Simple and nature-based playground planned at Nokomis

Playground near community center will be redone next year and stand out as a unique park

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

Neighborhood kids are excited by the plan to redo the playgrounds by the Nokomis Community Center next year.

The new design for the playground near the Nokomis Community Center features “logs” for balancing on and “wood” stepping stones made from recycled plastic materials, “tree” poles for climbing, and raised hills. There’s a “birds nest” to play in on one of the three-to-four-foot high raised hills, and a taller structure on another. There will be one tall slide and two smaller ones, a climber, diggers, swings and Willow Thicket. (Photo submitted)

They had the chance to check things out during an open house at the Nokomis Community Center on Tue., Nov. 15.
“It’s really cool,” said nine-year-old Emersen Russell after looking over display boards. Her friend, Annika Clift, agreed, pointing to an image of the multi-user swing. “We love those things!” she said.
Ava Beckett, age 10, is excited to see “those spinning things that I love.”
“Everything looks fun,” stated Gemma Cudd, age 10.
Adults gave the plan a thumbs up, as well.
“I think it looks nice,” remarked longtime resident Scott Beckett.

Playground designer Chris Desroches (left) explains the new pieces of equipment that will be installed at the Nokomis playground to Gemma Cudd, age 10, and Ava Beckett, age 10 during an open house. Beckett is excited to see “those spinning things that I love.” (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

“It looks like they’re sticking to the spirit of the outdoors and nature,” observed 16-year neighborhood resident Mike Russell. “It looks very interactive.”
After seeing the parks in many other cities while traveling for work, Russell said he really appreciates what Minneapolis has. “The city and nature really blend like no other city,” Russell said. “We have access to a lot of things to do outdoors.”
Additional comments on the plan will be accepted until Dec. 2 either in person at the Nokomis Community Center or online at bit.ly/nokomisplayground.
It will go the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board for approval on Jan. 4, 2017.
Simple and nature-based
The new design for ages 2-8 has a similar feel as the parks at Wabun and Levine Triangle, but it isn’t meant to be like any others in the city.
“One of the goals is to have each playground be slightly different,” explained project manager Beth Pfeifer. “We want people to have different experiences at different parks.”
To get a feel for how residents use the current equipment, playground designer Chris Desroches observed it in person and then factored in resident comments before fashioning the new design. Comments were solicited earlier this year at three open houses and the Monarch Festival.
“People liked what was existing there and the style of it,” recalled Desroches. They expressed a desire for a simple and nature-based playground.
“This will be a unique space,” said Desroches.
The new design features “logs” for balancing on and “wood” stepping stones made from recycled plastic materials, “tree” poles for climbing, and raised hills. There’s a “birds nest” to play in on one of the three-to-four-foot high raised hills, and a taller structure on another.
“What we wanted to do was play off the nature play area, but not replicate it,” explained Desroches.
The hills will be well-suited for younger kids, who won’t be hurt if they end up rolling down them.
Residents asked for a high slide, so there’s one in the plan, as well as two other smaller ones. They wanted lots of swings, so the plan includes a row of six with another two baby swings on the other side.
People with older and younger kids commented that it is hard to maintain good visibility of all their kids with the current set-up. In recognition of that, a hill will be graded and benches installed that allow parents to view the entire playground area at a time.
Planners intend to tie the existing disconnected play structures into a single playground through the use of a long concrete border (that will double as a balance beam for children) and a single container filled with an ADA-compliant surface. The green portions are a material similar to that at Wabun, and the rest will be a virgin hardwood material made specifically so that a wheelchair can be rolled across it. Plus, it last longer than regular mulch.
Metal equipment to be reused
Some of the existing equipment looks like it is solid and still in good shape, pointed out some residents. Park workers agreed. Two galvanized steel slides, a climber, the chin-up and turning bars, and the diggers will be reused.
Because safety standards are different today than they were 50 years ago, not everything can be reused in the same way. The dolphin with teeth and a bowler hat can’t be used as is, but designers have a plan for it. The dolphin will be buried in the sand so that children can dig it up. Planners think this lends towards the desire by community residents to keep pieces that inspire creativity.
The Willow Thicket that has been at the Rose Garden temporarily will find a permanent home at Nokomis.
It will be surrounded by round concrete billers — sort of like the ones in the front of Target stores, explained Desroches. The bollards can be used many different ways. Children will be able to climb on them. Plus, they allow parents to engage with each other in a way that neither benches nor picnic tables do while also keeping a good eye on their children because they can lean on them and move around as needed. Other bollards will be placed around the concrete border to break it up.
Nature pop-up becomes pilot project
As part of the project, the pop-up nature play area on the south side that was added last spring will be made more permanent.
A natural play area wasn’t included in the Nokomis master plan, but since it was so well-loved, planners didn’t want to remove it, according to Pfeifer.
Instead, the pop-up will become a pilot project.
They’ve asked the forestry department to hold onto specific shapes and pieces next spring that will become key anchors in the natural play area.
The area will be closed for a short time to regarded and place the new wood pieces.
Work likely to take six weeks
Residents commented that they wanted to have a playground to use during the summer, particularly for use by the Rec Plus program that begins when school releases. Planners also recognize that having it under construction during the Monarch Festival would be bad timing.
The current plan is to wait until fall 2017 to begin work, but if there’s an early spring, the project will be done then instead.
Once work begins, it will take about six weeks to complete, depending on the weather.
The large playground structure for ages 5-12 that was recently replaced will remain. However, the existing sand will be replaced with an ADA-compliant surface. The hope is to complete that work first so that this part of the playground will still be usable while the rest is fenced off.
The $300,000 cost of the work is part of the MRPB’s 2015 Capital Improvement Plan and is funded with net debt bonds.

