Vikings Stadium Construction - Week 26

Work continues on footings...

We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.

Week 3 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

For a 4th consecutive year, KBEM 88.5 FM broadcast live for Bluegrass Saturday Morningfrom the Market, featuring interviews with vendors such as Pam from Prairie Hollow, and music with The Eddies. 

Kids were drawn like magnates to demonstrations at the Northern Clay Art Center Community Booth.

The goat. Always the goat.  :)

Minneapolis #3 in Nation on List of Best Cities for Cyclists According to NerdWallet Number Crunchers

Chris Rein of NerdWallet filled me in on how they determined Minneapolis ranks 3rd in the nation on the list of Best Cities for Cyclists.  NerdWallet is a consumer advocacy site whose staff crunches massive amounts of data to arm consumers with facts needed to help make good money choices.

Since 2000, the number of bicycle commuters in the U.S. has increased by 61%. As the number of cyclists continues to grow, NerdWallet wanted to pinpoint the most cyclist-friendly cities, and they created their rankings by analyzing the following factors:

•Percentage of bicycle commuters
•Bicyclist fatalities per 10,000 biking commuters
•Federal transportation funds allocated to bike and pedestrian projects per capita
•Miles of bicycle lanes, paths and routes per square mile

In addition to providing the rankings, they also provide cost of living information for each of the cities on the list. If your passion is to live in a very bicycle-friendly city, you can easily determine which of them are practical from a financial stand point. 

There's a wealth of interesting data on the site, including finding the right credit card, mortgage and insurance.

June Lineup from The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul

Based on the acclaimed novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has been hailed by The Times as ‘a phenomenal combination of storytelling and spectacle’. Winner of 7 Olivier Awards in 2013, including Best New Play.

- - -

The Forgotten Kingdom

MSPIFF 2014 Audience Choice Award: Best Narrative Feature.
 
Atang Mokoeyna (mid-20s) is an unemployed, aimless young man who spends his days idling in the slums of Johannesburg. When his father dies, Atang must give up his selfish ways and fulfill his father’s humble last wishes: to be buried in the rural, mountainous Kingdom of Lesotho, a place they left fifteen years earlier in hopes of a better life.

- - -

Ai Weiwei: The Fake Case

In this intimate and powerful encounter with one of today's most politically influential artists, world-renowned Ai Weiwei is under house arrest and restricted by the Chinese authorities in everything he does. But he does it anyway.

Northern Spark 2014 - Update #9

See the City in a New Dimension through Minneapolis³

Minneapolis³ is an interdisciplinary performance site that utilizes music, puppetry, dance, song, poetry, and interaction to create a unique experience of the city. Performances take place inside a large cube temporarily installed on the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza. Participants randomly select what they will see and hear, enter the cube, and are immersed for three minutes in sound and visuals that explore Minneapolis and our relationships to it.

Minneapolis³ is conceived and directed by multi-discplinary artist and puppeteer Eric F. Avery, working with a group of collaborating artists including composers Ted Moore and Laura Leffler-McCabe, and performers Blake Bolan, Mason Mahoney, and Lindsey Cacich. Their collective take on Northern Spark’s theme “Projecting the City” is based in the collaboration's emotional experience of Minneapolis: "We want to break down the city to its essential elements—natural, human-made, personal, and public—and expose the difference between what makes the city and what we make it into."

Mizna Projects the Euphrates over the Mississippi for Northern Spark

Mizna plays with this year's Northern Spark festival theme of "Projecting the City" by projecting a river onto the city in Confluent. All night long, the Euphrates River will flow above the Mississippi River, at a special site on the riverfront under the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.

“Confluence” means the meeting of two rivers. During the night of Northern Spark, one of the Arab world’s major waterways meets one of North America’s under the Hennepin Avenue bridge in a poetic and visual dialogue. Viewers can sit at the banks of a strange confluence of the here-and-now and the there-and-now and contemplate the many layers of meaning and metaphor between two flowing bodies of water half a globe apart.

