Midwest Pantry to Host Spring Local Food & Gift Show at Grain Belt Bottling House

Do you enjoy shopping at stores that carry locally produced items?  If so, forward this info to your favorite shop owners.

Former Mill City Farmers Market vendors Chad Gillard (Aunt Else's Aebleskiver) and Zoie Glass (Lucille's Kitchen Garden) are the co-founders of Midwest Pantry, a collective of local food companies.  They're hosting Spring Local Food & Gift Show, taking place March 16 at the Grain Belt Bottling House.

Locally-sourced products continue to be a fast growing sector in both gift and grocery, yet finding store-ready products available in wholesale quantities can be time consuming for shop owners. The Midwest Pantry Local Food & Gift Show is a private event, designed to connect wholesale buyers with qualified, professional, local producers. The Midwest Pantry Local Food & Gift Show features hard to find, locally-sourced wholesale products.

Downtown High School Clears Final Hurdle, Set to Open this Fall

Free public charter high school will open in downtown Minneapolis in Fall 2015

Mill City High has entered into an agreement with First Covenant Church, 810 South 7th Street, to lease space in the church’s education wing.

The First Covenant Church facility is 70,000 square feet and situated on a city bus line and just one block from a light rail hub. Mill City will be located in a space separate from but connected to the church sanctuary. The education building that will house the school includes a commercial kitchen, gymnasium, and proscenium stage.

The Rev. Dan Collison, senior pastor of First Covenant and executive director of the East Downtown Council, said, “It is not a secret that leaders from the downtown Minneapolis residential, business, and civic communities have been asking for new high-quality schools for years now. Thus, when Mill City approached us for a long-term lease it was with great enthusiasm that we began partnership conversations.

“Our city block in the heart of East Downtown is surging with more than $2 billion of redevelopment, including a new city park and collegiate level soccer field in Elliot Park. In my mind, this is an ideal time and place for Mill City to launch a program of global classical studies. It’s a perfect fit for all who live in or near downtown.” 

“We anticipate welcoming as many as 130 ninth and tenth graders for the 2015-16 academic year,” said John Miller, the school’s start-up director. “All roads lead to downtown, but it’s pretty much an education desert. We want to change that by offering students and families a high-quality, academically rigorous educational option. 

Mill City High website:

http://www.millcityhigh.org/

Gold Medal Park to Host Walker Sculptures

WALKER ART CENTER ANNOUNCES PLAN TO RELOCATE SCULPTURES DURING MINNEAPOLIS SCULPTURE GARDEN RECONSTRUCTION

NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH WEISMAN ART MUSEUM, MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ARTS, AND GOLD MEDAL PARK ALLOW FIVE SCULPTURES TO REMAIN ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC 

The Walker Art Center announced a number of sculptures from the institution’s collection on view in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden will temporarily relocate to the Weisman Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and Gold Medal Park this summer and remain on view during the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction Project.

Nearly all Garden artworks will be placed in storage during construction, but thanks to innovative partnerships with the Gold Medal Park Conservancy Fund, the MIA, and the Weisman, several of the most beloved sculptures will relocate through short- or long-term loans, and remain accessible to the public. The loans
are renewable each year and the partnering organizations have agreed to the arrangement for up to 5 years, after which time the loans will be reevaluated.

Brower Hatcher’s Prophecy of the Ancients(1988), Mark di Suvero’s Molecule (1977-83), and Tony Cragg’s Ordovician Pore (1989) will be loaned short-term to Gold Medal Park, which sits adjacent to and reunites with the Guthrie Theater, the Garden’s former neighbor.

COMING TO GOLD MEDAL PARK

Prophecy of the Ancients by Brower Hatcher

Brower Hatcher was trained in engineering and industrial design before he turned to sculpture in the early 1970s. In his stone and steel-mesh sculpture for the Garden, he melds the logic of an engineer with a visionary’s impulse to transcend time and space. A futuristic dome, composed of thousands of flexible wire polyhedrons, rests atop six mock-Egyptian columns in a blend of ancient and modern architectural styles. Embedded within the structure and seeming to hover in space are an assortment of common objects and abstract forms: a table, a ladder, a chair, a turtle (whose patterned shell recalls the gridded structure of the dome), random letters, numbers, discs, and dashes. Hatcher offers up these private symbols for universal interpretation, as viewers are inspired to construct their own meanings from the galaxy of images suspended above them.

