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Blast Blow Dry Bar will soon be occupying the space at 940 Washington Avenue South. That's the corner space next to Mens Dept. on the retail level of Aloft. This isn't a full service salon - no cuts, colors, manicures, etc. It's where you go when you need a wash, blow dry and style for a special occasion. Allison Kaplan first blogged about it on Mpls St. Paul in February.
Last night the DMNA endorsed the site plan for the Izzy's Ice Cream project across from Gold Medal Park in the Mill District of Minneapolis.
The building has a new design, and in a major change, will include an ice cream parlor where they'll scoop cones and make homemade waffles cones right onsite. Another significant announcement shared at the meeting was the addition of outdoor seating, including benches and 4 tables.
The project has weathered intense neighborhood opposition, including from Mill City Times, at previous meetings, but encountered almost none at last night's meeting. The changes announced by Izzy's owner Jeff Sommers last night change the nature of this project significantly. We think it will be an amenity for the neighborhood, the park, and the visitors from all over the region who use the park daily.
Kudos to Sommers and CPED Project Manager Miles Mercer for listening to the concerns of the community and coming up with a much improved project.
Sing Your Song is an up-close look at a great American, Harry Belafonte. A champion for worldwide civil and human rights, Belafonte is one of the truly heroic cultural and political figures of the past 60 years. The film charts Belafonte’s life - from his birth in New York and youth in Jamaica, and return to Harlem in his early teens where he discovers the American Negro Theater and the magic of performing. From there the film follows Belafonte’s rise from the jazz and folk clubs of Greenwich Village and Harlem to his emergence as a star, and as an activist.
Sing your Song presents a look at the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of an insider, someone who, despite his high profile, wasn’t afraid to spend time in the trenches. From Harlem to Mississippi to Africa to South Central Los Angeles, Sing Your Song takes us on a journey through Belafonte’s life, work and, most of all, his conscience, as it inspires us all to action! – S2BN Films.
Below is a graphic cut from the Izzy's site plan to be presented tonight at the DMNA meeting (see post below).
If the plan is indeed to sell ice cream cones, like a real ice cream parlor, this facility could be a real amenity for the Mill District neighborhood. Will they be open retail hours? That would be icing on the cake. Attend the DMNA meeting tonight to find out!
On the Agenda - Presentation of the Izzy's Ice Cream site plan and other planning applications by owner Jeff Sommers, architect David Salmela and CPED Project Coordinator Miles Mercer.
Sometime overnight between Saturday, March 10, and Sunday, March 11, vandals defaced the red tile elevators at the Pillsbury "A" Mill on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront.
If you look at one of the closer up photos you can see that the criminal signed his name "Noah" as part of the J. However, given that the letters are about 8-10 feet high and stretch across the entire building, I would speculate more than 1 vandal was involved.
We took the before picture at 5:45 PM on Saturday, March 10, 2012. Upon awakening this morning, something seemed amiss while having coffee on our balcony, prompting me to check our photos from the previous evening.
Each Monday morning we provide an easy to reference list of events and activities for the week ahead in the Mill City neighborhood. Submit your events here...
Eastbound night lane closures on Washington Ave. Bridge March 7 – 9
All eastbound lanes on the Washington Avenue Bridge will close to traffic overnight on Wednesday, March, 7, Thursday, March 8, and Friday, March 9 from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. All westbound lanes on the bridge will stay open to traffic.
Eastbound lanes will close from the ramp to Cedar Avenue South to the east side of the river. Access to Cedar Avenue will remain open at all times. A signed detour will be posted.
Northbound ramp from I-35W to S 3rd St. to close Thursday, March 8
The ramp from northbound I-35W to South 3rd Street will close from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 8 to allow for Central Corridor Light Rail construction.
Northbound ramp from SE 4th St. to I-35W to close March 10 - 23
The ramp from Southeast 4th Street to north bound I-35W will close for a period of two weeks beginning at 6 a.m., Saturday, March 10. The ramp is scheduled to reopen on Friday, March 23.
During this two-week period, traffic will be detoured north to New Brighton Boulevard in order to access northbound I-35W. This closure is needed to allow crews to work on the water main under the roadway.
On the Agenda - Presentation of the site plan and other planning applications by owner Jeff Sommers, architect David Salmela and CPED Project Coordinator Miles Mercer.
Behind The Scenes, the new women’s clothing boutique located at 1026 Washington Avenue South, celebrated it's Grand Opening on Saturday, March 3.
Owners India and Laura (below) have created a bright, welcoming store offering beautiful (yet affordable) clothing, jewelry, scarves, belts and purses.
Sizes range from 0 to 14, depending on the line. Styles run the gamut from to casual to dressy, with a sprectrum of gorgeous colors and prints to choose from.
Above, India's mom took a moment to show me one of the many unique pieces available. As Saturday's crowd would indicate, Behind The Scenes is a much needed shop in our neighborhood - both for residents and women who work in the area.
The store is roomy, there's plenty of dressing room space, and full length mirrors are positioned throughout the store. The lounge area is a nice touch, too!
Check out this slideshow for an expanded look at the store, clothing and accessories:
Behind The Scenes is open daily (Sun Noon-6p; Fri-Sat 11a-9p; Mon-Thur 11a-8p), and Laura mentioned gift cards will be available soon. You can follow them on Facebook and Twitter, or reach them at 612-564-4144.
"A celebration of singer, actor and social activist Harry Belafonte, "Sing Your Song" does three things only a superior bio-doc can do: Tell a stirring life story, place that life in the context of its times, and portray it with the kind of depth and breadth that makes you wonder why it hasn't been told before." - Variety
Wonderfully archived, and told with a remarkable sense of intimacy, visual style, and musical panache, Susanne Rostock’s inspiring biographical documentary, Sing Your Song, surveys the life and times of singer/actor/activist Harry Belafonte. From his rise to fame as a singer, inspired by Paul Robeson, and his experiences touring a segregated country, to his provocative crossover into Hollywood, Belafonte’s groundbreaking career personifies the American civil rights movement and impacted many other social-justice movements.
Rostock reveals Belafonte as a tenacious hands-on activist, who worked intimately with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., mobilized celebrities for social justice, participated in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and took action to counter gang violence, prisons, and the incarceration of youth.
Because of his beliefs, Belafonte drew unwarranted invasions by the FBI into both his personal life and career, which led to years of struggle. But an indomitable sense of optimism motivates his path even today as he continues to ask, at 84, "What do we do now?" His example may very well inspire you to action. S2BN Films
Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle (MS&R), lead architects and HR&A Advisors, economic development consultants, present conceptual designs for the planned Water Works Park on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront. Visit the project tracking page for a complete history of the Water Works project...
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Analysis & Concepts
Part 3 - Questions & Answers
Update on Monday, March 5, 2012 at 11:20AM by
David Tinjum
Each Monday morning we provide an easy to reference list of events and activities for the week ahead in the Mill City neighborhood. Submit your events here...
WCCO was at The Soap Factory yesterday for the opening of the third edition of Art(ists) On the Verge presented by Northern Lights.mn.
AOV is an intensive, year-long, mentor-based fellowship program for emerging artists working experimentally at the intersection of art, technology, and digital culture with a focus on network-based practices that are interactive and/or participatory.
Friday, March 16, 2012 at 12:01PM
