractive, appealing, and hospitable place for people –versus the bleakness of the current corridor,” said Luckow.

Funding for the project has not yet been designated. Pending funding and approvals, planting could begin in spring 2014, coinciding with other improvements to pedestrian crossings at 32nd, 38th, 42nd, and 46th streets. The project is being designed as a “restoration” so that plantings can be phased in over several years as the existing trees deteriorate, according to Luckow. “This will give the perennials, trees and shrubs time to adjust and grow to fill in without doing a clear cut and waiting several years for it to look good,” added Reierson.

For more information, go to: www.minnehaha-hiawatha.com

Find original story at:
http://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/hennepin-county-to-transform-hiawatha-ave-from-bleak-to-appealing/

Home burglaries spike in neighborhood

Residents taking steps to protect their property by installing lights and better securing windows and doors

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
A spike in home burglaries is causing Third Precinct citizens to take extra precautions.
In November 2013, there were 163 reported residential burglaries (including garages), compared to 93 the year before.

Home burglaries typically increase near the holiday season, according to Minneapolis Police Department Crime Prevention Specialist Don Greeley. “People’s homes are filled with lots of good things to steal,” observed Greeley.

Another factor contributing to the burglary rate is “related to which burglars are in jail or just got out,” Greeley said.

The police department has stepped up patrols in the neighborhood.

TAKING STEPS TO PROTECT HER HOME

Longfellow resident Jaxi Schulz is concerned about the spike in burglaries. “I know several of my neighbors on the same and surrounding blocks have had their homes broken into,” said Schulz. “I have taken some steps to protect my home and I think the fact that we very obviously have dogs helps.”

Schulz added spot lights to the back and side of the house, a light to the front of the house and a light on the garage. The lights are on dusk-to-dawn timers.

Since she moved into her house six years ago, the window on the front of her house on the porch has made her nervous as she knows it provides an easy and hidden point for a break-in. So, she decided to put metal bars on the window, and then also placed a shelf on the porch in front of it so that the window can’t be seen.

“I never leave the windows open or unlocked when we are not home. I never leave the windows open or unlocked at night when we are sleeping. It means more time with heat or AC, but I feel safer,” said Schulz.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO
The steps Schulz has taken are inexpensive and easy, the very sort of thing Greeley focuses on when he gives presentations about how to protect their homes and garages from burglars.
Greeley tells residents to focus on these things:
• securing doors and windows
• adding lighting
• securing garages
• starting an active neighborhood watch (block club)

Typically about 50% or more of home burglaries are “unforced”; that is, thieves enter through unlocked windows and doors.

What are some ways to secure windows? Use a nail to pin a window to prevent it from being opened at all. Use a window bar to prevent a window from being opened more than 6 inches, the amount needed for someone to crawl through. Keyed slide bolts are useful both for windows and sliding glass doors.

Lighting an area is also important for deterring crime. Motion-detector lights are an inexpensive deterrent for areas where constant lighting is unnecessary but beneficial when there is activity there. Be sure to hang the lights high enough that they can’t easily be broken.

Make it appear as though your home is occupied even when you aren’t there. Install timers for lights, keep the shades pulled, keep a radio or television on, and have your mail picked up when you are on vacation. Barking dogs also discourage entry.

See original story at:
http://www.longfellownokomismessenger.com/home-burglaries-spike-in-neighborhood/

MPS five-year enrollment plan tweaked following community input

Plan to address overcrowding will expand programs and buildings. Cooper, Seward, Hiawatha, Roosevelt, Howe, and Sanford among those affected in Area B.

by Tesha M. Christensen

A five-year enrollment plan introduced by Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) intends to address overcrowding at its buildings, an issue MPS School Board Chair and District 5 representative Alberto Monserrate has heard a lot about from both parents and staff in Area B.

“I think in the end this is a positive enrollment plan that will largely allow us to address future enrollment, address overcrowding and improve academic programs,” said Monserrate. “The plan isn’t perfect, but it has much more good than bad.”

MPS has been tweaking its five-year enrollment plan after hearing from residents. Initially, the school board had planned to vote on the changes in mid-November. But it scheduled another round of meetings in November instead to gather community input, and will vote Dec. 10.

