Keena Maher is our Neighborhood Condo Financing Expert

When we moved to the Mill District in 2009, Keena handled our mortgage paperwork.  When we recently refinanced to take advantage of a lower rate, she handled that too.

Now Keena and her team have moved into a convenient commercial space in the Bridgwater Lofts building, at the corner of Washington Avenue S and 11th Avenue S.  As the resident “Minneapolis Condo Queen,” Keena has been an integral part in financing the mortgages for many condo projects downtown, including Grant Park, Shamrocks’ 5th Avenue, Bridgewater Lofts, Stonebridge Lofts, and the upcoming Portland Tower.

Here's how Keena sums up her success at downtown condominium financing: “The reason people use me for condo financing is that condo financing has some bankers undies in a bunch! That only makes you walk funny!!  Mostly, you need to truly understand it and do it every day so that you are able to offer the best products and rates, and not have any surprises at the end.  I know exactly what I am talking about with condos.”

With over 16 years of mortgage loan origination experience, Keena is a perfect choice for financing needs. She adheres to high professional and technical standards, and eases the stress associated with complex and challenging mortgage and real estate transactions. 

“Our goal at the end of every transaction is that you’re going to say thank you and be so happy that you’ve worked with us.“

Visit the team in the Bridgewater office, or online at KeenaCondoQueen.com. 

West River Parkway Mudslide and Franklin Avenue Bridge Repair Update

Via a July 5 Minneapolis Park and Rec Board e-newsletter: 

Veit and Companies, a Minnesota contractor, will begin work on the permanent repairs of the failed slope (mudslide) on July 6, 2015. Initially, they will be working six days each week. The construction area, between 4th Street S and the Franklin Avenue bridge will remain closed until repairs are complete, currently estimated to be around October 31, 2015. Please use the posted detours.

The slope repair consists of constructing five retaining walls located both on MPRB property and on Fairview – University of Minnesota Medical Center property.  Please see the project webpage for further details (or go to www.minneapolisparks.org/currentprojects and select "West River Parkway Slope Repair").  

Concurrent with the repair of the failed slope, the Franklin Avenue Bridge is also undergoing reconstruction.  Hennepin County is funding and managing this project. The work on the west pier of this bridge this fall and replacement of the bridge decking (summer 2016) will affect West River Parkway. The contractor, Kraemer NA is using the south portion of Bohemian Flats to prepare the pre-cast concrete decking.  For more information on the Franklin Ave Bridge reconstruction, or to sign up for updates, please see Hennepin County's website. 

Franklin Avenue Bridge construction updates

West River Parkway closure extends south of Franklin Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis
 
West River Parkway has been closed north of the Franklin Avenue Bridge since June 2014 due to mudslide repair work that will be completed by the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board. 　

The closure extension is needed for construction crews to restore the bridge and apply new concrete. Hennepin County is doing this work earlier in the project so that W. River Parkway can open over the winter months once this season’s bridge and mudslide repair work are complete. 　　　　

To summarize the detours:
•North on West River Parkway to east on Franklin Avenue: No change.
•North on West River Parkway to west on Franklin Avenue: Follow E. 25th Street to S. 31st Avenue. Then take a left on Franklin Avenue.
•East on Franklin Avenue to south on W. River Parkway: No change.
•West on Franklin Avenue to south on W. River Parkway: Follow S. 31st Avenue to E. 25th Street and take a right on W. River Parkway

Alternating bike and pedestrian lane closures begin June 29
 
Starting June 29, contractors will be installing a platform underneath the Franklin Avenue Bridge. During platform installation, bike and pedestrian lanes will only be open on one side of the bridge; lane closures will alternate every few days. All pedestrians and bicyclists should watch for signs and use the correct side of the bridge each day.

Once the platform is installed under the bridge, crews will continue concrete restoration. Work on the platform installation will occur over the next three weeks.
 
Crews are manufacturing 366 concrete bridge deck panels at the Bohemian Flats site. These panels will be installed in 2016 and become the new Franklin Avenue Bridge deck.
 
Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Hennepin County Commissioner McLaughlin, Minneapolis Park Board Commissioner Vreeland, and Minnesota State Representative Kahn joined project staff for a river tour of the remnant piers.

During the tour, the elected officials accepted the concept of salvaging the 1889 remnant pier blocks and re-locating to the "Bohemian Flats" area within Minneapolis Park Board property on the western bank of the river. The salvaging process of the pier blocks was completed on June 24, 2015.
 
Hotline: 888-474-8929
Email: franklinbridge@hennepin.us
Project website

Mpls.St.Pa​ul Magazine'​s Restaurant Week is July 12-17

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine’s Restaurant Week started in 2007 in an effort to connect Twin Cities food enthusiasts with the best in Twin Cities dining. Participating restaurants will serve two course lunches for $10-$20 and three-course dinners for $15-$30 (beverage, tax and gratuity not included).

Click here for more info and to view the list of restaurants in our riverfront neighborhoods.

Week 9 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

"Parade of Vegetables" was the theme of the July 4 Market. Indeed, a parade of vegetables marched thru the Market, led by the talented H. Adam Harris who conducts the 'Storytelling Hour with the Guthrie Theater' program every first Saturday of the month.

UCare sponsored a free yoga session with instructor Ben Lee on the Guthrie terrace.

The world's tiniest potato?

New treat for your pet from Barkley's Bistro - "Doggy Snausages" made with pork and rice.

The tomato was having a hard time getting the broccoli to smile.

It's been a good growing season for cabbage!

The goat. :)

Note - For the first time since moving downtown in August 2009, we will miss an outdoor Market. We won't have a recap of the July 11 MCFM.

Things to do at Peavy Plaza

Free Yoga at Peavey Plaza, every Tuesday & Friday, begins Tuesday, July 7

Class from 12 pm - 1 pm, with registration at 11:30 am

Grab your friends, bring a mat and join us for an all ages & abilities yoga class on the plaza, taught by CorePower Yoga Minneapolis! Use this time to get fit, meditate or to take a break from your desk in Peavey Plaza’s unique urban setting. Mats are available on-site, and check-in begins at 11:30 am. 

WomenVenture Small Business Showcase presented by Wells Fargo, every Wednesday, July 8 - July 29

11:00 am – 1:00 pm

Shop small and celebrate local, women-owned businesses this summer each Wednesday in July at Peavey Plaza. WomenFenture clients like The Beez Kneez, Favorable Treats, Kisa Boutique, Seven Sunday Muesli, Steller Handcrafted Goods, Wind & Willow Home and others will showcase and sell their products on the corner of 11th Street and Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis.

Up Next: Wednesday, July 8: Enjoy performances by Twin Cities Trapeze and eat at Sandy's Grill & Chef Shack food trucks, all located at Peavey Plaza.

Fitness at Peavey Plaza: Insanity Class, every Thursday thru July 30

12:10 pm – 1:00 pm

FREE and open to the public INSANITY classes taught by Gianna from YWCA. Forget everything you know about high-intensity workouts, because INSANITY will redefine your body and mind! The class incorporates 3 to 5 minute blocks of all-out exercise, with breaks in between long enough to catch your breath, grab some water and get right back to work. It’s called Max Interval Training. We keep your body working at maximum capacity throughout the entire workout, while you keep pushing your body’s limits, requiring it to adapt.

Peavey Plaza Music, August 3 - August 28

11 am - 12 pm | 5 pm - 8 pm

As summer winds down, take time to enjoy great music at Peavey Plaza. We'll have live bands and performers playing for your enjoyment. Take in some great tunes in the heart of downtown!

This year, Peavey Plaza will be home to a PARKLOT throughout the summer! PARKLOTs are urban pop-up parks aimed at helping create a consistently compelling experience downtown. It's an initiative of the Minneapolis Downtown Council's Intersections: Downtown 2025 Plan's Downtown Experience Committee with support from Hennepin Theatre Trust and presented by Bank of America. After having great success last year at the inaugural PARKLOT next to the Orpheum Theatre on Hennepin Avenue, this year Peavey Plaza and IDS Center will be host to pop-up parks during Summer 2015. 

