Trader Joes (Lyndale and 27th)

[Nathan]

If the residents of Uptown want to shop there, it would be awesome if they walked or biked. The beauty of the parking lot is that the people from the suburbs can park there, and spend their money in Uptown instead of St. Louis Park or Bloomington. This seems like a pretty big missed opportunity.

The thing is the residents of uptown DO walk and BIKE everywhere. Which means on Lyndale. We DON'T want a suburban soccer mom screaming at her kids trying to make a left turn over the top of us. That is not the location or the architecture for a destination grocery store. There is a lot more that goes into a site and a building than the immediacy of 3 buck chuck. It's just not worth getting rid of at least the two two story buildings that are beautiful old brick buildings creating a great urban neighborhood feel for a parking lot.

[Nick]

If the residents of Uptown want to shop there, it would be awesome if they walked or biked. The beauty of the parking lot is that the people from the suburbs can park there, and spend their money in Uptown instead of St. Louis Park or Bloomington. This seems like a pretty big missed opportunity.

The thing is the residents of uptown DO walk and BIKE everywhere. Which means on Lyndale. We DON'T want a suburban soccer mom screaming at her kids trying to make a left turn over the top of us. That is not the location or the architecture for a destination grocery store. There is a lot more that goes into a site and a building than the immediacy of 3 buck chuck. It's just not worth getting rid of at least the two two story buildings that are beautiful old brick buildings creating a great urban neighborhood feel for a parking lot.

I think this sums everything up pretty well.

Furthermore, there are three Trader Joe's stores in the Western Suburbs already. I don't see why we need to accomodate more autocentric development in the city when people who are driving for all their everything are already being served.

[Wedgeguy]

How about for the neighbors that are 1 to 10 blocks away. Are we to have to get into our cars to go to a Trader Joes because we can't figure out an econimical alternative to this plan. I already present on above. The developer just has to take the bull by the horns and work to make it fit in to the fabric.. Greenleaf shows that hopusing above can work and TJ has other stores in other urband area where this works. The developer is just lazy in my opinion. There is a Gold mine on that corner. You just have to come up with a product that will satisfy the comstituants of the HOOD and CITY HALL! Remeber even people in the neighborhood are not going to walk to the grocery store in the rain or snowstorm, So get real and think beyond your blinders!

[seanrichardryan]

The property owners had 2 opportunities to change their zoning in the last 3 years. Why didn't they do it then?

[twincitizen]

Without getting into the fray of things, IMO the best possible outcome for Trader Joe's AND Greater Uptown is a store at the corner of a re-opened Lake & Nicollet.

[Wedgeguy]

Can't get a liquor store in that spot. Other liquor stores are already have that area covered. You sure can have a grocery store in the developement. Jerry's SV is in there now.

[woofner]

Can't get a liquor store in that spot. Other liquor stores are already have that area covered. You sure can have a grocery store in the developement. Jerry's SV is in there now.

I feel like they could persuade Old Arizona to give up their license, since that's more of a hobby than a business seemingly. In that case you could probably squeeze a liquor store in along 1st Ave.

[Wedgeguy]

There is already a fairly new liquor store just off LAke and Pleasant. Wine and spirits. Just open a few years ago.

[woofner]

There is already a fairly new liquor store just off LAke and Pleasant. Wine and spirits. Just open a few years ago.

Yes, Lake Wine and Cheese is probably my 2nd favorite liquor store next to Zipps, and its front door is more than 2000' away from 1st Ave S.

[Wedgeguy]

OK must just be on the fringe then.

[twincitizen]

If it's door to door, I think you could possibly get a liquor store on the 1st Avenue side of the K-Mart parcel, measuring from Lake Wine & Cheese's front door (which is actually west of Grand, not Pleasant).

[Wedgeguy]

Your right, PLeasant is Popeye's Chicken!! Knew there was a reason that intersection stuck in my head!

[ECtransplant]

http://finance-commerce.com/2012/07/top ... ersection/

[mplser]

I hope they keep those 2 houses though!

[seanrichardryan]

Was it the same couple that own the grand and lake liquor store?

[mulad]

Yep, Binh Le, owner of Lake Wine & Spirits.

Sounds like the purchase leaves the old project at the site (by Don Gerberding of Master Properties Minnesota) a bit up in the air -- a plan for an 11,000 s.f. liquor store and a new 4,000 s.f. building for the Flanders Bros. Cycle company that's currently on the site. The F&C article just says Gerberding couldn't be reached for comment, so it's hard to say if he's dropped his plans or what (the seller was someone else), though his plans would have required rezoning similar to that of the Trader Joe's proposal.

[seanrichardryan]

Ok, can't read the finance and commerce article, but, we knew they bought property across lyndale voiding the large flanders cycle/ liquor store project. So did they purchase parcels of the TJs project?

[mulad]

No, the article was only talking about the purchase of land on the southeast corner of the intersection, across the street from the potential Trader Joe's site. Obviously, if they put a liquor store on the east side of the street, that would prevent TJ's or anyone else who develops the west side from selling alcohol under the current regulations.

[MNdible]

My understanding is that one owner can only have one liquor license in the City of Minneapolis, so the Le's would not be able to open a liquor store at this location.

[woofner]

The F&C article kinda contradicts the information provided by Master at the February Whittier Community Issues Committee meeting. At that point, the Les apparently already had a purchase agreement for the property - I interpret that as a move to block the liquor store, not to open their own - so Master claimed they had dropped the idea of a liquor store. I don't know if F&C learned subsequently that they were still planning on a liquor store there, or if they just missed this info.