Article appeared in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Third leg of transit triangle eyes route over Ford Parkway Bridge

Planners studying whether a river crossing at the Ford Parkway Bridge, or Highway 5, would be better

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Will a new transit line connect South Minneapolis with downtown St. Paul in the near future?
The proposed Riverview Corridor transportation route would run 12-miles from St. Paul’s Union Depot to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America.
The proposed Riverview Corridor transportation route would run 12-miles from St. Paul’s Union Depot to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. One possible route takes riders from the Union Station past the Xcel Center, down West 7th St., jogging over to the former Ford plant site in Highland Park, across the Ford Parkway bridge and to the 46th St. station before heading down to the airport and mall. (Photo submitted)

One possible route takes riders from the Union Station past the Xcel Center, down West 7th St., jogging over to the former Ford plant site in Highland Park, across the Ford Parkway bridge and to the 46th St. station before heading down to the airport and mall.
Another option is using Highway 5 instead of going through Highland Park or building a new river crossing.
“The goal of the Riverview Corridor is to create a new connection between downtown St. Paul and the airport, improving transit and stimulating development along the way,” remarked Ward 12 Council Member Andrew Johnson.
The Ford Parkway bridge may be the best place for the Riverview Corridor to cross the Mississippi River and also connect with the Blue line. “Longfellow is closer to Highland Park than much of Minneapolis, so not only could the Riverview Corridor better connect us with the great neighborhood across the bridge, but it also helps position the Ford Plant site to emerge as a thriving town square with great shopping, dining, entertainment, and recreation options that are just minutes away,” said Ward 12 Council Member Andrew Johnson. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Johnson pointed out that the route will need to cross the river somewhere, and the options to do so are down to Highway 5 or the Ford Parkway bridge, each having advantages and disadvantages.
“While the Ford Parkway bridge would add additional transit time to the route, it also maximizes the development potential of the 135-acre Ford Plant site and avoids some logistical difficulties associated with using Highway 5,” said Johnson.
Spring 2017 new deadline date
The Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority launched the latest study of the corridor in July 2014, the fifth since 1998. Three committees have been collecting and analyzing data on modes and routes, of what is often called the third leg of a transit triangle, the others being the Blue Line in Minneapolis and the Green Line in St. Paul.
Planners have reduced the options to three: West 7th, the Canadian Pacific Spur Line that runs a few blocks south of West 7th, or a combination of the two.
Businesses along West 7th have been concerned about the potential loss of parking and lanes there.
The Policy Advisory Committee expected to select an option by spring 2017.
The project would then need to be adopted by several government bodies and funding secured. A new transit service could take up to 12 years to design and construct.
Light rail, Bus Rapid Transit or streetcar?
Possible modes include light rail, bus rapid transit, streetcars or a hybrid option.
Johnson’s preference for this route is a streetcar line. “Streetcars feel like light rail, but are significantly less expensive and don’t eliminate a lane of traffic,” he pointed out. “Yet unlike Bus Rapid Transit, the permanent infrastructure stimulates economic development. The latter is particularly important for the future of the Ford Plant site, which has the potential to become the extension of, and complement to, Highland Park.”
When the Godfrey Parkway bridge is replaced next year, the new bridge will be capable of supporting LRT or streetcars.
How would a streetcar cross Hiawatha without making traffic worse?
The biggest issue for Ward 12, according to Johnson, is how a streetcar will cross Hiawatha Ave. and the interchange at the 46th Street Station without making the traffic flow worse.
“The good news,” Johnson said, “is that this project may very well be the way we get Metro Transit to approve the use of ‘rail obstruction’ sensors. They would eliminate the need for the ‘clearing phase’ that occurs today, where an oncoming Blue Line train overrides the traffic signals to give eastbound traffic a green light even if they just had one.”
“The need to ensure that no vehicles are obstructing the tracks when a train comes is critically important, but the current method is terribly inefficient and disruptive to the overall flow of traffic,” Johnson noted. “A win-win would be using the Riverview Corridor project to secure this traffic flow improvement for Hiawatha.”
He is excited by how this line would connect South Minneapolis with its neighbor right across the river.
“Longfellow is closer to Highland Park than much of Minneapolis,” Johnson added, “so not only could the Riverview Corridor better connect us with the great neighborhood across the bridge, but it also helps position the Ford Plant site to emerge as a thriving town square with great shopping, dining, entertainment, and recreation options that are just minutes away.”
Existing bus not adequate
The bus line #54 currently travels between Union Depot and the Mall of America taking West 7th and Highway 5, making the trip in about 40 minutes. Officials say it is often crowded and inadequate for the corridor.
By the year 2040, the population in the corridor is expected to grow by 63% and employment by 33%, making this highly traveled corridor more difficult to travel in years to come.
Proponents say transit improvements would increase mobility, and support community and regional economic development goals.
The many people without a car in the area would also benefit. The percentage of households without an automobile in the Riverview Corridor study area is near twice that of households in Ramsey County as a whole.
Meetings planned
Upcoming meetings are being planned for the Longfellow neighborhood, but have not yet been scheduled. According to Johnson, the project team will soon be reaching out to Longfellow to engage the neighborhood and get feedback on the proposed route.
“This line will help connect residents with jobs and amenities on the other side of the river, provide a great transit route to downtown Saint Paul, and even help stimulate economic development on the east side of the 46th Street Station,” said Johnson.
To sign up for project updates, go to http://riverviewcorridor.com.

Article appeared in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Did you know drivers need to stop for pedestrians at every corner?

Stop for Me working to educate drivers and pedestrians to prevent crashes and fatalities in St. Paul, state

