Post by the Hawthorne Hawkman. Video by Your Eyedea. First photo above by HH, second by YE.
Oh how time flies in the EcoVillage. It seems like just yesterday that we were calling 911 on suspected copper thieves. And although that actually WAS yesterday, the turnaround from when such scrappers would have certainly been illegal has been nothing short of astounding. If we rooted out the negative elements in record time, then I have no doubt about how bright the future of the EcoVillage will be.
3116-3118 6th St N is also likely one of the last demolitions in the EcoVillage, with 409 31st Ave N being the other.
On top of your standard demolition fare, we also saw...
...the handy tools of a local metal scrapper. I'm a bit confused though: what's the STICK for? Will that accomplish something that the axe or its handle won't? I also saw the man behind the carriage as I was on my way to my Wells Fargo meeting. I would have called 911 on the guy, but he was operating in plain view of the demolition crew. Let them sort it out, I thought. And at least more things in the EcoVillage are being recycled.
Above photo by Your Eyedea.From here on out, we've got demolition photos that may be more interesting simply in terms of slight artistic differences between the Hawthorne Hawkman and Your Eyedea:
Above photos by the Hawthorne Hawkman, remaining photos by Your Eyedea.
Bye bye, 3116 6th St N!
16 comments:
Sad to see more affordable housing destroyed in my neighborhood.
It's kinda too bad... it looked like a nice place from the outside, but I hear it wasn't worth fixing up.
Out with the old, in with the crappy grass!
Housing that has to be completely gutted and remodeled is not exactly "affordable." Someday affordable housing will be built here that will serve many more people than this one house could have.
Go back to your troll cave Shontroll.
Han"SHILL",
You have no idea. Ever think about the loss in property tax revenue (not to mention the demo costs)? Probably not.
Sounds like you want to put up some big large multi-unit something or other with someone else's money (taxpayers). Or who knows what the heck your saying the plan is. You are probably just comfortable taking pot shots with cow pies.
Look, if someone suggests it is sad to see affordable housing go, what the heck is wrong with that statement that makes you call them a troll.
It makes you look like a jerk, judgmental and short sighted. Perhaps the shoe fits.
How can you say that new construction in Minneapolis is affordable. With the permit fees and restrictions i'd be very surprised to see a build cost that results in a mortgage payment that qualifies as affordable housing. Even rental costs that cover the cost of build/taxes plus a small profit. I think Minneapolis has priced its self out of the affordable housing category as far as new build single family goes.
I agree that new build single family is difficult to make affordable.
However, this property will not be used for a single family home.
The Eco-Village project is ongoing and nothing is set in stone, but someday multi-unit housing will be built on this site (and other properties next to this site).
Copy and paste these links for more info. The first link has a tentative site plan that shows multi-unit housing along Lowry Avenue.
http://www.ppl-inc.org/housing/development/large-scale-community-impact/hawthorne-ecovillage
http://www.northsidehomefund.com/projects/hawthorne.htm
To Anon 1:49...
First off I admit that I probably shouldn't be calling people trolls. I'll try to save that word for more extreme comments in the future. However, as you said, "perhaps the shoe fits." If it doesn't fit, then I apologize to Shontelle... the troll traffic has increased significantly in recent months.
I will take your arguemnts one by one, with the exception of "Shill." You'll have to be more specific on that one.
1) Loss in property taxes is a significant issue Nomi is dealing with but I'm not sure the state was getting any revenue from this property so I don't think anything was really lost. Does anyone know if Minneapolis pays property taxes when it buys up vacant homes?
2) I would personally prefer that single family housing be built... but the powers that be have made a plan for Multi-unit housing. This is a fact that I have no control over and I have no idea where the money is coming from. If you know where the money is coming from perhaps we could discuss economics after you reply. (I think PPL is paying for it... and they probably get some of their money from taxpayers so you could be right on that point... but if the project improves the lives of the taxpayers then it might be a wash in the end.) Yes I took a 'pot shot' at Shontelle. Sue me.
3) This house was not affordable housing. This house was not habitable. Nobody was benefitting from this house existing (that I am aware of). It would have taken a large investment to rehab this house and it was sitting on a prime piece of real estate along the newly rebuilt Lowry Avenue. Perhaps in 1910 it was desireable to live on Lowry, but today I think that street is best suited for commercial use, apartments, churches, etc.
4) It might make me look like a jerk, judgemental, and short sighted, but clearly Shontelle is not aware of the facts. Perhaps it is they who are judgemental and short sighted... commenting on stories that they know little about.