Other things happening...

Bean Bag Toss, every week day thru August 28

Want a break from the work day? Grab your coworkers or friends and stop by Peavey Plaza to enjoy some yard games in Downtown Minneapolis! Bean Bag Toss will be available to play throughout the work day, so swing by any time and see who will have bragging rights for the rest of the day!

Play a song or two on our Pianos, every week day thry August 28

We know there are some talented people in our downtown area—stop by Peavey Plaza and put your piano playing on display! We’ll have pianos on site throughout the summer, which are free to use and open to all ages and abilities. Take some time to stop by and play, or listen to others who are sharing their talents.

Borrow, Contribute, Add or Replace games and books, every week day thru August 28

Want to enjoy some literature outside this summer? Stop by Peavey Plaza and take a look at our collection! We’ll have books available to take and leave, and various games that will be available for use. Come by and spend some time taking part in some free games and reading.

See Something, Say Something

Via a July 2 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

See Something, Say Something

Good morning! In light of recent news of heightened national alerts due to the July 4^th Holiday and ongoing threats to the United States from terrorist organizations, I thought it might be a good time to send out a link to the terrorism prevention video we recently filmed, "How you can recognize the 8 indicators leading up to acts of crime and terrorism".  Please take a few moments of your day to check out this video. 

The message is an important one and one in which we hope to have the community, as a whole, knowledgeable of.  It focuses on specific behaviors of crime and terrorism and the best way(s) to report such activity to the proper officials.  If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Please feel free to send this out to your community contacts as they are our eyes and ears out there. We encourage our citizens to let us know of  anything that seems out of place or seems suspicious. With everyone’s help, we can help assure our community stays safe.

Also as a reminder, if you have community or business organizations who are interested in a more extensive Community Awareness Training program, the MPD can facilitate this at no cost. Just contact myself or Lt. Dean Christiansen for more information on that program.

Thank you and have a safe holiday weekend!!

STAY SAFE!

Best Regards,

John A. Elder

Office of Public Information

350 S. 5^th Street, Room 130

Minneapolis, MN 55415

612-673-3829 Office

612-578-4322 Mobile

612-673-2613 Fax

@MPD_PIO

Minnesota Twins 2B Brian Dozier and Pentair Volunteers to Clean Mississippi Riverfront

Via a July 1 Press Release from Pentair:

Minnesota Twins 2B Brian Dozier and Pentair Volunteers to Clean Mississippi Riverfront
Group supporting Minneapolis Parks Foundation’s Water Works project

The Minnesota Twins (represented by second baseman Brian Dozier) and Pentair volunteers will partner with the Minneapolis Parks Foundation to clean the Mississippi riverfront at Mill Ruins Park near the Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday, July 9th at 10 a.m.

Pentair, which helps customers around the world reduce, recover and reuse water, provides the technology that cleans water from the Mississippi River for more than 500,000 residents in the Twin Cities. The area surrounding the river near the Stone Arch Bridge is being developed as an innovative public space that will help protect the river, provide recreation opportunities and reveal historic features.

WHO: Twins Second Baseman Brian Dozier
          75+ Pentair volunteers
          Minneapolis Parks Foundation
          Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
          Mill City Museum

WHERE: Mill Ruins Park near the Mill City Museum

WHAT: Riverfront clean-up

WHEN: July 9, 2015, 10:00 -11:30 a.m.

Pentair’s innovation in water reuse is evident at Target Field, where the Minnesota Twins turn to Pentair technology to capture and clean rainwater that’s then used primarily to clean stadium seats, saving approximately 2 million gallons of water each year.

As a growing global population puts increasing demands on resources, Pentair helps customers produce more food, energy and efficiencies from each drop of water. The company delivers industry-leading products, services and solutions for its customers' diverse needs in water and other fluids, thermal management and equipment protection. With 2014 revenues of $7 billion, Pentair employs more than 30,000 people worldwide.