Molecule by Mark di Suveros

The monumental scale and sweeping gestures of this red-painted sculpture are characteristic of the enormous outdoor structures Mark di Suvero has been making since the 1970s, using cranes to manipulate the massive industrial materials with which he works. Here, a pair of enormous steel beams meet at their ends, creating a triangular form that tips at an alarmingly improbable angle. At the point of the beams’ juncture are sections of two flat, centerless discs. A longer beam forms the final leg of the tripod, but travels on some 38 feet into the air, piercing a third disc interwoven with the other two at the point of intersection. The cumulative effect recalls all the visual and emotive force we attach to the atomic world: dynamic, red-hot, powerful, and strangely elegant. Molecule, like all of di Suvero’s large-scale sculptures, invites the viewer to inspect its lines and spaces from every angle.

Ordovician Pore by Tony Cragg

Trained as a scientist, Tony Cragg creates art that investigates the natural world. Yet if his sculptures comment on such topics as molecular structure, the human vascular system, or the Newtonian light spectrum, it is his use of man-made forms (either found or constructed) that transforms them into complex meditations on contemporary life. Here Cragg has constructed steel elements on a granite base—two smooth-surfaced concave cylindrical forms and two elemental biomorphic shapes—that comment on the Ordovician geological era of 500 million years ago, when oxygen was introduced into the atmosphere. While the oxygen gave rise to terrestrial life, it simultaneously killed off the species of algae that had produced it. The close resemblance of the cylinders to the cooling towers of nuclear power plants perhaps suggests an analogous life-death conundrum for our own technological age.

Scenes from the February 14 Mill City Farmers Market

Celebrating Valentine's Day at the Mill City Farmers Market.  :)

These hyacinths filled the air with a heavenly scent!

Cherry Flowers of Page & Flowers had a fun array of infused vinegars.  I love the combination of flavors she used.

New from Sunrise Creative Gourmet - fresh pizza!

I brought home a few packages of dried herbs from Urban Roots.

Thank you to MCFM Sponsor, The Wedge Community Co-op.  I wonder which lucky shopper won the $200 gift card...  :)

Amanda Paa signed copies of her book, Smitten with Squash.

Congratulations to Steven and Jodi of Shepherd's Way Farms on their successful Kickstarter campaign to finance a new barn!

Looking forward to a long soak in the tub with these magnesium bath flakes from Olsen Naturals.

Myfoodstand.com is a website dedicated to improving food transparency.  They're also on Facebook.

Friends of the Mississippi River Announces Annual Science Museum Event

Friends of the Mississippi River recently announced their annual Science Museum event will take place Thursday, March 26, 7-8:30pm at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

The High Price of Cheap Groundwater: Are We Flushing Our Future Downstream?

Capacity is limited and advance registration required. This event is free, and advance museum access and parking are included.
 
As reported in the FMR newsletter and multiple media outlets, groundwater levels are declining in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. FMR is proud to offer a special, localized presentation on this vital topic featuring Ali Elhassan of the Metropolitan Council and Dr. James Almendinger, Senior Scientist at the St. Croix Watershed Research Station of the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Learn more and secure your ticket.

Why We Support MacPhail Center for Music

Not that we needed a reminder, but this excerpt from a recent MacPhail Center for Music e-newsletter really speaks to our decision to be an ongoing contributor. Music is so important to a child's development!  :)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thanks to you, it has been another exceptional year for MacPhail students: 

• Enrollment expanded by 4,000 students over the past two years, an increase of over 44%.
• Music instruction was provided either free or at a greatly reduced cost to 7,000 students annually.
• Online school partnerships served 17 school districts in Greater Minnesota, teaching over 1,500 students regularly.

Tomorrow! Pick up Valentine's Treats at the Mill City Farmers Market inside the Mill City Museum

The Mill City Farmers Market returns to the Mill City Museum tomorrow, Feb 14, 10:00am - 1:00pm.

Find your favorite vendors on our vendor map!

Produce Planner: Beets, beans (dried), carrots, garlic, onions, pac choi, potatoes, radishes (black Spanish and watermelon varieties), salad greens, shallots, squash, and more!

Other farm-fresh goods: grass-fed beef, lamb, and bison, pastured pork, aquaculture trout, free-range eggs, sheep, goat and cow’s milk cheese, single-source honey, wild-harvested wild rice, MN maple syrup.