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Someone walking or biking is hit by a car every other day in St. Paul.
Someone is killed every other month.
This is despite a state law that says vehicles must stop for anyone at a crosswalk or intersection.
And, all of these crashes were preventable, according to St. Paul Police Department Sgt. Jeremy Ellison, who is the Toward Zero Death Grant Coordinator.
“This is an extremely important topic,” Ellison stated. “We need everyone to do their part in reducing the number of crashes. Drivers need to slow down and look for pedestrians at every intersection, whether it’s a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Pedestrians need to walk safely and never get in front of a moving vehicle.”
Stop for me. Every corner. Every time.
To improve safety for people who use St. Paul’s sidewalks and cross the streets, community members created the Stop For Me campaign.
Photo right: Stop For Me educates drivers about Minnesota’s pedestrian safety laws and enforces the laws in partnership with local law enforcement. To get involved email jeremy.ellison@ci.stpaul.mn.us or call 651-266-5457. (Photo courtesy of District 10 Community Council)
It is organized by St. Paul’s 17 district councils, St. Paul Smart Trips and the St. Paul Police.
Stop for Me is working to:
• Bring attention to how often pedestrians take their life into their hands when they cross a street or parking lot.
• Raise awareness that state law requires drivers and cyclists to stop for pedestrians at every intersection, whether or not there is a painted crosswalk or stoplight.
• Educate everyone who uses the streets that they need to share the road, show more respect and patience, and recognize that the moment we step out the door, we are all pedestrians, according to Ellison.
He added, “We need to do something about the number of people who are being struck by vehicles. Too many of our friends, neighbors, and family, are needlessly being hurt, injured or killed by vehicles.”
Photo left: Volunteers, St. Paul Police and St. Paul Smart Trips, are working to bring attention to how often pedestrians take their life into their hands when they cross a street or parking lot. They aim to raise awareness that state law requires drivers and cyclists to stop for pedestrians at every intersection, whether or not there is a painted crosswalk or stoplight. An event calendar is posted at www.stopforme.org. (Photo submitted)
“This campaign is important and making an impact because it brings together community volunteers, city staff, and the St. Paul Police Department to work towards a common goal: making St. Paul safer for pedestrians,” said Samantha Henningson, Legislative Aide to City Council President Russ Stark of Ward 4. “Having a city that’s safe (and pleasant!) for pedestrians increases our economic competitive advantage with other cities, improves public health, and puts more eyes on the street which is good for public safety.”
Stop For Me educates drivers about Minnesota’s pedestrian safety laws and enforces the laws in partnership with local law enforcement.
During set events, volunteers don high-visibility clothing to cross the street at designated intersections recognized as troublesome or otherwise unsafe for pedestrians. Law enforcement officers are present to issue citations to drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk.
A dozen District 10 residents, including Council Member Amy Brendmoen, put their foot down for pedestrian safety in May as the Como Community Council held its first Stop for Me pedestrian safety event.
Residents gathered at the intersection of Lexington Pkwy. and E. Como Lake Dr., where park paths cross north of the Pavilion. This corner is the second-most-dangerous intersection for pedestrians in the neighborhood, according to a survey of community residents. During the event, volunteers repeatedly crossed the street to emphasize that state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk—marked or unmarked—every corner, every turn, every time.
Other local events included Pierce Butler Rte. and Hamline in Nov. 2015; Snelling and Englewood in June; and Como/Front/Dale and Jessamine/Dale in Sept. During National Walk to School Day on Oct. 5, multiple events were held in the Como/Midway area, and there was another push at Hamline and University on Oct. 19.
Photo right: Volunteers debrief at the end of the May 19, 2016, pedestrian safety event at the intersection of Lexington Pkwy. and E. Como Lake Dr. This corner is the second-most-dangerous intersection for pedestrians in the neighborhood, according to a survey of community residents. During the event, volunteers repeatedly crossed the street to emphasize that state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk—marked or unmarked—every corner, every turn, every time. (Photo courtesy of District 10 Community Council)
These events were in addition to other enforcement activities when officers ticketed offenders, but volunteers were not involved.
The city’s goal for 2016 was to do a total of 34 pedestrian safety events, two in each of the city’s 17 district councils. There were actually a total of 60 events between Oct. 1, 2015 and Sept. 30, 2016.
“SPPD and the city of St. Paul are committed to pedestrian and bike safety,” observed Ellison.
Get involved
The goal for 2017 is to continue to increase the number of events and impact on driving behavior in St. Paul. “We are also working closely with public works to provide feedback and make engineering changes when appropriate,” said Ellison. “Anyone interested in participating in the events should go through their district council representatives or if they prefer can contact me directly.” He can be reached at jeremy.ellison@ci.stpaul.mn.us or 651-266-5457.
An event calendar is posted at www.stopforme.org.
Why aren’t drivers stopping?
In the city of St. Paul, it is because they weren’t paying attention.
When asked, “Why didn’t you stop for the pedestrian?” the most common response during enforcement events is that they did not see the pedestrian.
“We interpret this to mean that they were not paying attention, whether they are distracted by a phone or perhaps daydreaming,” said Ellison. “We also know that drivers who drive slower (say 25 miles per hour) and actively look for pedestrians, do see them and do stop for them.”
A few drivers have said they were not aware of the law requiring them to stop at all marked and unmarked crosswalks.
