Photos and blog post by John HoffIt was with a great sense of hope that, on December 16, 2008, Johnny Northside Dot Com reported plans for the world's largest YWCA to be located at 800 West Broadway, click here.
Now a number of media sources are reporting on the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of the Great Neighborhoods! Development Corp, click here for an example of the coverage. At least one internet media source reported the building in question was slated to be a "YMCA" instead of a "YWCA." Naturally, this small indignity must be acknowledged on Johnny Northside with the predictable musical link, click here.
Now that the bankruptcy is public, let me say for the first time publicly that, in the privacy of my own mind and heart, I have always strongly objected to...
...that exclamation mark in the middle of the name of the Great Neighborhoods! Corporation. I can't even tell you how much I loathe this kind of highly experimental and dubious punctuation. If there's any silver lining in this dark cloud, it is surely that: I won't have to endure this hyperbolic mid-point punctuation as part of a successful completed project. In fact, while making this blog post I discovered you can't even use an exclamation mark in a meta-tag.
Another good reason NOT to do that.
On a more dreary note...
The alley next to the building--between 800 West Broadway and the Burger King at 818 West Broadway--has turned into some kind of hang-out for no-account metal scavengers, who for the last few days have been found there early in the morning stripping wire and crushing aluminum cans which they haul around in nasty, decrepit baby buggies.
Calls have been made to the police, and also to the offices of two City Council members asking for cleanup in the alley. Clearly, the alley hasn't been cleaned in a while: note the discarded tire with ivy growing out of it.
It is discouraging to hear of the death of the Great Neighborhoods(...) dream, however, one hears rumors of other positive plans at the site which are just as good, just as visionary. Unfortunately, there's nothing this blog can get on the record and out in the open to be able to say, "Something good will happen in this building, you just wait and see."
Instead, attention is turned to one of the most difficult and discouraging Northside neighborhood revitalization tasks: making sure no-accounts don't hang around, doing their no-account stuff, and dragging down our neighborhood by their mere presence and the litter they leave behind.
It is unfortunate indeed. I wonder if the YWCA pullout was the straw that broke the camel's back?
ReplyDeleteI was always kind of skeptical about this organization, and not just because of the "dubious and highly experimental punctuation" but indeed because of their track record on Franklin.
At any rate, it is still an opportunity for something. The question simply becomes: What?
Yea we wouldn't want anyone recycling now days. That's so 2007.
ReplyDeleteIt was to be a YMCA as of late. the YW dropped out and they got YM to be interesting due to their inability to locate a full gym and penn/plymouth.
ReplyDelete@Anon 1958pm, yes, you are right, there is rumors and talk of a YMCA facility as a backup plan to the YW's no-go - however- what John was referring to in a different media outlet was an error in reporting that the YMCA was the original plan for this building and fell through. The other possibility/rumor is that the Science Museum could or might locate a sattelite location here. That would be cool.
ReplyDelete@Anon802pm - recycling is one thing, a good thing, but crackheads making a mess in a public, visible spot and turning it into their little business center is completely different. They have managed to make a disgusting mess of that alley - drive through it yourself. If something like this is allowed to continue who's to say things wouldn't slip and they would be pricing and labeling their stolen target merchandise to prepare for resale in the thug stores along WBro? Where is the line drawn? I say it's drawn at the point where we don't allow crackheads to do their messy cracky business in our public spaces.
I'd really love a YMCA nearby so I can get a pass and exercise or shoot some ball (no, not people). I was disappointed to find out that the building down the road is just for youth.
ReplyDeleteTalks of a sister-site to the Science Museum?? I'm all over that like bees on honey!
The link to Finance and Commerce is now dead.
ReplyDeleteBoo. Bad.
Here is the latest on what might happen with this building.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.insightnews.com/news/12690-community-asked-to-help-plan-north-minneapolis-workforce-education-and-career-center-to-be-located-at-800-west-broadway