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation, which partners with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is an independent 501c3 dedicated to community investment in the nation’s top park system. It’s the private-sector leader of the RiverFirst initiative and Water Works, two design-based adaptive reuse parks projects on “America’s fourth coast,” the Mississippi River.

Red, White and Boom, Hot Dam 5K & Road Closure info

Celebrate the 4th of July during Minneapolis Red, White and Boom, a two-day celebration hosted by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. The event, held along the downtown Minneapolis Riverfront, features live music, great food, fun activities for the whole family, and the grand finale – fireworks!

On July 4, Father Hennepin Park will offer FREE family activities in the Family Fun Zone from 6 pm to 9:30 pm. Activities include balloon twisters, caricature artists, hair painters and face painters. Live music will be playing at Mill Ruins Park and Father Hennepin Park from 6 pm to 10 pm. The Red, White and Boom Celebration closes with a spectacular fireworks display along the Riverfront at 10 pm.

Important Road Closure Information

These streets will be closed to vehicles during the dates and times provided.

July 3, 2015

◾6 pm: Main Street between Merriam and Sixth avenues
◾6:30 pm: West River Parkway, Eighth Avenue Bridge, East Island Avenue (Nicollet Island), Merriam Street, Main Street
◾All roads should be clear by 8 pm

July 4, 2015

◾2-10:30 pm: Main Street between Merriam and Sixth avenues, Third Avenue South between Main and Second streets
◾4:30-10:30 pm: West River Parkway between North Fourth and 11th avenues
◾9-10:30 pm: Third Avenue Bridge closed to pedestrians and vehicles
◾9:30-10:30 pm: Stone Arch Bridge closed to cyclists

Creative City Market: Thursday July 9, 4-10PM

Creative City Market: Thursday July 9, 4-10PM

On the second Thursday of July, August, and September the public is invited to the Minneapolis Convention Center Plaza to participate in evening under the setting sun, celebrating the act of making, surrounded by MN made art, wares, and performance, including:

• A beer garden featuring selections from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild from the Craft Bar and Lounge at the Minneapolis Convention Center
• Filfillah Food truck serving traditional Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine
• The onsite creation of art installations through public-artist collaborations
• Live music and performances
• A central lawn to relax, play, and linger
• An outdoor evening market featuring local artists, artisans, and makers
• MN Made movie at sunset, presented by the Minneapolis St. Paul Film Society. July 9th will feature The Okee Dokee Brothers’ Through the Woods: An Appalachian Adventure

Creative City Market is a program of the Creative City Challenge, which is presented by the Minneapolis Convention Center (MCC), the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy Program of the City of Minneapolis and Meet Minneapolis, Convention & Visitors Association, in collaboration with Northern Lights.mn. and is being produced by The Musicant Group in partnership with Pablo Jones.

Creative City Market: Call for Vendors for July, August and September Events

Excerpt from a June 25 Northern Lights.mn e-newsletter: 

Creative City Market: Call for Vendors

As part of the Creative City Challenge, Northern Lights.mn will be presenting the Creative City Market on the second Thursday evenings of July, August, and September from 4pm - sunset. We are looking for creators, makers, technologists, artists and art that reflect diverse communities and ways of thinking to participate. We’re looking for original work, simple to complex, large and small, including but not limited to, homemade objects-of-interest, engineering one-offs, artisan/cultural crafts, one-of-a-kind inventions, hand-crafted furniture and more. Find out more about the call here and submit your proposal here.

Submission deadlines:
7/2/15 for July 9th Market
8/6/15 for August 13th Market
9/3/15 for September 10th Market

We are also looking for survey seekers for these events. A small stipend will be available. If you are interested in being a survey seeker, please contact ady@northern.lights.mn for more information.

Week 8 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

The American Academy of Neurology held their annual bike helmet giveaway at the June 27 Market. Down the block, shoppers enjoyed wood fired oven pizzas from Northern Fires for the first time.  Look for separate posts with more pictures and info on both of these later this week on our Farmers Market blog.

Welcome back, Mokum carrots - oh, how I've missed you!

Strawberries!

The Market staff gathers feedback from shoppers with these quick survey boards.  The next time you see them on display, please take a minute to participate.