“While the state crosswalk law is pretty old at this point, there hasn’t been enough education or enforcement historically,” observed Henningson. “We are starting to change this in St Paul, but drivers aren’t educated about the law, and they are not paying attention to pedestrians.”
The problem is everywhere, pointed out Ellison. “There is not a specific location in the city (or metro area for that matter) that this is not an issue,” he said.
One of the campaign struggles has centered on how to reach the broader community. “If you look at the crash data, you can see that only 38% of the drivers who hit pedestrians/bikers are from St. Paul. The majority live in another part of the metro area,” observed Ellison.
Stop for Me is working with partners at the county and state level to try to educate more broadly and call attention to the issue. “Our goal is to increase compliance with the Minnesota Crosswalk Law statewide,” said Ellison.
“We know that if we can change driving behavior, we will save lives. The police department alone can’t solve this problem. We know that by working closely with our partners in engineering, education, and the community, we will have the most impact.”
Are pedestrians always acting safely?
While the majority of pedestrians involved in crashes are acting appropriately, there are instances when they are illegally crossing, whether that be mid-block or against the light, according to Ellison.
Part of the Stop for Me campaign includes helping pedestrians be safe.
“We always tell them the number one rule is never to step in front of a moving car,” said Ellison. “We teach them how to put their foot into the crosswalk, so they satisfy the legal requirement of crossing in the crosswalk, while still being able and ready to step back if needed for safety.”
“The one thing that many of the citizen volunteers we train say,” noted Ellison, “is that they were not aware of how much distance they needed to give vehicles to safely slow down and stop. On a 30 mph road, vehicles are given 193 feet to see the pedestrian crossing, slow down and stop.”
In addition to the Stop for Me campaign, the city, and St. Paul Schools applied for and received a grant from Minnesota Department of Transportation to do rapid planning workshops for Safe Routes to Schools at three schools: Chelsea Heights, Upper Farnsworth, and Bruce Vento.
“From a city perspective, pedestrian and bike safety are priority issues but we have hundreds of miles of streets and thousands of intersections,” said Henningson. “It makes sense to start with schools because if you make an area safer for students, it will be safer for everyone else, too.”
Walking is healthy but leaves people vulnerable
“We often hear from people who are intentionally seeking out more walkable neighborhoods and from others who are concerned with a lack of pedestrian safety where they live and work. It’s not surprising,” stated Jessica Treat of Transit for Livable Communities, 2356 University Ave. W.
“Walking is an affordable, healthy, and sustainable way to get around—but it also means you’re vulnerable.”
“Pedestrian fatalities are up in Minnesota this year,” Treat added, “and fall is typically a particularly dangerous time. In our communities and as a region, we can and should do more to ensure people of all ages and abilities can stay safe while they are out and about on foot. How our streets are designed, how our traffic laws are enforced, and to what extent we’re investing in safe and accessible infrastructure all have major roles to play in making that happen.”
SAFETY TIPS
DRIVERS
• Stop for crossing pedestrians at every intersection, even those without crosswalks or stoplights
• Before making a turn, look in all directions for pedestrians
• Leave lots of room between you and the pedestrian when stopping
• Scan the road and sides of the road ahead for pedestrians
• Look carefully behind your vehicle before backing up, especially for small children
• Watch for people in wheelchairs and motorized carts, who may be below eye level
• Put away the cell phones, food and make-up
• Stop for pedestrians, even when they are in the wrong or crossing mid-block
• Never pass or drive around a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians
• Obey speed limits and come to a complete stop at STOP signs
PEDESTRIANS
• Make eye contact with drivers and ensure they see you and will stop
• Clearly show your intentions to cross
• Watch for turning and passing vehicles
• Look across ALL lanes for moving vehicles before proceeding
• Stand clear of buses, hedges, parked cars or other obstacles before crossing
• Cross in a well-lit area at night
• Wear bright-colored clothing and reflective material
• Mount a safety flag on a wheelchair, motorized cart or stroller
• Cross streets at marked crosswalks or intersections; don’t cross-mid block
• Remove headphones and stay off cell phones while crossing
• Obey all traffic signals
• Don’t rely solely on traffic signals; look for vehicles before crossing
• Always walk on the sidewalk; if there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic
• If intoxicated, don’t walk without assistance, a cab ride home may be a safer option
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
MN State
Statue 169.21 PEDESTRIAN.
§Subd. 1. Obey traffic-control signals. Pedestrians shall be subject to traffic-control signals at intersections as heretofore declared in this chapter, but at all other places pedestrians shall be accorded the privileges and shall be subject to the restrictions stated in this section and section 169.22.
§Subd. 2. Rights in the absence of signal.
(a) Where traffic-control signals are not in place or operation, the driver of a vehicle shall stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk. The driver must remain stopped until the pedestrian has passed the lane in which the vehicle is stopped. No pedestrian shall suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle which is so close that it is impossible for the driver to yield. This provision shall not apply under the conditions as otherwise provided in this subdivision.
(b) When any vehicle is stopped at a marked crosswalk or at an intersection with no marked crosswalk to permit a pedestrian to cross the roadway, the driver of any other vehicle approaching from the rear shall not overtake and pass the stopped vehicle.