Mizna’s rivers project also plays on the idea of “fluency” in communication and communing. When it comes to Arab and American worlds and the people who straddle both, the concepts of confluence and fluency are very alive, literally and metaphorically. To read more, and to learn more about Mizna's mission and programs, visit mizna.org.

Stone Arch Bridge Lighting Repairs Underway

Last week we published photos of mostly dark arches on the Stone Arch Bridge.  Below is a photo taken 30 minutes ago of a crew working on repairs:

I had contacted 3rd Ward City Council Member Jacob Frey only last week to let him know about the issue, so he got things moving pretty fast, at least by City Hall standards.

"The Stone Arch Bridge is a landmark for our city, and deserves to be highlighted, literally" said Frey.  "I'm glad to see our city crews restoring what should be the centerpeice of our beautiful city" he added.

Check back to track progress on this issue.

Vikings Stadium Construction - Week 25

Footings being driven...

We're attempting to publish a photo with this same view each week from the start of construction through the first game played at the new Minnesota Vikings Stadium in Downtown Minneapolis.

Volunteer at Open Streets Minneapolis on May 31st and June 8th!

Via a May 20 e-newsletter from the City of Minneapolis:

The City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition are proud to announce the launch of Open Streets Minneapolis 2014! We are just two weeks away from the first Open Streets Minneapolis event on the proposed North Minneapolis Greenway on May 31st, and closely followed by Open Streets MPLS on Lyndale Avenue on June 8th. These events are powered by volunteers, and we need you to help make this year another success. Together with over 400 volunteers in 2013, we drew approximately 30,000 people on more than six miles of streets across the city last year. Help us do it again in 2014, and sign up to volunteer today!

What is Open Streets Minneapolis?

Open Streets Minneapolis events temporarily transform major city corridors into safe, car-free places for one weekend day to give people an opportunity to enjoy the street on bicycle, foot, wheelchair, skateboard or roller skate. Each event is programmed with complementary activities such as yoga, live music and bike repair. Open Streets Minneapolis is a free and easy way to engage in physical activity, meet neighbors, and discover new businesses right in your own neighborhood. Check out the City Pages’ photos for a feel of the events.

This year Open Streets Minneapolis will be hosted on:

The proposed North Minneapolis Greenway (May 31st)
Lyndale Avenue (June 8th)
Central Avenue NE (July 27th)
Franklin Avenue (August 17th)
Nicollet Avenue (September 14th)
Lowry Avenue N (September 20th)
How can you get involved?

Volunteers can help with everything from rolling out sod for the greenway experience to facilitating chalk art activities as a street monitor, and helping us keep the street clean and car free. We need over 250 volunteers to sign up for the first two Open Streets Minneapolis events of the year. Help us kick off the summer right by volunteering for a couple hours at the first Open Streets MPLS event on May 31st for the North Minneapolis Greenway Experience or the Lyndale event on June 8th! You choose the location, the time, and what you’ll do -- we give you a t-shirt, a volunteer appreciation party, and a lot of high fives. Couldn't get much better than that.

Want to do more?

It’s fun to volunteer with friends. Bring a team from work, a group of your friends, or your family clan to volunteer for a shift! We can coordinate times and tasks for your crew -- just contact us at volunteer@mplsbike.org or at 612.810.0079. And help us spread the word by sharing this link!

Thanks so much to all our volunteers. To learn more, visit openstreetsmpls.com or contact Beth Wagner at Volunteer@mplsbike.org.

Krause Liquor Store Appealed by Minneapolis Zoning & Planning Committee

The Zoning & Planning Committee denied an appeal by concerned citizens seeking to block a proposed liquor store near the Mississippi River on Broadway N.E.