NEW! Fresh roasted hazelnuts.

Live Music, 11 am – 1 pm: Daddy Squeeze sets a festive tone at the Market today with his eclectic blend of Celtic, Tex-Mex, Creole, Blues, Jazz, Scandinavian, Polka and pop music.

Book Signing, all day:  Amanda Paa, author of Smitten with Squash, will be at the market today! She’ll be signing her cookbook, talking about the recipes & answering your questions about all things squash.

Art Market: Featuring Aprilierre, Crankosaurus Press, Crookedwood, Fresh Mud Pottery, Larissa Loden, Old World Cabinet, Sally Fritz Clothing, and Sassy Knitwear.

Sponsor Booth: The Wedge Community Co-op.

Community Booth, all day:
My Food Stand is a small start-up company working to make the Minneapolis food system more transparent. Stop by their booth and learn more about what they're all about.

Public Meeting: Don't Miss Your Chance to Provide Input on the Design of the New Downtown Park

February 24th at the Mill City Museum: This is your chance to provide direct input on the design of the new park adjacent to the new Vikings Stadium - Downtown East Commons.  Space will be limited, so please RSVP to help plan for seating.  The Mill District Neighborhood Association & Mill City Times are partnering on community engagement for this project.  Here's the link to RSVP and get complete meeting details:

https://DowntownCommons.eventbrite.com

Carnaval Brasileiro Returns to Minneapolis February 21

Via a February 5 News Release:

The most attended and longest-running annual Brazilian event in the Twin Cities takes a giant leap to the next level with the 13^th annual Carnaval Brasileiro on Saturday, February 21 at International Market Square. For the first time, Carnaval will have three performance stages, FREE on-site parking, a beautiful new venue with capacity for thousands, and VIP tickets with full Brazilian buffet (served 7-8:30). The VIP package also includes complimentary caipirinha (Brazil's national cocktail), a private exclusive Brazilian concert during dinner, a framed commemorative photo, and more.  The newly branded BrazilFest MN brings you, "Carnaval Brasileiro 2015" (Brazilian Carnival).

Over 80 singers, drummers, samba dancers, and artisans will transform International Market Square into an authentically festive Brazilian cultural experience!

Guitarist/vocalist Robert Everest and his ten-piece group Beira Mar Brasil will host the two events comprising Carnaval Brasileiro 2015: the BrazilFest Family Matinee in the afternoon and Carnaval Brasileiro Masquerade Ball in the evening.  Everest is a world music expert and leads a band steeped in the sounds of Brazil -- Samba, Axé, Frevo, Baião, and other dance-inducing styles from throughout the country. Singer and samba dancer extraordinaire, Dandara, will join Everest on stage.  Direct from Salvador da Bahia, Brazil’s famous party-loving city, Dandara performs at over 50 carnival celebrations around the world each year in Europe, North America, and of course, Brazil.  2015 will mark her ninth straight appearance in Carnaval Brasileiro of the Twin Cities!  For your indulgence, by-the-minute chair massage will be offered all day/night.

In addition to Dandara, Everest, and Beira Mar Brasil, other performers will include the 50 drummers from Brazilian percussion ensembles Batucada Do Norte and Drumheart, professional samba dancers Edilson Lima and Vanessa Luiz from São Paulo, Brazil, and the Brazilian martial arts group Omulu Capoeira of Minnesota. 

Carnaval guests will be able to purchase true Brazilian drinks (and a full Brazilian buffet by D'Amico Catering with a VIP admission), try out carnival masks created by master Brazilian artisan Goretti Aamot, or have their face and body painted (just like they do it in Rio!).

The all-ages afternoon family matinee will include mask and instrument making, dance lessons, rescued Brazilian parrots, and free face painting for kids.  Both afternoon and evening shows will take place at one of the premier event venues in the Twin Cities, International Market Square.

The annual Carnaval, celebrated throughout Brazil, lasts nearly a week and has roots dating back to the 1700s.  Like Mardi Gras, Carnaval is an all-out party with music, masks, dancing, food and drink - a final blowout before Lenten traditions kick in for the Easter season.  This Minneapolis edition of Carnaval falls a week after it is celebrated in Brazil, allowing for so many of the special guests to come to Minneapolis.