Article appeared in the November 2016 Monitor Saint Paul.

Artists sell locally at popular Nokomis Urban Craft and Art Fair

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Local knit artists Jen Bremer and Rich McGeheran make a point to support local businesses and to buy local, so when the opportunity came to sell their own wares locally, they signed up.
This fall marks their fourth Nokomis Urban Craft and Art Fair, which is slated for Sat., Nov. 12, 9am-4pm, at the Nokomis Recreation Center, 2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy.
“It is always exciting to see familiar faces and show off our latest offerings,” observed Bremer, who resides in Wenonah with her family.
“The Nokomis Spring Fair in 2015 was our very first fair. We chose it because we are a part of that community, and wanted to premiere our company and our products to our friends and neighbors.”
The fair started over 20 years ago and was renewed nine years ago. The fall sale became so popular that a spring Urban Craft Fair was added two years ago.
“Everything about this event is exciting,” stated Nokomis Park Recreation Supervisor Maggie Mercil.
“We have some amazing and talented crafters both locally from the Nokomis and Longfellow neighborhoods, as well as some that come from as far away as Cannon Falls. It is wonderful to hear from the community how much they enjoy this event—from the ability to find unique Christmas gifts in the fall for that special someone or just enjoying some locally made granola. There is not any part of this event that is not fun for everyone.”
Mercia became involved in the event five years ago when she began working as the Nokomis parks director. “It is hard to say which event is my favorite, ranging from our senior dinner that is put on every November, to the spring and fall Urban Craft Fairs, to the Monarch Festival,” she said. “I can say that the craft fair definitely helps me find nice gifts for those hard-to-find people.”
Table rental fees help support park preschool programs, art and pottery classes, as well as many other activities offered at the Nokomis Park. The park table at the fair will be showcasing all the local programs, such as Adult Drawing with Michael Russell and Dog Training with Jessica Kuehlman.
There will be over 40 vendors at the show.
Activities for children include putting together milkweed seed balls and making seed art to help promote monarch habitat. There will also be a scavenger hunt for both children and adults, with items and prizes for the hunt donated by the crafters.
Helping artists flourish
Flourish, a group of diverse Minnesota artisans, helps organize the event.
“The group’s purpose is to join together to present our talents and grow as artists, so we each can flourish in our respective crafts,” explained Nokomis East artist Mary E. Pow of MinneBites.
Bremer and McGerheran found Flourish at the first Nokomis Art Fair they participated in. “It started as a local Etsy sellers group, but has morphed into a local hand-crafted business group where members support other members in many ways,” Bremer stated.
“This group has been such a wonderful support system,” said Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics, who lives north of Lake Nokomis. “We hold monthly meetings where people can share tips about selling online and at local shows, we give each other feedback on our work, and we all support and encourage each other.”
In addition to the park staff and Flourish, individual crafters volunteer their time to make the event a success, pointed out Mercil. “They are involved in the planning, publicity, and the scavenger hunt, as well as set up and take down the day of the event. This event wouldn’t be possible without the help of the volunteers.”
MEET SOME ARTISTS
Jen Bremer and
Rich McGeheran
www.nokoknitco.com
Founded in 2015, Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using old-fashioned knitting needles.
Photo right: Nokomis Knitting Company is a husband and wife team making handmade knitted, felted and stitched items sometimes using old-fashioned knitting needles. Much of the time, they use an old-fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in the early 1900s. (Photo submitted)
Much of the time, they use a really old fashioned antique sock knitting machines originally manufactured in the early 1900s to make socks for the troops of WWI and WWII to prevent trench foot. They’ve restored the machines to make more than just socks and hope that others will like what they’ve been able to, literally, crank out.
Bremer and McGeheran reside on the east side of Lake Nokomis. Bremer works part-time at Steven Be’s, a local yarn and knitting studio, while McGeheran works in downtown Minneapolis at an advertising agency.
Both Bremer and McGeheran have always been creative and artsy people.
Photo left: Jen Bremer of Nokomis Knitting Company doesn’t like making the same thing twice. “The items I make using the machine challenge me to be creative with, essentially, a knit tube,” she said. “Those tubes I have managed to shape into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby blankets, bowls and even a sweater or two.” (Photo submitted)
Bremer’s grandmother taught her how to knit when she was 10 years old to keep her from scratching her chicken pox. Since then she has dabbled in clay, paint, glass, charcoal, and many other mediums but painting, shaping, and creating with yarn and fiber has become by far her favorite and most practiced medium.
McGeheran has been making and breaking things from a young age.
One Christmas McGeheran gave Bremer an antique circular knitting machine manufactured around 1920. It needed restoration, parts, and lots of TLC. They restored the than and started the process of learning how to use it.
McGerheran has been hooked on making socks ever since, and Bremer tries to see what she can make with the machine other than socks.
“I love to look at a ball or skein of yarn and try to figure out what type of sock it will make,” remarked McGerheran. “I have made really cool traditional Scandinavian socks with yarn from Arne and Carlos. I also really enjoy making custom socks. I had a few Minnesota Vikings fans ask for purple and gold socks—those were fun to make. Socks should not only make your feet feel good; they should express something about the person wearing them.”
“I have a problem in that I don’t like making the same thing twice, which is why it is good that Rich likes to make the socks,” stated Bremer. “Most of my hand knit items are one-of-a-kind which makes each piece interesting to me and unique to each buyer. The items I make using the machine challenge me to be creative with, essentially, a knit tube. I have managed to shape those tubes into hand and arm warmers, cowls, scarves, baby blankets, and even a sweater or two.”
The couple embraces and uses old tried-and-true methods, but is also very experimental. They try to use all natural materials and sometimes reclaimed, recycled wool.
“I have always had some form of art or creativity that has captured my attention,” said Bremer. “What inspires me to pick up the yarn, or the glass cutter, or the paint brush, or the needle and thread is the potential that those plain tools and materials can be turned into something new, something that did not exist before, something that I might not have even envisioned. Mystery and metamorphosis are what drive me to keep making.”
McGeheran is inspired by his wife, kids, and music. “I loving watching a crafts-person do their craft. Makers inspire me to make. There is not much better then taking a step back and looking at something you’ve made with your hands,” he stated.
At the sale, they will have handmade socks, wool dryer ball kits, beautiful and detailed hand-knit shawls and cowls, baby blankets and booties, fingerless mitts and arm warmers, felted bowls, and other new items still in development. Prices range from $8 to $180.
Curt Wright
rusticinspirations55@gmail.com
Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. He and his wife built a log home on 20 acres in upstate New York. “We used to go to the shows in the Adirondacks and look at the different beautiful rustic works. I told my wife that I could do that, so that is when I started making rustic furniture,” Wright recalled. Using wood from his own property, he built all the furniture for their house.
Photo left: Curt Wright began making rustic furniture about 15 years ago. “I use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and absolutely one of a kind,” said Wright. (Photo submitted)
“I enjoyed it so much that when our home was full, I began to design and build rustic tables, benches, and clocks,” said Wright.
He is now retired after 31 years working as a technician fixing gas pumps. He and his wife moved to Wenonah a year and a half ago, and he sells at several shows throughout the state of Minnesota each year. This will be his second Nokomis Art Fair. “I am most looking forward to meeting the people in my neighborhood and showing and selling my creations,” stated Wright.
When fashioning his unique items, Wright is inspired by the beautiful pieces of wood that he has collected over the years.
“I use burls and live edge wood to make something that is beautiful and one of a kind,” said Wright. He has his own wood supply and has either cut down and processed the wood himself or hand-picked it from other sources.
His specialty is rustic end tables. Prices range from $25 to $450.
Casey DePasquale
www.etsy.com/shop/caseydceramics
Casey DePasquale of caseyd ceramics lives just north of Lake Nokomis. Her studio is in the basement of her 108-year-old house.
She is currently firing pottery at Concordia University where she has access to electric, gas, and wood-fired kilns.
“I have always loved art, and wanted to be an artist and art teacher since I was just a kid,” said DePasquale. She earned a bachelor in fine arts in ceramics, but enjoyed studying all the visual arts while in college. For several years, she created murals and decorative painting which enabled her to travel a lot. Seven years ago, she landed in Minnesota.
“After starting a family and going a few years without using clay, I wanted to return to my true passion,” stated DePasquale. “The amount of incredible support for artists here in Minnesota made me hope that I can eventually work up to earning a living as an independent artist!”
Photo right: Casey DePasquale’s ceramic studio is in the basement of her 108-year-old South Minneapolis house. She offers a line of functional pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics aesthetic. (Photo submitted)
She designed a line of functional pottery for everyday use that incorporates her fine art ceramics aesthetic. Her work is not thrown on the wheel but instead is hand-built using plaster mold forms. “I design each cup or bowl very carefully to be functional, comfortable, and beautiful. Then I make a plaster mold of my design, and when that is refined, I hand-work the clay into that form,” explained DePasquale. “This way each pot I make has an organic and unique texture, but still feels smooth and uniform in shape.”
DePasquale is currently helping Keewaydin Park start up an adult ceramics program, and “our classes are probably the most affordable way for beginners to get a chance to play with clay,” she said. The first class will be starting in January.
Everything DePasquale sells is functional and intended for daily use. She will have cups, mugs, fruit bowls, planters, and more at the Nokomis sale. Everything is microwave and dishwasher safe. She is hoping to debut a new line of coasters, priced at only $10 for folks looking to make a small purchase. Most of her work falls into the $20-50 range, and she offers discounts for purchases of multiple items.

