Development | Southwest Connector

Sean Sherman, chef and cookbook author, focuses on rebuilding Indigenous food pathways broken by colonization.

Sean Sherman buys 2601 Franklin Ave for new NATIFS Indigenous BBQ restaurant and commissary

North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) , the nonprofit founded by James Beard Award-winning chef Sean Sherman, has acquired the Seward Co-op Creamery building in Minneapolis. The … more

1/8/25

City invests nearly $18.5 million into affordable housing projects

The city of Minneapolis has committed nearly $17 million in direct investment, along with $1.5 million in 10-year federal tax credits, to 11 affordable rental housing projects in Minneapolis. The … more

1/3/25

Ramps at Hwy 55/Hiawatha Avenue and Lake Street now open

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) crews have completed installing the new signal system and reopened the ramps to and from Hwy 55/Hiawatha Ave. and Lake St. Crews will continue work … more

1/3/25

'The Fletcher' planned for West 44th Street

Earlier this month, developers applied for zoning approvals of their proposed 15-unit condominium building, " The Fletcher ", located at 2815, 2817, and 2821 West 44th Street. The … more

1/2/25

Drew Kerr, a Linden Hills resident who works for Met Transit, stands near the closed main intersection at Upton and 43rd. It will be fully closed for about 10 weeks as the city completes a water and sewer project at the same time as Met Transit does work on the E Line. After the city’s work is finished, the intersection will be partially closed. Local businesses have maps available to show where customers can park.

Fast, frequent, all-day service

Street projects on Hennepin Avenue from Lake to 26th, West Lake, France and Upton mean that getting around southwest Minneapolis is challenging right now, but traveling by bus will get faster when … more

By Tesha M. Christensen | 5/15/24

Hope Street shelter is run by Catholic Charities.

CITY BRIEFS

42nd St. safety improvements The city and county have agreed to work together to improve several intersections along 42nd St. Using Highway Safety Improvement Program funds, they will install traffic … more

~ Briefs compiled by Cam Gordon | 11/30/22

Regional map of SOS Save Our Street petition signatories opposing the city’s proposed plan.

Community divided over better bike lanes on Summit Avenue

The city’s proposal to remove mature trees and parking along Summit Avenue to create a bike trail is creating controversy throughout the Twin Cities. More than 150 people attended an open house … more

Chloe Peter | 11/17/22

The fence around the Fifth Police Precinct (3101 Nicollet Ave) has come down two years after damage from the Uprising.

Nicollet Ave. and Lake Street rebuild [Photo gallery]

The area around Nicollet Ave. and Lake Street is slowly being rebuilt after damage from the Uprising following the murder of George Floyd. The new Lake Street Post Office at 110 E. 31st St. is … more

Chloe Peter | 11/14/22

Peg Thomas fills out where she travels throughout Minneapolis on a typical Tuesday. Residents filled out these forms at the open house to discuss the former Kmart site on Oct. 25 in order to help city planners see what would be helpful to add in the area.

A new Nicollet

The Nicollet Redevelopment will take down barriers that have impacted residents and local businesses. Lake Street and Nicollet Ave. was once an intersection of two commercial corridors. … more

Chloe Peter | 11/3/22

A local developer plans to raze this single family house and construct a four-story, four unit luxury condo at 4352 Zenith. The plan includes a 47-foot dividing wall behind the house, which neighbors say will cut off light from their properties, harming their gardens and green space. Multi-unit buildings are allowed under the city’s 2040 plan.

Neighbors concerned about 2040 plan

A goal of the 2040 plan is to encourage equitable and affordable housing, but it also creates gaps for condominiums worth over $1.3 million. A Linden Hills proposal by Sustainable 9 for … more

Chloe Peter | 10/11/22

The Calvary Lutheran Church congregation spills into the street to the upbeat music of Brass Solidarity on Sept.11, the last service Calvary will have there until renovation is complete to add deeply affordable housing units to 39th and Chicago. In the interim, Calvary will worship at Iglesia Luterana San Pablo/St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (2742 15th Ave.). (Photo by Jill Boogren)

Calvary church makes room for deeply affordable housing at 39th and Chicago

Sept. 11, 2022, marked the last day of service for a while at Calvary Lutheran Church (3901 Chicago Ave.). It looked a little different on this day, mostly celebratory, a little bittersweet, with … more

By JILL BOOGREN | 9/29/22

BRIEFS July 21, 2022

Mayor’s Community Safety Work Group Mayor Frey’s Community Safety Work Group has presented their recommendations for improving public safety to the city council. They include creating a … more

Briefs compiled by Cam Gordon. | 7/27/22

The two buildings at Wirth on the Woods in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood at 2800 Wayzata Bouldvard will be named The Theodore and The Eloise. A groundbreaking was held on July 14, 2022.

INTRODUCING Wirth on the Woods

Wirth on the Woods is a collaboration between Lupe Development and Swervo Development Corporation to deliver 99 units of affordable senior housing in a six-story building (The Theodore) and 100 units … more

7/27/22

Work at Bryn Mawr Meadows Park delayed

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB), in coordination with the Bassett Creek Watershed Management Commission and the City of Minneapolis, recently advertised to receive bids from … more

7/27/22

Larry LaVercombe (left) meets with Ward 13 Council Member Linea Palmisano at the 50-foot, publicly owned right-of-way in Linden Hills.

Part 2: Can we improve parking in Linden Hills village?

In the last Connector, I wrote about the parking issues in Linden Hills, and while a big part of me wants to take a break from this topic and write about both “Dobbs V. Roe” and the Jan. … more

By Larry LaVercombe | 7/27/22 | 1 comment

Two years after a fire destroyed Uncle Edgar's Mystery Book Store and Uncle Hugo's Science Fiction Book Store at 2864 Chicago Ave., owner Don Blyly is reopening. He has purchased the former Glass Endeavors building at 31st and Minnehaha Ave., and will open in June. (Photo by Terry Faust)

Uncle's bookstore finds new home in Longfellow

The civil unrest following George Floyd’s murder in 2020 delivered a double blow to Don Blyly, the longtime owner of the Chicago Avenue business with the double name: Uncle Edgar’s … more

By IRIC NATHANSON | 4/28/22

Melo founder and principal architect, Damaris Hollingsworth, is working to design a space at 3030 Nicollet that incorporates community input. People have stated they are concerned about the long-term impacts and how it will affect both nearby neighbors and those who live in the new building. “We kept hearing that people wanted a space that makes them feel welcome,” said Hollingsworth. (Photo by Terry Faust)

More than just another affordable housing building

An ambitious plan to redevelop a vacant block at Lake and Nicollet received a major boost from the city of Minneapolis earlier this year when the city allocated $3.3 million for an affordable housing … more

By Iric Nathanson | 3/6/22

Do you feel like your voice has been heard by the city in regards to the S. Hennepin Avenue street project?

2/3/22 | 1 comment

Taylor Smrikárova of Seward Redesign (at left) and 4RM+ULA Managing Partner James Garret, Jr. are part of team working to create wealth for communities of color, and make 2800 E. Lake St. a demonstration site. An intensive community input process will begin soon. (Photo by Terry Faust)

U.S. Bank donates 2800 E. Lake St. for redevelopment

U.S. Bank is donating its branch property at 2800 E. Lake Street to nonprofit community development corporation Seward Redesign. Seward Redesign will partner with 4RM+ULA, an architectural design … more

11/30/21

B Line plan moves ahead

B Line bus rapid transit service is to start in 2024, providing a faster connection between St. Paul’s Union Depot and Uptown Minneapolis. The $65 million project’s final corridor and … more

By JANE McCLURE | 11/30/21