Watch the Video (hearing starts at 2 minutes, 20 secs.):

Lock Closure Bill Headed for a Vote

Klobuchar, Franken, Ellison, Paulsen, Walz, Nolan Provision to Keep Invasive Carp Out of Minnesota’s Waterways Included in Final Water Infrastructure Bill

The bipartisan provision, which will now go to the full Senate and House of Representatives for final approval, would help fight the spread of invasive carp by closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock within one year

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar along with U.S. Senator Al Franken and U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison, Erik Paulsen, Tim Walz and Rick Nolan announced today that their bipartisan provision to keep invasive carp out of Minnesota’s waterways has been included in the final water infrastructure conference bill. The provision, authored by Klobuchar in the Senate and Ellison in the House, would help fight the spread of invasive carp – also known as Asian carp – by closing the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock within one year. It will now go to the full Senate and House of Representatives for final approval.

“The spread of invasive carp poses a major threat not only to Minnesota’s environment, but also the recreation and fishing industries that help power our state’s economy and create jobs,” Klobuchar said. “I fought hard to include this critical lock closure provision in the final bill so we can stop these invasive species in their tracks.”

“Invasive carp in Minnesota’s lakes and rivers would prove disastrous for our fishing, boating, and tourism industries, which support thousands of jobs and contribute so much to our state’s economy,” said Franken. “I'm very pleased that our bipartisan measure to control and prevent the spread of these carp in Minnesota is one step closer to becoming law.”

 

“I’m proud that a bipartisan and bicameral push to protect Minnesota’s waterways from invasive carp will soon be headed to the president’s desk,” Rep. Ellison said. “Closing the little-used St. Anthony Falls Lock is the best way for us to slow the spread of invasive carp in Minnesota and to protect the natural resources that are critical to Minnesota’s economy and our way of life.” 

 

“Time is running out to stop Asian carp from jeopardizing Minnesota’s ecological and economic health,” Rep. Paulsen said. “The provision included in the WRDA conference report is important to help prevent the spread of invasive species in our lakes, streams, and rivers.”    

 

"These invasive carp pose a serious threat to Minnesota's waterways and our multi-billion dollar tourism and sportsmen industry," Rep. Walz said. "We must do all we can to stop them in their tracks. I'm pleased this provision was included in the WRDA conference report but the fight doesn’t end here, it begins here. We must stay on the offensive if we are to eliminate not only the threat of invasive carp, but the hundreds of other invasive species that hazard our waters.”

 

“Closing the lock and dam at St. Anthony Falls is our best and last chance to prevent Asian carp from invading the Mississippi watershed and destroying its native habitat,” Nolan said. “I'm pleased that this bill also includes my companion amendment redefining "invasive species" to include animal life as well as plants, adding another weapon to our arsenal in the fight against Asian carp, zebra mussels, and hundreds of other invasive species that threaten our Great Lakes and Minnesota waters.”

 

The provision is supported by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Audubon Minnesota Waters, Minnesota Seasonal Recreational Property Owners, Anglers for Habitat, Clean Water Action, Minnesota Coalition of Lake Associations, National Wildlife Federation, Fish & Wildlife Legislative Alliance, Mississippi River Fund, Minnesota Division Izaak Walton League of America, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Minnesota Trout Unlimited, National Parks Conservation Association, and Friends of the Mississippi River.

West Bank Interpretive Plan Meeting June 3

From MPRB:

Dear Neighbors,

The St Anthony Fall Heritage Board is currently conducting an interpretive study of the West Bank area of Central Mississippi Riverfront Regional Park.  There will be an advisory committee meeting to gather input for this plan on June 3, 2014.  This West Bank effort is similar to the East Bank Interpretive Plan completed last fall.  This plan is funded by the St. Anthony Falls Heritage Board.  The meeting is open to the public. Please join us!

Excerpt from the East Bank Interpretive Plan: “This plan builds on years of research and many proposed visions for the St. Anthony Falls area. In particular, The Power of the Falls: Renewing the Vision for St. Anthony Falls Heritage Zone (2009) sets forth a set of interpretive themes that acknowledge the value of reflection and personal experience in learning about this important place in our history.”

