Key initiatives for Stability and Improvement
Today’s story is focused on suggestions to help businesses in Uptown and create conditions that encourage people to visit the area.
Defining Conditions
First, what are the conditions necessary for the area to stabilize and improve? We believe these are a diverse cluster of services, dining, shopping, and arts that make Uptown unique from the suburbs and other neighborhoods. It requires that people feel safe to roam the sidewalks and that transportation to and within the neighborhood is convenient. Lastly, it means the goods and services offered in the area are at prices affordable to the people in the surrounding area. We also recognize that the rent businesses pay impacts the cost of goods and services they provide.
The following is certainly not a comprehensive list. Consider it a starting point for city officials and residents to discuss how best to improve Uptown.
Construction Completion
A standard part of any construction contract must be bonuses for finishing early and penalties for extensions. In high traffic areas, such as Hennepin and Lake Streets, which are under simultaneous construction, work hours can be extended. The idea here is to not let a single day pass without full crews working 12 hours a day, even if that means two shifts working six hours each day, every day. Planning must recognize how disruptive construction is to businesses and prioritize these corridors over every other city project.
It can be done. For example, when road work is needed on I-70 leading from Denver into the mountains, trucks are out there all night with lights. This highway is of such vital importance that it cannot be left unfinished for weeks and months. It is crucial for work to be completed as expeditiously as possible. We need that attitude for road construction in Minneapolis, especially in Uptown. These projects are strangling business (see Linden Hills too). We must work tirelessly to complete these projects. Delays are typically an indicator of insufficient planning and project management.
Lower Taxes and Rent
Building owners are caught in a tough situation. Many thought retailers like Apple would be around forever, but those days are gone. Property values and the taxes are now inflated. A reset of property values must take place. We suggest the city reassess all buildings on Hennepin and Lake at fifty percent less than their current values. The stipulation would be that building owners must pass the property tax reduction on to tenants.
For example, West Lake Colfax LLC is paying $35,000 per year in property taxes on 918 West Lake. That amount is based on the building being assessed at $1.1 million. By lowering the building’s assessment to $550,000, the property tax would be lowered to $17,500 per year. Consequently, the rent for any tenant would be reduced by fifty percent from what is currently being asked. Lower rents will attract businesses and improve their chance of turning a profit in the current environment. Buildings could be reassessed in five years, with values reflecting market conditions at that time. Landlords could be granted even greater tax reductions if they subdivide their buildings and make other investments to make them more attractive to smaller businesses.
While the above is an oversimplification, the idea is to prevent buildings being left vacant and to avoid a chaotic market crash for area real estate.
Security
We won’t rehash crime statistics, instead, we assume people agree that walking alone in Uptown, especially late at night, does not feel safe. Whether or not the shelter receives a permit to operate, more must be done to create a safe, inviting environment. That includes enforcing laws to prevent camping and drug use within the business district.
In a City Council budget committee meeting, it was mentioned that the Neighborhood Safety Department has over $13 million in undesignated funds. In fact, it seems the department has more money than they are staffed to properly allocate. The council argued for 30 minutes over whether to give the department another $533,000 because it was unclear whether contracts were in place for spending the money. The council approved the allocation in the event it could be useful.
Using either an existing nonprofit or by directly hiring contractors, the city could use these undesignated funds to establish an Uptown Safety Patrol. This patrol would operate similarly to postal carriers: walking a route, scanning in at certain locations to show progress along the route, and recording interactions. Repeat. Walk routes 24/7.
This solution would provide the unarmed presence that many people are advocating for and allow for constant monitoring within the neighborhood. It would be the safety patrol’s responsibility to call in serious issues, such as fires or people with weapons. They would also take the lead in ensuring that individuals suffering from mental health issues or drug addiction are not left to their own devices on the streets. They could offer to call in services for these individuals and escort those who refuse out of the area. We need more resources for sustained support of those in need, but to change the atmosphere of Uptown, individuals can be encouraged to seek support outside of the business district.
Transportation
With the reduction in on-street parking due to additional bus and bike lanes, it’s imperative to allocate other parking spaces. Yes, we want people to find other means of getting to Uptown than cars, but for the foreseeable future, people will drive. We need to recognize that not everyone is going to ride a bike or a bus, especially in the winter. Reduced or free parking in garages is needed. Over 50% of trips in Minneapolis are still by car. While we might wish it were different, it’s not. Let’s plan for these trips. Businesses will continue to struggle if access to them is inconvenient for half of their customers.
Make all buses traveling through the business district on Hennepin, Lyndale or Lake free. It may be a small incentive for taking the bus, but it will help. People would be able to get on or off anywhere within the business district without paying fares.
Uptown Dollars
Send residents within the business district a $25 coupon to spend at any business in the area. The city could support the businesses directly, but the coupon would encourage nearby residents to visit the restaurants, stores, and businesses. The customer base needs a boost and more density on the sidewalks. We want people to go out to a show or a meal that they might otherwise pass up. It’s also a way to recognize the aggravation they have endured due to construction.
In Closing
We’ve covered 5 suggestions to improve Uptown. There is a longer list that needs attention from both private interests and public officials. We want to emphasize that what is being done now does not appear to be working. Uptown is in trouble, but it doesn’t garner the attention of the downtown area. Downtown has its Improvement District, Taste of Minnesota, Aquatennial, and storefront project. There are professional baseball, basketball and football teams downtown. Meanwhile, the Uptown Art Fair was held in the Bachman’s parking lot.
We would like to see Ward 7 City Council Member Katie Cashman and Ward 10 Council Member and Vice-President Aisha Chughtai organize a roundtable discussion on ways to improve Uptown. Let’s encourage them to raise Uptown on their priority list and seek input from the business owners, property developers, and residents who all have a stake in the neighborhood’s success. It would be a welcome surprise to see these council members develop a set of goals with an attached budget that can bring concrete improvements to the lives of area residents.
Part 1 – Uptown 2040
Part 2 – Dumpster fire: Uptown 2040
Part 3 – NIMBYism: Uptown 2040
Part 4 – Building a Better Uptown: Uptown 2040
This piece has been edited from its original publication in the Better Minneapolis newsletter.