Carnaval Brasileiro 2015 Programming:

International Market Square, 275 Market Street, Minneapolis

3:00pm - 6:00pm (doors at 2:30) Family BrazilFest - Special All-ages Matinee
7:00pm - 8:30pm VIP Brazilian Buffet served.   
9:00pm - 2:000am (doors at 8:30) Evening Masquerade Ball (18+)  

TICKETS:    
9:00pm Evening Masquerade Ball: $20 in advance (through Feb. 20), $30 at the door.  The $75 VIP tickets include a full Brazilian buffet (served 7 - 8:30 pm), complimentary "caipirinha" (Brazil's favorite cocktail), special gifts, and exclusive access to the "camarote" --  a private platform next to the dance floor offering the best Carnaval experience!

Late night Brazilian buffet tickets (served 10:00 to Midnight) for the evening Masquerade Ball are $20 (must be purchased by February 13 to plan for meals).

3:00pm Afternoon Family BrazilFest: $10 in advance; $15 at the door.
Brazilian Buffet tickets (served 3:30 to 5:30 pm) at afternoon family matinee are $15 (must be purchased by February 13 to plan for the meals).
                
Event and Brazilian Buffet tickets available now at http://www.brazilfest.org/.

Energy Vision Advisory Committee (EVAC)

 

Via a February 11, 2015, e-newsletter from Mayor Betsy Hodges:

Dear Friend,

Last week I attended the first meeting of the newly formed Clean Energy Partnership board. It was an exciting day, one that showed the tangible results of this community’s efforts to achieve our clean energy goals, including reducing greenhouse gases, increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy, and making energy more affordable and reliable for everyone.
 
Read more about the Clean Energy Partnership here.
 
The Clean Energy Partnership is a first-of-its-kind City-utility collaboration that includes the City of Minneapolis, Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy. I'm proud to chair this board, as the City and the utilities work to make progress on our shared goals.
 
But we want the community involved in that work, too. After all, it was the community who helped us reach this point through its passion and advocacy.
 
Please consider applying to serve on the Energy Vision Advisory Committee (EVAC). This committee will play a critical role in shaping the partnership board’s work, providing feedback on the board’s work plan and performance reports, offering expertise, and representing Minneapolis communities.
 
We’re hoping to assemble a diverse board to represent a multitude of viewpoints, including labor and industry; public buildings; community organizations; business interests; students and academia; environmental justice, and more.
 
I'm hoping you’ll join us as we continue in this important work, preparing for our energy future.
 
Apply now for the Energy Vision Advisory Committee – applications are due February 20.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mayor Betsy Hodges
City of Minneapolis
 
P.S. To learn more about how I’m working to address the issues affecting our city, sign up for my e-mail update or check out my website or my blog.

Heads Up on the March 14 Get Lucky 7K Race

 

On Saturday, March 14th, 2015, Team Ortho Foundation will be hosting the Get Lucky 7K Race in Minneapolis. The Get Lucky 7K will have approximately 11,000 participants.  If you're not running yourself, come on out to cheer them on!  Team Ortho Foundation is happy to be the organizer of this and six other races they hold each year. Their mission is to keep people active and healthy, by organizing well-run races for new and veteran runners alike. They also serve the orthopaedic community by donating money to orthopaedic causes.

The residents and businesses along this course will be impacted as the course travels down South 2nd Street, 11th Avenue South and along West River Parkway. Please note Washington Avenue will remain open for vehicle traffic throughout the event.

Team Ortho has arranged temporary road closures and detours with the City of Minneapolis, the police and Parks departments regarding all event details. Warning Lites of Minnesota will also be working with Team Ortho on road closure signage and barricades.

During this time, cars and parking are not allowed on the streets. Please take this into account while making plans in the morning on March 14th. Your patience is appreciated as the runners work to complete this race.

Temporary Road Closures:
o From 7:30am until the last runner passes (approx. 12 Noon) South 2nd Street will be closed from 3rd Ave S to Portland Ave.
o From 8:45am until the last runner passes (approx. 10:00am) South 2nd Street will be closed from Portland Ave to 11th Ave S.
o From 8:00am until the last runner passes (approx. 10:00am) West River Parkway will be closed from Portland Ave to 11th Ave S.
o From 8:00am until the last runner passes (approx. 12 Noon) West River Parkway will be closed from Plymouth Ave N to Portland Ave.
o On the East bank, Main Street will also be closed between Father Hennepin Bluffs Park and Plymouth Avenue until the last runner passes.