Optional CAC/TAC Meeting for the West Bank Interpretive Plan

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

6:00pm to 7:30pm

MPRB Headquarters – 2117 West River Road North  - Board Room

Link to the map of the West Bank Interpretive Plan study area:

https://app.box.com/shared/static/3xkwl9qsonb6s1iaxzh7.pdf

Week 2 at the 2014 Mill City Farmers Market

At the May 17 Market we picked up some beautiful basil, rosemary and cilantro plants for our balcony herb garden from Loon Organics. Shoppers with regular garden plots to fill had a vast selection of healthy plants and seed potatoes to choose from.  University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners were on hand to answer questions.

Plus all of the usual good stuff...

How a trip to the Market makes us feel:

Tickets go on Sale Monday, May 19, for the Mill City Summer Opera presentation of TOSCA!

Mill City Summer Opera returns for its third season in the Mill City Museum’s dramatic Ruin Courtyard with Puccini’s tragic and spellbinding masterpiece, Tosca.  Scheduled for 7:30pm on July 12, 13, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

Artistic Director David Lefkowich and music director Brian DeMaris return to lead another first-rate design team and cast, featuring Mill City favorites Jill Gardner as Tosca and her husband Jake Gardner as the villainous Scarpia. This summer’s production will reunite Ms. Gardner with the exciting tenor Dinyar Vania, reprising the role of Cavaradossi. The two first played the ill-fated lovers opposite one another in an acclaimed 2013 production with Lyric Opera Baltimore.

Ticket information:  http://www.millcitymuseum.org/opera

Northern Spark 2014 - Update #8

Balancing Ground Shares Wisdom in Whispered Voices

Balance is rest
Balance is accomplishment
Balance is a point of departure
Balance is equality between knowing why and knowing how
-Artist Bill Cottman, in an interview with Project Lead Amanda Lovelee for Balancing Ground, 2014.

These words from Bill Cottman (whose project beyond the LOOP will also premier at Northern Spark) and many others speaking about balance will be part of the gently-immersive auditory experience of Balancing Ground, winner of the 2014 Creative City Challenge.

Balancing Ground will be unveiled on June 14 as part of the Opening Ceremony for Northern Spark. The installation's prismatic light and sound elements create a space for contemplating balance, that state of equilibrium that eludes so many of us caught up in the "culture of busy."

The project's large, open structure, suggestive of both a forest and a church, will hold a set of specially-developed seesaws and reclaimed wood benches.  Words and phrases related to balance are triggered as participants play with the physical act of finding balance on the seesaws, while specialized directional speakers play longer fragments of conversations and interviews about balance in tight, narrow beams of sound that can be heard only in specific areas. Balancing Ground is presented by the Minneapolis Convention Center and the Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Program of the City of Minneapolis in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn.

American Craft Council Pays Homage to Kubler and Considers Art and Craft

The American Craft Council celebrates the connection between the makers, the materials, and the enthusiasts whose lives are enriched by unique, handmade works of art. This year ACC is presenting a participatory textile work by Chicago-based artist Andy Hall at Northern Spark.

In Outdoor Activity for George Kubler, Hall invites participants to dye silk fabric with him as he playfully examines Kubler’s notion of useful inventions vs. artistic inventions using the ubiquitous form of the plastic shopping bag.

Over the duration of Northern Spark a large bolt of raw Habotai Silk will be transformed into an array of vibrantly colored painted textiles. The textiles will be steam set, sewn into a series of iconic tote bags, and strung up above the site for display and dispersal.

Hall will collaborate with festival participants to apply dye to the silk using methods that stimulate an awareness of bodily possibility, the physical nature of the materials, the temporal dimensions of process, and the perception of the maker. The assembly line-like installation, beginning with raw material and dispensing vividly colored silk totes, help asks questions about process, material quality, and product.

Tomorrow, May 17: Target Field Station Grand Opening

Join the Target Field Station grand opening celebration Saturday, May 17, from 1 p.m. until game time. Target Field Station a bustling urban park, transit station and neighborhood gathering space. This one-of-a-kind destination will connect approximately 500 trains arriving and departing daily via the METRO Blue Line (Hiawatha LRT), METRO Green Line (Central Corridor LRT) and Northstar Commuter Rail, as well as more than 1,900 daily bus trips, and miles of bike and walking trails.

