Hiawatha-Lake - Minnehaha - Downtown Longfellow
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- Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Interesting info at the end of the article I thought was useful to share easily:
What happens to groups of homeless people who congregate in visible places for a time, and then disappear?
The encampment of mostly Native Americans at the Hi-Lake Intersection has disappeared, following a murder there on Oct. 3.
The American Indian Development Council has been able to secure funding from the State of Minnesota and Hennepin County to open a housing facility for Native Americans with substance use issues. It will be a “low barrier” facility, meaning that residents can be admitted whether or not they are sober. The South Minneapolis facility will have up to 18 beds, be culturally specific to Native Americans, and will open in November.
The opening of this facility is an important piece of the conversation around humanizing Hi-Lake: finding a place where people who need help can go. Heidi Johnson McAllister, Corcoran Neighborhood Association executive director, said, “Improvement of the Hi-Lake Intersection, to me, means that the underlying social issues are addressed as well as the physical problems of infrastructure.”
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Wow, there's a heroin epidemic around here? I didn't even know.
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
It's part of the larger opioid epidemic. When people can't get prescription drugs anymore they go for heroin since it's cheaper and more available.
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Well I'm glad to hear there is a larger project to improve that intersection and provide more resources to help the people that hang around there. During the summer I don't go through there much on foot since I'm usually riding my bike up the trail to the north to work, but in the colder months I walk over and hop on the train at Lake. I will be so glad when someday I can go in that station and not have to hold my breath/cover my nose from the stench of urine everywhere.
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
I will be so happy to have all of this done to have something other than empty parking lots and buildings by my house. It's going to look fantastic!
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- Wells Fargo Center
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Good article, too bad there's a bunch of incorrect East/West references in it. Seems as though the author has some troubles understanding the difference! Wow...
For instance: "The Minnehaha Crossing project marks the first time the Wellington Group has embarked on a project to the west of Hiawatha."
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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- Location: Longfellow
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Despite the cold the work on the school they a rebuilding from the back half of the old rainbow is looking great. Much more interesting facade than the square ass of a grocery store.
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- City Center
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Minneapolis recently released a "Draft Action Plan" as part of Phase 2 of the Hi-Lake interchange study.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/2016/hilakestudy
It seems to have prioritized some possible improvements from the engineering study and report that came out in 2016. The improvements are separated into near, mid, and long term baskets per the implementation timeline but it's not clear if or when any of these will actually be done. Nearly all of the improvements other than aesthetic (lighting, greening, artwork) are listed as "not compatible" with the tight diamond conformation that has been proposed as a long term fix for the intersection.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/2016/hilakestudy
It seems to have prioritized some possible improvements from the engineering study and report that came out in 2016. The improvements are separated into near, mid, and long term baskets per the implementation timeline but it's not clear if or when any of these will actually be done. Nearly all of the improvements other than aesthetic (lighting, greening, artwork) are listed as "not compatible" with the tight diamond conformation that has been proposed as a long term fix for the intersection.
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
And it also does not address the integration of the Hiawatha LRT trail gap project at all.
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/fut ... -trail-gap
http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/cip/fut ... -trail-gap
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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- Joined: April 26th, 2017, 7:36 am
- Location: Longfellow
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
It's going to be a drag when Hi-Lake intersection is all torn up but I'm looking forward to the progress. It sorely needs it.
Also the charter school on the backside of the former Rainbow is coming along nicely. The exterior looks to be mostly complete. Not sure of the timeline on when that will be all finalized. I'm looking forward to whenever they start doing work on the front side and putting stuff in the old strip/old Rainbow.
Also the charter school on the backside of the former Rainbow is coming along nicely. The exterior looks to be mostly complete. Not sure of the timeline on when that will be all finalized. I'm looking forward to whenever they start doing work on the front side and putting stuff in the old strip/old Rainbow.
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- Stone Arch Bridge
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Seems strange that the city and railroad didn't coordinate doing the closures at the same time for these projects that are essentially in the same intersection.
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- City Center
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
I don't think there is going to be a point where Hi-Lake is "all torn up" anytime soon. Any of the major tier 3 changes identified in the Hi-Lake study are years out if they happen at all. Some of the tier 1 improvements from that study may happen this construction season but they would mostly be reclaiming road space for pedestrians, likely with plastic stanchions/bollards on a trial basis. The right turn lane in the westbound lane on the west side of the intersection may also get temporarily removed. A platform would be put in place there so the bus stop could be closer to the street.
The Hiawatha Trail Gap project will utilize the existing pedestrian crosswalk. There may be some improvements to the crosswalk itself (green paint?) and it looks like a portion of the concrete median on Lake may be removed. I don't think they are tearing into the road surface at all though.
The Hiawatha Trail Gap project will utilize the existing pedestrian crosswalk. There may be some improvements to the crosswalk itself (green paint?) and it looks like a portion of the concrete median on Lake may be removed. I don't think they are tearing into the road surface at all though.
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, Cub, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Well the charter school they built onto the back half of the old Rainbow looks to be nearing the end. Exterior is all done, and all the pavement for parking lot/sidewalk has been poured back in. I'm not entirely sure how the inside looks but given the temporary spot for the charter school on the front of the Rainbow appears to be emptying out I think they're getting moved into the new construction.
Not sure what happened in regards to the other construction plans that were supposed to start sometime this year in regards to that lot. Namely, stores in the old side store areas on either side of the Rainbow, an ALDI going into a portion of the old rainbow, and some housing being built in the Rainbow parking lot that was one of those 1st floor stores and 4-5 floors of housing above.
Not sure what happened in regards to the other construction plans that were supposed to start sometime this year in regards to that lot. Namely, stores in the old side store areas on either side of the Rainbow, an ALDI going into a portion of the old rainbow, and some housing being built in the Rainbow parking lot that was one of those 1st floor stores and 4-5 floors of housing above.
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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- Joined: April 26th, 2017, 7:36 am
- Location: Longfellow
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Landscaping and such around the charter school behind the old Rainbow appears to be all done. Mix of trees/shrubs/grass. They also paved the previously gravel lot behind Schooner Tavern so that's all kind of connects into the new parking by the school as well. The classrooms previously on the front of the Rainbow are empty and I've been seeing things in the windows of the new part so it looks like the interior must be complete or very near since all the materials have been moved over.
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- Stone Arch Bridge
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
Are we still assuming a new Aldi here will complement rather than replace the existing Aldi just west of Hiawatha?
- Mooglemuffins
- Nicollet Mall
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Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
I believe so yes. According to what they presented at the meeting last year they found that having another ALDI here served a different demographic that complemented that other one even though they are pretty close together. Or in other words, the existing ALDI seems to mainly serve the Somali community living in the low income housing right there around it while this ALDI would serve the single-family home dwelling Longfellow populace.
Re: Hi-Lake - Minnehaha Mall (Target, etc.) - Downtown Longfellow
There is an upcoming community meeting on Thursday, July 26 at 6 PM - 8 PM, for the new plaza for the Midtown Farmers Market.
https://www.facebook.com/events/461882270939621/
https://www.facebook.com/events/461882270939621/
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