The Minneapolis Police will reopen the roads after the last runner has passed.

Please mark your calendar and share this information with others who may also be impacted in your neighborhood.  You can see additional information and neighborhood detours on the website at http://www.getluckytc.org/. Team Ortho Foundation appreciates their relationship with the City of Minneapolis. They understand the impact this event has on our neighbors and thanks everyone in advance for your understanding and support.

NOTE - The Mill City Farmers Market will take place inside the Mill City Museum from 10am-1pm this same Saturday.  The MCFM staff has worked with the City and Team Ortho to assure the least amount of inconvenience is experienced by Farmers Market shoppers.

Met Council, Feds Agree with Mill City Times Poll - MPRB Is Not Obstructing Southwest LRT

In last weeks poll, we asked if Gov. Dayton should cut the MPRB's budget over there request for a park impact study.  Progress on the issue was made at last weeks MPRB meeting on Wednesday, when Met Council Chair Adam Duininck told the Board that he has never thought the MPRB was trying to kill the LRT project.  Earlier that day the Federal Transit Authority, after attending several working meetings between Met Council & MPRB staffers, weighed in and ordered the Met Council to conduct the pact study at the heart of the disagreement.  MPRB President Liz Wielinski & Met Council Reps also agreed that they can work together to avoid delays to the project.

Gov. Dayton has not yet commented on lifting his proposed budget cut for the MPRB.

Below: Met Council Chair Adam Duininck

Below: MPRB President Liz Wielinski

In the News - February 9, 2015

MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL ROOKIE FREY STANDS OUT AS CHEERLEADER

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/291170441.html

DOWNTOWN ADDED 1,383 RESIDENTS LAST YEAR

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/290698001.html

VIDEO: TOUR THE TRANSFORMING PILLSBURY "A" MILL

http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/290540141.html

RED COW OPENING THIRD RESTAURANT IN NORTH LOOP

http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_27473281/red-cow-opening-third-restaurant

BURGERS, BEERS, AND BOOZE: RED COW OPENS IN THE NORTH LOOP FEBRUARY 10

http://blogs.citypages.com/food/2015/02/cash_cow_third_location_of_the_red_cow_opens_in_the_north_loop_february_10th.php

LIVING WITH THE MISSISSIPPI: DR. KILVINGTON’S DUMPING GROUND

http://riverlife.umn.edu/2015/02/living-with-the-mississippi-dr-kilvingtons-dumping-ground/

BIKE LANES PLANNED FOR WASHINGTON IN NORTH LOOP

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed/bike-lanes-planned-for-washington-in-north-loop

[MAP] HOW MINNEAPOLIS IS ZONED

http://www.minnpost.com/data/2015/02/how-minneapolis-zoned

RIVERFRONT CONDO FETCHES $4.235 MILLION

http://www.startribune.com/blogs/290325181.html

Symphony Hydro Permit for St. Anthony Falls Lock Denied

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has denied Symphony Hydro a permit to build a hydroelectric plan in the lock at St. Anthony Falls.  The denial comes after opposition from both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of the Interior on grounds that it would interfere with a mandate to use the lock for emergency flood control.  From the FERC ruling:

The Director orders:

(A)   The preliminary permit application filed by Symphony Hydro LLC on June 26, 2014 for the Symphony Hydro Project No. 14627 is denied.

(B)   This order constitutes final agency action.  Any party may file a request for rehearing of this order within 30 days of the date of its issuance, as provided in section 313(a) of the Federal Power Act, 16 U.S.C. § 825l (2012), and section 385.713 of the Commission’s regulations, 18 C.F.R. § 385.713 (2014). 

Symphony does have the right to appeal the denial, so the application is not yet dead.

Download the FERC denial...

Minneapolis Police Department Looking for Speakers for Community Engagement Series with Officers

Via a February 8 City of Minneapolis e-newsletter:

Minneapolis Police Department Looking for Speakers for Community Engagement Series with Officers

February 6, 2015 (MINNEAPOLIS) As part of the Minneapolis Police Department’s increased focus on continuous community engagement, we are seeking qualified speakers to share neighborhood perspectives and local history with our Officers on a Precinct level. The MPD Community Speaker Series will enable Officers and Supervisors to learn from the select speakers’ insight, giving them a broader view of the communities they serve.
 