There will be a ribbon cutting at the station platform followed by a short program emceed by Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin.

Speakers include:

■ U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
■ U.S. Representative Keith Ellison
■ Mike Opat, Hennepin County Board Chair
■ Jim Pohlad, United Properties and Minnesota Twins
■ Dan Griffis, vice president, Experiential Marketing and Alliances, Target
■ Derrell Turner, Federal Highway Administration
■ Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle
■ Minnesota Representative Alice Hausman
■ Minnesota Senator Scott Dibble and Minnesota Representative Frank Hornstein
■ Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh
■ Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges
■ Ed Hunter, Director of Interchange Project Office, Red Hawk Consulting

Peter Cavaluzzi FAIA, Principal at EE&K, a Perkins Eastman company, and lead design architect for Target Field Station, will be available for in-person interviews May 15-18.

Schedule

■ 1 – 1:45 p.m. -- Choo Choo Bob (Amphitheater)
■ 2 – 2:45 p.m. -- Alex Rossi and the Root City Band (Amphitheater)
■ 3 p.m. -- Ribbon cutting ceremony (east side of light rail platform)
■ 3:05 p.m. -- The first train departs from Target Field Station (light rail platform)
■ 3:15 – 4 p.m. -- Speakers – presentation (Amphitheater)
■ 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. -- Gear Daddies (Amphitheater)
■ 5:30 p.m. – game time -- Young Ry (Amphitheater)

Target will offer visitors a chance to take commemorative photos in an old-fashioned train cutout.

Tonight, May 15: Downtown East Redevelopment Project Update at Open Book

Time: 6:30pm

Location: Open Book, 1011 Washington Avenue South

Please join the East Downtown Council, along with the Downtown Minneapolis Neighborhood Association (DMNA), the Elliot Park Neighborhood Inc (EPNi), and the Mill District Neighborhood Association (MDNA) to hear an update on the progress being made on Ryan Companies Downtown East Redevelopment Project.

Guest presenters will include Rick Collins, Mike Ryan, Tony Barranco and Jeremy Jacobs from Ryan Companies. The four-some will provide an update on the following items:

• Status of building demolition, along with future demolition activity;
• Status of preservation of historic "medallions" from Star Tribune 425 Portland Avenue building;
• Construction schedule;
• Status update on Air Rights Development project; and
• Where to look for updates on the project.

AGENDA

1. 6:30 pm - Welcome and introductions by EDC President Dan Collison
2. 6:45 pm - Downtown East redevelopment project update by Ryan Companies
3. 7:30 pm - Q&A moderated by EDC President Dan Collison
4. 8:00 pm - Announcements and Adjournment

*Note: This meeting will be the only Mill District Neighborhood meeting for May. The June meeting will be at the Mill City Museum on the 3rd Monday as usual.

2014 Mill City Live Schedule

Mill City Live returns for its eleventh season with four outdoor concerts on Wednesday evenings in August.

Set in the museum's dramatic open air Ruin Courtyard, "Mill City Live" features four great evenings of outdoor music by top local artists. 

• Time: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Fee: $5 includes concert and museum admission from 4 to 9 p.m., an opportunity to visit Mill City Museum at a significant discount.  Free for Minnesota Historical Society members.  
• In case of rain, Mill City Live goes on indoors! 

August 6th, 6-8pm

Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders

Blues, roots

 

 

 Crankshaft (a.k.a. Alex Larson) has been forging his own brand of high-energy, low-brow, upper Mississippi blues, a new genre of music he likes to call "Pork Neck" since 2008.

