Photos and blog post by John HoffExcitement has been building, and discussion growing about the plan to replace the unsightly and tawdry B.J.'s strip club with a bakery and liquor store, hopefully both of the high-end variety. Click here for a blog post announcing the plan to replace B.J.'s, and click here for more discussion.
Clearly, the last thing we need in North Minneapolis would be more liquor stores going out of their way to market to chronic inebriates. Though my position is I would be in favor of a taco stand instead of B.J.'s, (did I mention a vacant lot would satisfy me, too?) But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that "liquor store" means something high-end, with a selection of gourmet foods and NO ATTEMPTS MADE TO CAPTURE THE CHRONIC INEBRIATE MARKET BY, FOR EXAMPLE, SELLING SINGLE PLASTIC CUPS.
As part of this discussion about replacing B.J.'s, I thought it would be good to show...
...examples of two other buildings which show the gorgeous handiwork of Master Engineers. Both of these buildings are quite near the proposed B.J.'s development. The top picture shows one building that houses a legal clinic, the bottom three pictures are all the same building.
Does NoMi really need ANOTHER liquor store? Don't we have enough?
ReplyDeleteAnd why are all you revitalizers so quick to throw the West Broadway Alive! plan out the window?
It's already too easy to get a 40 and a loosey in NoMi, let's not make it worse.
The first to go was Marvs Rainbow Bowling alley across the street from what was once Irvs Bar which was across the street from the 200 club which was up the street from Stand-Up Franks which was down the street from Haleks which was up the street from Jugs Liquor store(it was about the size of a broom closet)which was a stones throw from the Wonder Bar a.k.a. the Fourth Street Saloon and back kitty corner to B.J.s.... thats too much change in too little time,The Winos are experiencing Future Shock. If i owned the ex Wonder Bar i'd be wondering who's next.Boat says tear down all the liquor establishments.What the hell is the preoccupation with the shit anyhow?You can build a number of different businesses that do not have to have a damn thing to do with booze no matter if you want to call it a damn cheese and cracker liquorstore or keep picking on the winos or whatever with the all too common passive-agressive remarks that all of us use in everyday life and if used properly i would say a pretty good weapon sometimes..... meanwhile lets see about businesses that are family friendly.Something wrong with that?I know.... boring,huh?
ReplyDeleteJust wait until Medical Marijuana is legal. Coffee shop central that will put the gas station on Penn out of business. Maybe they will start selling chocolate milk.
ReplyDeleteHD -
ReplyDeleteForgive me in advance for my naïveté please.
But... what is a loosey?
A single cigarette, sold by itself, is a "loosey."
ReplyDeleteSo called because it is "loose" from the rest of the pack, sold separately.
Only the thuggy-est stores sell "looseys."
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=loosey&defid=551780
ReplyDeletejohn, there will NOT be gourmet food at the liquor store. I really think you should be opposed to this project. The "anything is better" mindset of development is short sighted and in some ways privileged for someone who only recently has called north Minneapolis home. A longer term view would be in support of a project that won't only serve the short term goal of ridding ourselves of BJ"s, but contribute to a long term goal of revitalizing that corner and making a stronger connection to the rest of W. Broadway.
ReplyDeleteLand Ho is a sketch developer. They promised the folks in Uptown, near the Wedge, a Trader Joes a few years back and never came through. Oh and by the way they had issues with that store too because of the liquor store component and it's proximity to Hum's.
Let's get behind the W. Broadway Alive plan and ask for something better for our community.
I think if there is an upside here, it's that the guys holding the cardboard signs on the entrance and exit signs to 94 won't have as far to walk to get their refreshments.
ReplyDeleteA wine and cheese bakery.... you guys crack me up.
I like the way the windows were addressed on Masters Broadway location; however the rest of the project is a little underwhelming for projects that are going to present a "Gateway" appearance.
ReplyDeleteI realize that these buildings where not done to set any precedent for future development - but I would hope that they are not using them as an example of what they are capable of.
The puke green colors suck!
Ahh... I see.
ReplyDeleteLearn something new every day.
If the Broadway Alive Magic! rehabilitation dealio somehow derails a replacement for the ugliest strip club on Earth, I will, for once, be surprised at how absurd city bureaucracy has become.
ReplyDeleteI would also note that most of the high-caliber liquor stores in Twin Cities are tremendously inconvenient. If a store is profitable, they might leap at the chance to have a high-visibility, off-highway presence just outside of downtown with free parking.
Master had a disaster of a development project in down in the Longfellow community. The condo project at 46th St E & 46th Ave S stalled years ago after the foundation was in place, and has been sitting behind a chain link fence since.
ReplyDeleteI hope they've learned from the mistakes of that project.
Someone just told me theres a meeting on this Monday about this. I can't believe you'd support another liquor store here.
ReplyDelete