So far we have identified several great speakers, but the MPD is also looking for more. Send your name, address and an explanation on how you would present community perspectives, local history and ways to build partnerships with the Officers in your local police precinct to:

Scott.seroka@minneapolismn.gov

Please use “Community Speaker Series” in the subject line of your email. We will go through each entry and respond to your individual inquiry.

Mpls Lantern Fest Free Workshops Kick Off Today

What:   Mpls Lantern Fest Free Workshops
When:   Beginning Saturday, February 7, 2015
Where:  Various Convenient Minneapolis Locations

The first ever Mpls Lantern Fest will Light the Winter Night on February 21 from 5 pm-8 pm in Downtown Minneapolis at Marquette Plaza. Come take part in the festivities complete with illuminated lanterns, music, food and more. Or participate and be a part of the experience: bring friends and family of all ages and abilities to a free lantern making workshop.

Upcoming workshops include:
· Saturday, February 7: Intermedia Arts Gallery (2822 Lyndale Ave. S) | 1 pm-3 pm
· Thursday, February 12: Juxtaposition Arts (1108 W Broadway Ave.) | 5 pm-8 pm
· Saturday, February 14: Intermedia Arts Gallery (2822 Lyndale Ave. S.) | 10 am-12 pm
· Saturday, February 14: Grace Center (1500 6th St. NE) | 2 pm-5 pm
· Sunday, February 15: Grace Center (1500 6th St. NE) | 12 pm-3 pm

Build your own paper lantern with the help and guidance of In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre teaching artists at one of several Lantern Fest workshops. Workshops are free and open to all ages and abilities. All supplies are provided. Additional workshops will be located at convenient locations throughout Minneapolis between Feb. 7 and Feb. 20.

In the Heart of the Beast teaching artists will be demonstrating how to construct the lanterns throughout each workshop, so stop by any time. Teaching artists Nicole Amaris, Eric Avery, Amy Ballestad, Bart Buch, Seth Eberle and Sandy Spieler will conduct the lantern workshops throughout Minneapolis.

Mpls Lantern Fest is produced by the Minneapolis Downtown Council in partnership with In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.

For more information on the event and on future workshops, visit www.downtownmpls.com/mplslanternfest.

Ollu Dog Wash & Grooming Salon is Moving

Via a February 5 e-newsletter from Ollu Dog Wash:

It's almost packing time! As most of you already know, we're in the process of moving to a new location. Construction is underway, however like all construction projects, it's taking a wee bit longer than we had expected.  We are now planning on a March move-in date. The transition should be smooth, and we expect very little 'down time' in between. This month you can start to look for our sign at our Marshall St. NE location - it'll be put up sometime in the next few weeks! Stay tuned via our newsletters and Facebook page!

Even though we're moving we'll still be the same Ollu you know and love. The look and feel of our new location will be very similar, so don't worry about not recognizing us.  We'll even have the same trusty tubs for your dog to get sudsed up in! And of course, as always, we'll have knowledgeable staff with smiling faces to welcome you.

For directions to our new location, click here.

[Photos] Nicollet Hotel Block to be Developed by United Properties

The City of Minneapolis CPED has recommended United Properties, a real estate company owned by the Pohlad family, to build a multiuse tower and hotel complex on the Nicollet Hotel Block at the north end of Nicollet Mall.

It will be 36 stories, and include 300 residential units, as well as a Hilton Hotel.  It's expected to go before the City Council for approval by early April.

Attend the public unveiling Monday, February 16, more details here...

Attend the public unveiling Monday, February 16, more details here...

Heavy Hitter Joins Minneapolis Parks Foundation, Move Bodes Well for Riverfront Projects

Bruce Chamberlain to focus on Water Works and Hall’s Island/Scherer projects.

Until recently Chamberlain was Assistant Superintendent for Planning for the MPRB, and helped guide the St. Anthony Regional Park Master Plan creation.  Nice move MPF.

Minneapolis Parks Foundation announces the Minneapolis Parks Fellow program

Bruce Chamberlain takes the inaugural Minneapolis Parks Fellow position this month

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation announced yesterday at the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board Commissioners Meeting that Bruce Chamberlain is the inaugural Minneapolis Parks Fellow, a new program the Parks Foundation debuted this month to elevate its expertise in design and city-building and expand its commitment to ensure the long-term vitality of the nationally recognized Minneapolis park system. Chamberlain is the immediate past-Assistant Superintendent for Planning with the Minneapolis Park Board and an award-winning landscape architect and urban designer.