 Performing and as the leader of his trio, Crankshaft and the Gear Grinders, fans of Mill City Live can expect a new breed of foot stompin' country blues that appeals to young and old alike.  Crankshaft writes great songs, and sings them with passion. The energy at his live shows is undeniable, and he won't rest until everyone in the room is rockin' and rollin' with him." - Page Burkum, The Cactus Blossums

 

August 13th, 6-8pm            

The Cloak Ox

Indie Rock

 

 

   The Cloak Ox is made up of indie rock vets Andrew Broder and longtime friends and sometimes bandmates Jeremy Ylvisaker, Mark Erickson and Martin Dosh. In 2011 the group topped City Pages new artist Picked to Click list and in 2013 their full length Shoot the Dog made top ten lists by the Star Tribune and City Pages.  “Shoot the Dog is loaded with the nervous, sensory-grinding energy of urban life…and the jaggedy frayed art-rock noodling of bands like Television and latter-day Wilco.”

   -Chris Riemenschneider, Star Tribune

 

August 20th, 6-8pm

Bethany Larson & the Bees Knees

Country, rock

 

 

   Bethany Larson and The Bee's Knees, one of Twin Cities best kept secrets as declared by Twin Cities Metro, brings a preacher’s daughter from Austin, Minn. to the local music scene. In the process of recording her sophomore album she joined forces with the "Bee’s Knees" – her brother Chris Larson on guitar, keyboards and backing vocals, Sara Horishnyk on drums and Sam Johnson on bass.  “…Bethany’s voice has evolved beautifully: as much Ella Fitzgerald and Juliette Greco as Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. Bethany’s lyrics about love and heartbreak have a worldly sophistication and the band has fleshed out unique and sweet arrangements that both swoon and rock.”  –Adam Levy, The Honeydogs

 

August 27th, 6-8pm      

Actual Wolf

Folk Rock

 

 

  Grand Rapids native Eric Pollard (a.k.a. Actual Wolf) has been the drummer for Retribution Gospel Choir and others. As a singer song-writer, his self-titled full-length debut made the top 10 local releases in the 2013 Star Tribune Critics Tally, and he was named Best Minneapolis Songwriter by City Pages in 2013.

   “Actual Wolf  packages his couplets into arrangements that recall Neil Young's sonic grit and Elton John's soaring glitz. Don't be surprised if experiencing Actual Wolf gets your own eyes a little misty." -City Pages

Public Hearing for Urban Agricultur​e Activity Plan at MPRB May 21

Via a May 12 e-newsletter from the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board:

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) Planning Committee will hold a public hearing for the Urban Agriculture activity plan on Wednesday, May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at the MPRB Headquarters Building, 2117 W. River Rd., Minneapolis. If adopted by the Planning Committee that evening, the activity plan will be forwarded to the full MPRB Board of Commissioners for consideration.

All attending the public hearing will have an opportunity share comments about the plan. If you wish to speak at the hearing, there will be a sign-up sheet located directly outside the board room and you will have until 6:25 PM that evening to sign up to speak. If you require language translation or other accommodations, please call 612-230-6472 at least two business days before the hearing.

The Urban Agriculture activity plan was developed through an extensive community engagement process and contains recommendations related to policy, facility, program, and service improvements to better support urban agriculture activities within the park system.

Activity plans define the MPRB’s service delivery goals for a particular recreation activity city-wide. These plans determine the resources required to successfully achieve plan goals in service to residents and park visitors.

Community outreach and research, trend analysis, program analysis, and infrastructure assessment is used to develop service delivery goals for all MPRB’s Activity Plans. The development of the Urban Agriculture activity plan is supported by the Board of Commissioners and directly linked to the goals of the MPRB Comprehensive Plan.

For more information, please visit the Project Page on the MPRB website.

Stone Arch Bridge Going Dark

We were first alerted to this a few months ago by Riverfront redevelopment pioneer Peggy Lucas, who sent us a photo showing a few arches on the Stone Arch Bridge gone dark.  The lighting has deteriorated rapidly since then, to the point that most of the lighting has gone dark.

Stone Arch Bridge today:

Stone Arch Bridge 2 Years Ago:

Pillsbury Mill Complex Lighting Up

A preview of what the skyline will look like when the Pillsbury redevelopment is done.  It's been a long time since these windows have been lit up at night!