Below, the proud owner of a log from Cherry Tree House Mushrooms, which has been inoculated with mushroom mycelium and ready to fruit (not sure if this one is a shiitake or oyster).

Crisp and mild, kohlrabi is fantastic in a slaw.

Shoppers enjoying a meal on the plaza steps had a view of the HeartBeat 5000 racers on the Stone Arch Bridge.

The goat!

Minnesota Center for Book Arts 30th Anniversary Gala and Presentation of the 2015 MCBA Prize is July 25

Excerpt from the June 26 Minnesota Center for Book Arts e-newsletter:
 
30 years?! Why, we don't look a day over 29!

Help us celebrate this wonderful milestone on Saturday, July 25, at our 30th Anniversary Gala, the centerpiece of this year's Book Art Biennial.

Begin the evening at 7:00pm in MCBA’s gallery and studios. Enjoy a variety of wines, summery cocktails and other refreshments; hors d’oeuvres and savory bites with a farm-to-table flair; and live music by the Jimmy Kennedy Jazz Trio, while you mingle with artists and special guests.

The MCBA Prize award ceremony convenes at 8:30pm, hosted by Minnesota Public Radio arts producer Marianne Combs! Marvel at this year's five finalist works, and witness the announcement of the winner. At the close, honor the winner with a champagne toast, artisan coffees by Blue Ox Coffee, and decadent French petits-fours, macarons and tartlettes from Patisserie Margo.

A limited number of VIP tickets are available; the VIP package includes an exclusive pre-reception (6:30-7:30pm) where you can enjoy a tasting of craft beers from Dangerous Man Brewing and artisan spirits by Norseman Distillery, along with hand-tied soft pretzels by Patisserie Margo and a variety of other sweet and savory pairings. VIP attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the honorees and experience the finalist artworks in an intimate setting. Free parking is available at Open Book and adjacent lots.

Reserve your tickets today!
Purchase online at BookArtBiennial.org or call The Shop at 612-215-2520.

The Anniversary Gala and MCBA Prize award ceremony are presented in conjunction with Book Art Biennial 2015 (July 23-26), a series of workshops, exhibitions, presentations and performances that explore contemporary practice in the book arts. The 2015 Biennial Symposium will continue a tradition of stimulating critical thinking and dialogue. New this year is a free citywide Book Arts Art Crawl in celebration of MCBA’s 30th Anniversary; participating venues include MCBA, Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), the Walker Art Center Library, and Form + Content Gallery. For more details on Symposium programming or to register, visit BookArtBiennial.org.

June 27 Road Closures for the HeartBeat 5000 Race

The following parkways will be temporarily closed from 8:30am to 11:30am June 27 for the HeartBeat 5000 Race:

Main Street SE from 5th Avenue SE to Hennepin Avenue
West River Parkway from Plymouth Avenue to the Stone Arch Bridge
HeartBeat 5000 Course Map

Please note that the duration of the closures is subject to change based on the event's start and finish times.

A complete list of current and upcoming parkway closures is available online.

Metro Transit is Providing Free Rides to the 17th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Fesitval

The 17th Annual Twin Cities Jazz Fesitval is June 25-27.  If you're planning to attend, Metro Transit will get you there for free - just print a pass!

The Twin Cities Jazz Festival is a free family-friendly event attracting over 30,000 people to the vibrant, joyful sounds of jazz. Events are held in and around Mears Park in St. Paul’s historic Lowertown neighborhood.

This Saturday, June 27 - #NicestDayEver Giveaway

Help our Nice Ride Minnesota system set a new daily record for the most rides taken this Saturday, June 27, from 9:00am – Noon, during the #NicestDayEver.

Hop on a Nice Ride bike and be part of history! The Minneapolis Foundation and Nice Ride will provide complimentary helmets and 24-hour Nice Ride passes from 9 am to noon at select stations, including one along the riverfront.  Nice Ride staff will be on hand to fit helmets and show first-time users how the bike sharing system works. Bring your friends and enjoy the #NicestDayEver! More information.