  Article printed in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Republican, DFL candidates face off in State House, State Senate races

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Before you head to the polls on Tues., Nov. 8, be sure to double check your polling location.
Due to long lines in previous elections, several new locations were added in the Nokomis neighborhood. There are now 13 polling locations instead of 10.
Here are the details on the precinct splits:
• 12-6 added 12-11 (south of 52nd St. E.) with the new polling location of Trinity Lutheran Church of Minnehaha Falls, 5212 41st Ave. S.
• 12-8 added 12-12 (east of 21st Ave. S.) with the new polling location of Roosevelt High School (Gym), 4029 28th Ave. S.
• 12-5 added 12-13 (south of 49th St. E.) with the new polling location of Keewaydin Campus—Lake Nokomis Community School (Gym), 5209 30th Ave. S.
Go to http://vote.minneapolismn.gov/voters/where-to-vote and enter your address to find your polling location.
Two questions on ballot
Expect to find two questions on this year’s ballot. The first will be voted upon by all the citizens in Minnesota. If approved, it would remove lawmaker’s power to set their own pay. An independent, citizens-only council would be established to prescribe salaries of lawmakers instead.
The second question pertains to the Minneapolis School District. The school district’s existing referendum revenue of $1,604.31 per pupil is scheduled to expire after taxes payable in 2016. A “yes” vote would extend the property tax levy for nine more years. It would increase each year by the rate of inflation. The money will be used to manage class sizes and provide supportive services and activities for students.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 63A
Kyle Bragg – R
kylebraggformnhouse63A@gmail.com
Bragg has resided in Standish for 18 years. He has a bachelor of arts in business administration. He has worked in the finance department at Loffler Companies for 12 years, and is on the Loffler Helping Hands Team, which connects employees with local charities including St. Joseph’s Home for Children and Ronald McDonald House.
His first priority, if elected, will be to “work on a solution to the crisis of unsustainable rising healthcare costs,” he said. When open enrollment for MNsure begins in less than a month, residents shopping for individual policies will have to pay 50-67% higher premiums in 2017; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is no longer a provider option, and there are new enrollment caps with each of the remaining providers.
Another focus will be on education. “The high school graduation rate in Minneapolis was 64% in 2015, and there is an achievement gap of about 10% for students of color that needs to be closed,” he said.
He would also work to lower the cost of higher education with more in-state tuition credits, fee reduction, and scholarships.
Bragg supports legislation to lower taxes for middle class working Minnesotans and to provide property tax relief with more state aid to municipalities and counties.
“I will also support efforts to focus spending in the next biennium to help Minnesota businesses create jobs and enhance research and development to increase production of goods and services which can be exported to other states and countries to bring more money into the state and promote economic growth,” he stated.
Bragg has been married for almost 19 years and has two daughters, ages 9 and 11.
Jim Davnie (I) – DFL
www.jimdavnie.org
Davnie taught middle school social studies for 17 years. While teaching, he was elected to three terms as his local union’s president and also served in leadership positions at the state level with the Minnesota Federation of Teachers and later Education Minnesota. He currently works as a personal finance educator for Lutheran Social Service.
Davnie was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2000.
He currently serves on the Advisory Board for Camp du Nord, a family camp operated by the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities.
Davnie believes that the state needs a system that provides universal access to healthcare at an affordable price to all Minnesotans. He supports a universal system that will create efficiencies and costs savings not available in our current disconnected approach.
He supports a tax policy that fairly spreads the burden fairly and feels that wealthy Minnesotans should pay at least the same percentage in taxes as do middle and working class families. He supports tax policy that benefits local businesses that help build our local economy not national and multinational businesses.
Davnie would utilize bonding to build wastewater treatment plants, secure easements on and around fragile lands and waters, and other efforts to preserve and improve the quality of Minnesota waters.
He believes we have both a moral and practical imperative to close the achievement gap in Minnesota. He holds educators accountable but says we need to balance that with a collaborative approach respecting the professional insights and skills that they bring to work every day.
He supports bonding for needed public projects—roads, bridges, public buildings—and enhancing the ability of the private sector to create jobs through high-quality public services, and targeted policies that enhance the competitiveness of Minnesota firms.
He believes the Legislature must continue its efforts to plan and build light rail, bus rapid transit, and neighborhood transit options while keeping fares affordable.
Davnie is married and has two children.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 63B
Frank Pafko – R
Pafko grew up in south Minneapolis and graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1971. After 27 years in south Minneapolis, he now resides in Richfield.
He earned his bachelor of science in fisheries from the University of Minnesota in 1975 and worked 34 years for Minnesota Department of Transportation before retiring in 2012 as Chief Environmental Officer. He is the Transportation Tsar for the Up and At ’Em radio show and podcast.
His priority issues are improving public education, fixing MNSure, transportation, tax cuts and streamlining regulation.
Pafko believes that students have been poorly served by the public school system. “Graduation rates are horrible, and test scores continue to decline,” he pointed out. “We cannot continue to increase funding to a failed system. Providing education choice and opportunity scholarships will offer students and parents the financial mobility to choose schools best for them.”
Pafko labels MNSure and Obamacare as “abysmal failures imposed on Minnesotans solely by Democrats.” Increasing costs and decreasing choices will deny Minnesotans health care, he said. He would “reduce the MNSure tax on premiums, combine the individual market into groups, provide tax exemptions for premiums, and try to get an exemption from Obamacare and resurrect the successful MNCare program.
“Funding needs to be increased for roads and bridges to maintain our investment, improve safety and reduce congestion,” said Pafko. Before raising taxes, he would transfer existing vehicle-related taxes toward improving roads. One mile of LRT costs over $125 million per mile, he pointed out, while adding a freeway lane only costs $5-10 million per mile. “Cancel overpriced trains and use transit dollars to fund an improved bus system. Lanes not trains,” said Pafko.
He would also pass the vetoed bipartisan tax cut bill, which gives money back to small business, student loan holders, and education savers and exempt Social Security payments from state income tax.
Pafko is married with two children and six grandchildren.
Jean Wagenius (I) – DFL
jeanwagenius.org
Wagenius earned her bachelor of arts from George Washington University in Washington, DC, and went to work as one of the first women in management at the local telephone company. Then she attended the Jane Adams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois and did her practice work in Chicago projects.
Wagenius returned to Wash­ington to work at Peace Corps Headquarters and at night as a volunteer leader of a city community center serving teenagers in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
Wagenius became convinced that the best strategy for children is to make sure that they are successful in the very first years of school and that they can read by the end of second grade at the latest. She helped author a law securing the first state funding for all-day kindergarten and teacher training designed to have children read by the end of second grade.
When the family moved to Minnesota, Wagenius promptly became involved in DFL politics. In 1985, a group of neighbors in south Minneapolis asked her to run for an open seat in the Minnesota House. She has since served 15 terms.
Wagenius was a staff attorney for the Minnesota Court of Appeals before being elected. She earned her J.D. from William Mitchell College of Law.
Current committee assignments include Capital Investment, Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance and Ways and Means.
Wagenius does not accept political action committee (PAC) dollars for her election campaigns and started the “No Perks Pledge” in the Minnesota House.
She has authored numerous laws that require manufacturers to reduce or recycle the toxins that get into air and water and has worked to protect groundwater.
Wagenius believes people have a right to be safe in their homes and communities and has authored numerous bills making our criminal laws tougher and easier to prosecute.
She advocates for transportation funding that includes bus and rail transit as well as roads rather than a “roads-only” policy.
Wagenius has been a consistent coauthor of bills to increase the minimum wage and voted to pass the Woman’s Economic Security Act, a package of legislation designed to close the gender pay gap and level the playing field for work women in the workplace.
STATE SENATE DISTRICT 63
Ron Moey – R
Moey has been a lifelong resident of the district. He graduated from Roosevelt High School 1962. He attended Mankato State before joining the U.S. Navy, stationed on Okinawa in a Drone Squadron.
When he returned home, he married Betsy and worked in auto finance at Northwestern National Bank. Then he went on to start a drain cleaning company, “Ron the Sewer Rat,” in 1973 and was there until he turned it over to son, Lee, five years ago. He also has two daughters, Linnae, who works with Fish and Wildlife, and Laura, a 911 operator for the city of Minneapolis.
The main concern he has for the state is that “health care is out of control and no longer assessable to anyone other that the super rich or super poor,” said Moey. “We must make health care competitive, and eliminate governmental over control.”
He also believes that Minnesota must be competitive with other states to have companies stay and expand here. He supports keeping regulations and taxes under control.
Moey would promote the state’s resources, and make Minnesota a tourist destination.
“Every child deserves a good education,” said Moey. “We must do more to promote trade education.”
He added, “We must stand up to the federal government and take back the states responsibilities.”
Patricia Torres Ray (I) – DFL
patriciaforsenate.org
Born in 1964 in Colombia, Torres Ray moved to Minnesota in 1987 where she learned English, worked various jobs and completed her education. She earned a bachelor’s degree in urban studies from the University of Minnesota and a master’s degree in public affairs from the Humphrey Institute.
Education is one of her top priorities. She supports full funding of quality childcare for working class families and believes that closing the gap between students of color and white students should be the state’s top priority.
With a goal to make health care more available to all Minnesotans, she supports strategies aimed to eliminate health disparities, fund initiatives to promote safe and healthy communities, and universal health care coverage for all children, such as in the Minnesota Children’s Health Security Act, which she has worked on since 1996.
She promotes initiatives that will protect natural ecosystems, promote toxic waste reduction, fund the development of alternative energy, help reduce dependence on dirty coal, and reduce airport noise.
Torres Ray supports the expansion of public transportation and believes that Hiawatha Corridor Light Rail Transit is a valuable asset to the district.
She supports investments in affordable housing to ensure that low and middle-income working class residents can access stable and safe places to live, and seeks legislation to end homelessness.
Torres Ray believes that investments in education, research, and infrastructure promote economic development much more efficiently than tax giveaways to industry.
She lives in Longfellow with her husband and two teenage boys.