Over 1,100 community members have voiced their opinions on the plan.

“Most residents I’ve heard from in area B have been from Sanford encouraging us to add classrooms or thanking us for it,” remarked Monserrate. “We also heard from parents and staff worried that we should invest and stabilize current programs before we invest in new ones. We heard that parents feel strongly about keeping current pathways and popular programs as intact as possible and that parents want their students to go to school as close as possible to where they live.”

DUAL IMMERSION AT ROOSEVELT

Parents have questioned why there is not a Spanish dual immersion program for elementary and middle school students in Area B. According to the school district, there is not enough demand at this time to add such a program. However, the district does intend to create a citywide high school dual immersion program at Roosevelt High School beginning next year, which parents have long requested, noted Monserrate.

The dual immersion classes will be offered in addition to the regular classes at Roosevelt.

“I am a big fan of dual immersion language programs,” said Monserrate. “My worry is that we will be able to find enough licensed multilingual teachers to teach the increase of classes and that we add Hmong, Somali and other language alternatives to the Spanish immersion programs.”

ARTS-BASED HIGH SCHOOL

The idea of creating a small, 500-student audition-based arts high school is one of the most contentious of the district’s plans. After hearing from residents, the district is reviewing the idea of placing the arts high school at South High and then designating Roosevelt High as the community school for all of Area B.

Open enrollment data has shown that some students are leaving the district in search of advanced arts learning experiences, pointed out Area B Associate Principal Stephen Flisk.

EQUAL TREATMENT?

Is the district treating all three of its zones equitably?

Many have questioned that at the public meetings, particularly when considering the breakdown of spending planned for each zone: $15.5 million in Area A, $36.5 million in Area B and $53.9 million in Area C.

The district’s response is that projected enrollment growth varies by zone and previous capital investments also have varied by zone. For example, since the mid-1990s, three new schools were built in Area A and one new school was built in Area C to address enrollment growth. Capital improvements within the preliminary recommendations support programmatic needs and are not determined by equitable distribution between zones.

ENROLLMENT GROWTH

The five-year plan being proposed seeks to address an anticipated 10% enrollment growth in the district. Projections through 2017 add 3,400 students to the district, with an estimated 905 new students in Area B. This year, there are 34,000 students attending MPS schools.

The district anticipates that the number of new kindergarteners will decrease due to a falling birth rate. But the number of students attending MPS high school has increased for the first time in 10 years.

MPS hopes to increase its market share by 10%. Right now, an estimated 38% of Minneapolis students attend charter or suburban schools.

FUNDING FOR PLAN

How is the district going to pay for these changes?

According to the district, money to support ongoing programming costs is generated by the new students attending the program. One-time programming costs are funded by a variety of sources, such as grants, reallocations and reserve funds.

The cost of additions and renovations, or capital costs, are considered one-time expenses. This money comes from levies, bonds (or new debt), state allocations and reserve funds, if needed.

“My main questions have been regarding equity in funding in different parts of the district and around how to finance this ambitious expansion,” said Monserrate. “I’ve been assured that all capital funding needs will be addressed in all parts of the city and the debt incurred us well within the district’s debt policy, which is fairly conservative.”

COMMENT ON THE PLAN

To share input, email comments to enrollmentplan@mpls.k12.mn.us. Learn more about the plan at http://www.mpls.k12.mn.us/five-year_enrollment_plan.html.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PLAN FOR AREA B

• Early childhood programs at Wilder in 2015-16

• Sanford will use space at Howe in 2015-16, if needed

• 9-classroom building addition at Seward Montessori in 2016-17

• Cooper will reopen as a K-8 school with building addition and renovation planned for 2016-2017

• Spanish dual immersion program at Roosevelt High School 2014-15

• At the Brown Building (225 Lake St.), Transition Plus and Adult Basic Education will partner to support differentiated needs of adults.

• Broadway teen moms program will stay at Longfellow. (The first draft of the plan moved it to North High.)

ABOUT THE PLAN

• 1 of 4 students in district affected

• 7 new schools of choice and 2 new community schools

• 1,500 new community school seats and 2,275 new seats of choice

• Total cost of program improvements: $54 million, with $6.3 million in Area B

• Total cost of capital building improvements: $100 million