Helmets & passes will be provided at these stations:
•Loring Park Station (North side near Harmon Place)
•100 Main St. SE (St. Anthony Main)
•Theodore Wirth Beach (Glenwood Ave.)
•Midtown Greenway & 5th Ave. S
•Lake St. & Knox Ave. S
•Minneapolis Farmers Market (Border Ave. and 3rd Ave. N)

Locate stations with Nice Ride’s online station map.

Neighborhood Walking Group

This is simply an informal gathering of neighbors - the group decides the route.  :)

Week 7 at the 2015 Mill City Farmers Market

For the second Saturday in a row we woke up to rain.  But the weather quickly turned around for the June 20 Market, and it got downright steamy by the time the Mill City Cooks demo started. Good thing Surly Brewing Co was on hand sampling some of their craft brews!

Northern Waters Smokehaus is a new Vendor this year.  Look for a separate post later this week under our Farmers Market blog.

Get ideas on how to use in-season produce from the Meet Your Vegetables team. Look for a separate post later this week under our Farmers Market blog.

Viola blossoms from Seven Songs Organic Farm.  :)

Is it just me, or does it look like there's a giant bread hand coming out of that basket?

Wilber's back! Visit ArtAndes to learn his story, as told by Melanie Ebertz (who happens to be one of my favorite people!).

The goat!

Northern Spark by the Numbers

Via a June 19 Northern Lights.mn e-newsletter:

Thank you to all of our artists, partners, attendees, donors, sponsors, and volunteers. You rock.

Attendees: 53,000
Artists and performers: 110
Projects: 75
 Organizational partners: 31
 Hours trending on Twitter: 25 hours, 50 minutes
 Hours at #1 in Minneapolis on Twitter: 11
Facebook views during the week of the festival: 62,000
Instagram likes: 1,270
Website page views: 238,792
Unique website visitors: 84,162
Nice Ride trips: Over 1,500, setting a new one-day record for Sunday
Metro Transit free rides: 2314
Food trucks: 18
Website crashes: 50 billion times. (Sorry about that.)
Pancakes served: 500
Prairie Vespers served: 372

We look forward to seeing you next year, June 11, 2016, at dusk.

Northern Spark is free for everyone to attend, but we rely on you for support to make it happen. We still need your help to meet our goal for individual giving before the end of the fiscal year, June 30. If you enjoyed Northern Spark, please contribute generously.

UPDATE - Bridge 9 Closure Postponed to Monday, June 22

Via a June 18 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

The Bridge 9 portion of the Dinkytown Greenway will be closed Monday, June 22 from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bridge 9, which carries the Dinkytown Greenway over the Mississippi River, will be closed to all bicycle and pedestrian traffic during this time for work on the bridge. The nearby 10th Ave and Washington Ave bridges over the Mississippi River will remain open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

This is a rescheduling of the closure originally scheduled for Friday, June 19. Bridge 9 will remain open to bicycle and pedestrian traffic tomorrow.

See the bicycle and pedestrian detour page for bicycle and pedestrian detour information throughout city.

The Northeast Farmers Market is Exanding to Thursdays at The Grain Belt Apartments

Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market at The Grain Belt
July 9th – September 24th
Thursdays, 4:00pm – 7:00pm

(MINNEAPOLIS – June 18, 2015) Celebrate our new expansion and the community spirit of the Northeast Farmers Market on a Thursday evening!

The Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market is pleased to announce the opening of a new weekday market at The Grain Belt Apartments.

In addition to the Saturday market, we will bring a variety of vendors to this new location every Thursday from 4pm-7pm, July 9th through September 24th. Enjoy the same great live music while visiting with new friends and familiar faces. We’ll bring you fresh, locally grown produce, flowers, baked goods, jam, specialty foods, cold treats, a food truck and more.

**********************

Northeast Farmers Market at The Grain Belt

Thursdays, 4:00pm-7:00pm
 July 9th – September 24th, 2015
 1215 Marshall Street NE    
Minneapolis, MN 55413
http://www.northeastmarket.org/
http://www.thegrainbeltmpls.com/