Article printed in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Nation’s first inner city Rotary Club celebrates 20 years

Minneapolis South Rotary seeking new members—particularly from local neighborhoods

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
For 20 years, the Minneapolis South Rotary Club has been living out the Club motto, “Service Above Self.”
As the organization celebrates two decades, it is seeking new members.

 The South Minneapolis Rotary Club is diverse in many ways—gender and gender identity, race, profession, political leanings, nationality, according to Past President Lynn Keillor. “Rotary is an on-the-go, tuned-in group in the Twin Cities with fun, energetic and interesting people,” said Keillor. (Photo submitted)

Through the years, the club has met the different needs of different members and has accomplished some really neat things, according to Past President Lynn Keillor. “However, there’s been some attrition in the past few years—some members moved, work schedules have changed, life happened.
It was as if we looked up one day and said, ‘Gosh, we don’t have the hands to do the cool stuff we want to and should be doing.’”
She acknowledged that it doesn’t help that Rotary has a bit of a stodgy reputation. “In actuality, our club is diverse in so many ways—gender and gender identity, race, profession, political leanings, nationality. Rotary is an on-the-go, tuned-in group in the Twin Cities with fun, energetic and interesting people,” said Keillor.
“We’re at an interesting point in the club where we can grow it up into something really cool—it’s like we’ve been given the good fortune of a blank slate and the opportunity to write the next chapter.
There are countless good ideas and projects we could do in South Minneapolis, in the Metro area or even worldwide. “This can and should be as vibrant of a club as is the neighborhood we’re in.”
Milin Dutta of Standish is passionate about keeping the South Minneapolis club going. She’s a member of the larger Minneapolis City of the Lake Rotary club, but attends the South Minneapolis meetings each week as a guest. “Why you should join Minneapolis South Rotary Club? What do you lose? $25 per month? What do you gain? Good network and you could listen to great speakers every week,” she stated.
Libraries, school supplies, job readiness and more
The South Minneapolis Rotary Club was chartered in 1996 as a special project by the Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club with the support of the Edina Rotary Club.
It’s the first Rotary club in the nation to be established in an inner-city neighborhood.
The group’s contributions to the South Minneapolis neighborhood are many.

Minneapolis South Rotarians welcome a 2016-17 exchange student, Arya, from Indonesia. He plays guitar and piano; enjoys basketball and badminton; and is especially active with his school debate team. “I love Rotary Youth Exchange. I feel it’s a true vehicle for global peace and understanding,” said Lynn Keillor, who helps manage the exchange program. (Photo submitted)

They built 12 (and installed 11) Little Free Libraries in South Minneapolis neighborhoods with low literacy and low-access to books, including one at the Friendship Academy School of Fine Arts (2600 E. 38th St.) and one at Folwell School (3611 20th Ave. S.). The books were provided by the Minneapolis School District.
Most recently, Rotary donated money to the Friendship Academy of Fine Arts to help buy uniforms for youth in need.
Rotary has also provided 500 sets of warm mittens and hats for Minneapolis students for the last several years, and Back-to-School supplies for dozens of Minneapolis students who can’t afford them for the last ten years.
The group has helped with a job readiness program for youth with special needs, which includes a job shadow day at the VA. “It’s a program of the WorkForce Center, and we help with a donation as well as talking to students about our careers and performing mock interviews,” explained Keillor.
Another project is the annual Aliveness Project’s Holiday Baskets program, which benefits the families of people with HIV or AIDS. They have contributed money and delivered many baskets over the past several years.
Through a partnership with the Plymouth Rotary Club and the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Survivors Group, they have conducted community CPR and AED training. (Look for another class this fall.)
Programs for global peace and understanding
Perhaps the project the Rotary is known most for is its International Exchange program.
It is the Rotary Youth Exchange that pulled Keillor into the organization when she was a high school participant, and it remains one of her favorite pieces of the organization today. “I love Rotary Youth Exchange. I feel it’s a true vehicle for global peace and understanding,” she said.