Hans,
Thanks for the response. I actually don't know who or what Shontelle is about. My point was that everyone has an opinion and hers was so simple that is was wrong to bash it.
The city would be exempt from paying taxes on the demolished property I believe.
On another point, the City enteres into restoration agreements all the time for rehabbers to remodel homes so long as they go through a complete code compliance. Alternatively, if the homes were demolished, the back taxes and bogus VBR fees would not have been paid into county and city coffers accordingly. Also, the Demo fee (usually around $15-20k normally) would be an additional cost. When we drive out the rehabbers who are going through the full code compliances it is a major financial hit to the community. In most cases the swing can be as typically $40k or more per property (easily backed up if you want me to break it out). That is not even factoring in neighborhood incentive or giveaway programs that people on here throw out there as the answer.
All I am saying is that alot of crummy ideas do not even come close to making any real world sense. Like it or not you have to attract the free market into the neighborhood. Many things on here are not doing this. That is what I think needs to change.
I heard a story about this house. Something like a man had purchased it and was in the process of remodeling it when somebody broke in and stole all the copper, etc. The owner gave up on the house and eventually the city came to own it. (I could be wrong, perhaps Hawkman could fill in details?)
The Eco-Village project wants to build condos or apartments on this site and the options were to move the house or demolish it. Apparently they decided not to move the house.
I agree with you that reckless demolition of homes is a bad thing, but in the case of 3116 6th St. North I think it made the most sense for the city and the neighborhood to let this one go. I hadn't been inside, and I'm not an expert, but I know this house was not active "affordable housing."
Eco-village has many vacant properties that will NOT be demolished.
I don't think anybody on this blog wants to drive out rehabbers. There aren't enough owner/occupiers willing to make the move to North Minneapolis at this time, so investors are a crucial part of recovering from this housing situation. Hopefully the image of Nomi can be changed over time through careful planning and more homeowners will want to move here.
What we don't need is more landlords who don't give a crap about their properties. I would rather live next to a boarded house and a vacant lot than a property that is managed by someone who is just trying to make a buck on "affordable housing."
Unfortunately the Free Market has done some pretty horible things Nomi. I bought a house from a crappy landlord and live next to a house owned by that same crappy landlord... and I live next to many vacant lots and boarded houses. Let me tell you I LOVE living next to these ex-homes and boarded homes. I fear the day a new tenant moves into the rental.
If you want to contribute ideas that aren't crummy we're all ears.
Here's is exactly what i'm talking about. There is no such thing as an affordable new home in Minneapolis.
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls/messages/topic/3hPdGxDjiPuZOBQjVtnZIc
So Dyna wants Minneapolis to adapt the building code that's used out in rural Minnesota? I don't get how the analogy/comparison makes much sense. This is north Minneapolis where slumlords run rampant.
Check out this Bargain right here in the Eco-Village. It has a new roof and is quite livable as-is.
This multi-unit Investor Special (also in the Eco-Village) is apparently no longer an active listing. Perhaps the "free market" is working after all.
If you came to a neighborhood meeting about the Eco-Village project you could understand how some affordable housing is being made available to people who need it.
I just got back from a friend's house in Hawthorne who recently finished all of their updating and inspections... they'll be moving in pretty soon.
Dyna's rant makes things sound worse than reality in some ways... but I must agree that Minneapolis does make you jump through a lot of hoops.
Affordable housing is synonomous with "slum" and it's the last thing we need in the EcoVillage. The section people should move up to Brooklyn Center.
Why don't you move to Brooklyn Center, jerkass? I'm not on Section 8 or any sort of assistance like that, but I'm sure as hell not moving elsewhere just to please you.
Also, on the City-Data boards, I've heard that only certain streets around Brooklyn Center (the ones touching Northside) are bad (or as you would label them -- "affordable") areas (or "sketchy" as they call them on there).
Affordable is not synonymous with slum and we definitely need affordability here.
Section 8 folks are currently living in the Eco-Village and they will always be welcome here.
The voice of "Patrick" does not represent those of us who truly care about Nomi. His comments sound like they are intended to make the rest of us look like extremists. His use of "we" is intentionally deceptive as far as I am concerned.
Over the border in Canada, we have next to NO abandoned buildings. They get knocked down almost as soon as the boards go over the windows. Graff kids and urban explorers get sad, but the cities are both safer and look far better. Though it's more of a not paying property tax thing, as if there's no building there's no fees.....
And I notice all the comments on affordable housing. To live in a house, and not be a millionaire, you basically should move to a small town outside the city, no matter what city it is. A $600,000 house in the city goes for $200,000 in the country......and you don't get shot at.
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