"The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is invested in forward-thinking park innovations that help Minneapolis remain second-to-none when it comes to urban parks. As Minneapolis evolves, it is paramount that we continue to reimagine how our parks are woven into the city's fabric and the lives of the people who live, work, and visit Minneapolis,” says Tom Evers, Executive Director of MPF. “Bruce brings to the Parks Foundation the perfect blend of skills that will allow us to bridge vision to implementation required by bold private/public initiatives. We're thrilled to have him help shape a new generation of parks in Minneapolis." 

The Parks Fellow is a contract position of the Parks Foundation that leverages expertise in park design, planning and implementation to address significant opportunities and issues facing the park system today and in the future. Parks Fellows will have expertise in critical skills, such as design, planning, recreation or operations. In addition, Minneapolis Parks Fellows will provide visionary and strategic guidance to selected projects involving public and private partners, especially the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, along with the City of Minneapolis and other public and private interests.  MPF funds the Minneapolis Parks Fellow program with generous support from institutional grants and individual gifts.

Chamberlain takes the position in February and will serve a two-year term. His work will focus on RiverFirst and two of its signature projects – the Water Works and Hall’s Island/Scherer sites, both on the Mississippi Riverfront. MPF identified RiverFirst because of its transformative potential for three communities – North, Northeast and Downtown Minneapolis – historically under-resourced by parks. In addition, the Parks Foundation’s history of private-sector leadership in RiverFirst, the projects’ advancing development and broad local and regional support make the time right to maintain its momentum. Please see MplsParksFoundation.org for more information about the Parks Fellow program and its 2015-16 focus.

“Cities around the world are leveraging park investments to accomplish transformative urban redevelopment efforts. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation has played a pivotal role in partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, the National Park Service, the Minnesota Historical Society and others to propel the city’s generational return to the Mississippi River as a celebrated urban amenity,” says Chamberlain. “ As the Minneapolis Parks Fellow, I am pleased to focus significant expertise in furthering RiverFirst and Water Works, key Minneapolis riverfront park initiatives that hold the power to transform, forever, the city’s embrace of its river corridor.”

Prior to his term at the Minneapolis Park Board, Chamberlain served as vice-president of Minneapolis-based Hoisington Koegler Group Inc., where he led a variety of complex city-building efforts, including St. Paul’s Great River Park Master Plan.  During his three-year term at the Minneapolis Park Board, Chamberlain formed an in-house design and planning team and established a broad tone of excellence, while transformed the organization’s approach to community engagement and bolstering community trust. He was also responsible for constructing more than $45 million in capital improvements, completing numerous planning initiatives and steering the bold riverfront vision of RiverFirst.

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. The Parks Foundation’s signature projects are the RiverFirst Initiative and Water Works, two design-based adaptive reuse parks projects on the Minneapolis riverfront, and the Next Generation of Parks Lecture Series. Beginning in 2015, the Parks Foundation will also provide key philanthropic support for park enhancements in neighborhood parks, with a special attention to under-resourced communities; invest in pilot programs and activities that provide new opportunities for people to better connect to each other and our city through their parks; and champion the value of parks and the Minneapolis Parks System through community conversations around national and international park trends and engage volunteers in community-wide, high-impact volunteer activities.

1010 Washington Wine & Spirits

Via a February 4 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits e-newsletter:

Sorella Wine & Spirits is Now 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits

We welcome you to explore the exciting changes in store!
 
As the former home of The Liquor Depot and Sorella Wine & Spirits, 1010 Washington Avenue has been home to one of the Twin Cities' busiest wine and spirits retailers for over forty years. Under new ownership, 1010 Washington Wine & Spirits is reinventing the tradition of excellent retail to this landmark Downtown Minneapolis address.
 
Over the course of the past month, new ownership has quickly expanded our selection of boutique and nationally advertised wines. In the months to come, you will also see a compelling expansion to our hand-selected beer and spirits sections.
 
1010 Washington would like to earn your loyal business by offering you the market's most competitive pricing along side personalized service to help you find what you like.

We look forward to making your acquaintance at the store!

Sincerely,
Jack Goldenberg | Proprietor
Don Hanson | General Manager
Rob Bonelli | Fine Wine Buyer

Free indoor parking | Delivery | Beverage Event Planning | Special Requests