Physically disabled people in the Andhra Pradesh region of India now have personal transportation, thanks to a project that provided 290 hand-crank tricycles to those in need. The project was supported financially by the Minneapolis South Rotary Club. “The project gave a boost to the beneficiaries by restoring their dignity and self-respect through independent mobility,” said the final report submitted by the Rotary Club of Kothagudem. “They now do not have to depend on others for their mobility and livelihood and, in the process, live a better life with esteem.” (Photo submitted)

Keillor was active in an organization for returned Rotary exchange students in college, and then it dropped off of her radar until her early 30s, when she went on a vocational exchange, also sponsored by Rotary. She got back involved with the youth exchange program at an organizational level, and eventually joined the Minneapolis South Club in 2010.
The South Minneapolis Rotary Club has sponsored both an inbound and an outbound International Exchange Student (a one-year program) each year for the last several years.
Two former exchange students from Minnehaha are CiCi Donovan and Andrew Vrabel-Miles.
Donovan, a 2014 South High graduate, spent the 2014-15 school year in Brazil. Vrabel-Miles, a 2014 Southwest High graduate, spent the 2014-15 school year in Thailand.
It the past, families from Page, Minnehaha, and Hiawatha have opened their homes to Rotary Youth Exchange Students as host families.
“I work a lot with the exchange program—both with Minneapolis students going abroad and from the students we host. They are such well-rounded, motivated, interesting and interested young people who stretch themselves to the limits with this program,” said Keillor. “I love seeing them push themselves and grow.”
This year, there are ten students from Minneapolis studying abroad for a high school year; six of them are sponsored by the Minneapolis South Club. The club is also hosting a young man from Indonesia, who is attending Southwest High.
‘Like getting a personal Ted Talk each week’
The weekly Rotary meetings are an opportunity to learn about all types of topics of interest. Recent topics include an update from the Lake Street Council on transportation issues, an Allina surgeon talking about her medical missions in Guatemala, and a three-meeting series on food issues.
“I love the variety of speakers that come to our meetings each week,” said Keillor.
“I love learning, and it’s like getting a personal TED Talk every week. I enjoy being connected to the greater world of Rotary, and have met interesting people locally, nationally and internationally with whom I otherwise would’ve never come in contact.”
The group meets on Tuesday mornings, 7:15-8:30am at Urban Ventures Center for Fathering, 3023 4th Ave. S. Dues are $75 per quarter or $300 annually. For more information, browse www.MinneapolisSouthRotaryClub.com.

This story was printed in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.

Potential along 38th St. being tapped

Ground breaks for 3828 housing, retail; first phase will open next fall

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN
Ground broke on Wed, Oct. 19, for the first of several buildings that will reshape 38th Ave. west of the light rail station. Calling it the first step, community leaders praised the vision of the project and the way it will fit into the neighborhood.

Ground broke for the 3828 project at the southwest corner of 38th St. and 28th Ave. on Wed., Oct. 19. Left to right: County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Standish-Ericsson Neighborhood Association Board President Molly McCartney, Ward 12 Council Member Andrew Johnson, Lander Group President Michael Lander, Andrew Moeding of the Lander Group, and Andy Root of Forteva Real Estate and Solar. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

The new building at the southwest corner of 38th St. and 28th Ave. will wrap around the existing streetcar commercial building owned by Forteva, and will include 51 market-rate apartments and four retail spaces. The new building will replace surface parking, a tiny service garage, a one-story concrete block building and a duplex on portions of four properties.

County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin (left) and Lander Group President Michael Lander talk about how development has followed the light rail line in south Minneapolis. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

The commercial space will face 38th St., and ground floor residential units will face 28th Ave. Forteva will be incorporating a solar installation, an electric car (EV) charging station, and perhaps an electric Car To Go.
There will be 34 new off-street parking stalls screened from the road that will be used for resident and business parking. Construction will take between 12 to 14 months. Viewed as a transit-oriented project, developer Michael Lander of Lander Group pointed out that the plan for the site matches the SENA neighborhood plan developed in 2007. “Lander Group never met a parking lot it didn’t want to build on,” commented Lander.
During the groundbreaking ceremony, County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin recalled, “They laughed at us 20 years ago when we said there would be development along the light rail lines. …The energy around light rail has been incredible. I’m very excited we’re going to see investment here at this corner.”
This is the first of several buildings being planned by the Lander Group for the stretch east from the light rail station that will “transform” the area, according to Council Member Andrew Johnson. “Great things are happening here,” Johnson stated.

The project at the corner of 28th and 38th is the first planned by the Lander Group, and will be followed by work near the light rail station at 38th and Hiawatha Ave. Work at the light rail station will include several buildings housing housing and retail. It will likely be done in phases and could begin as soon as fall 2017. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

Six houses along 29th will come down within the next few years to make way for several planned buildings at the 38th Street light rail station, as well as allow buses access to 29th. A five-story apartment building will wrap around The Cardinal, and along the light rail line, there will be a two-story retail and office structure. Across the street, the intent is to replace one house and the Cardinal parking lot with a four-story mixed-use housing building. Included in the plan are a courtyard and parking area.
Lander pointed out that the demographics of the neighborhood had changed over the past 25 years when 75 percent of homes had children in them. Today, just 25 percent of homes have children, which changes the type of housing citizens are looking for.
The Lander Group envisions its retail as an amenity to those who live in the building, and seek out unique and out-of-the-box businesses. There may be a shared kitchen in one area to help several businesses with the large cost of kitchens, for example. Anyone with ideas on businesses for the area is encouraged to contact Andy Root of Forteva at 612-414-6113 or aroot@forteva.com.

This article appeared in the November 2016 Longfellow/Nokomis Messenger.