Nicollet Island/East Bank Neighborhood Association (NIEBNA)
CITY TO SELL ST. ANTHONY PARKING RAMP: Emily Stern from the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) department told the board that the city has issued requests for proposals (RFP) for eight of its parking ramps. One of the ramps up for sale is the St. Anthony ramp, on the corner of Southeast Second Street and Central Avenue. The city is hoping that the sale of the ramps can help rebuild the parking fund and alleviate pressure on the general fund.
The city is willing to consider proposals to tear down ramps and redevelop the land. CPED will take its recommendation to City Council in mid- to late June. If the accepted plan involves redevelopment, CPED plans to come back to the neighborhood for input.
Residents and board members expressed their concern over the possible loss of what they view as critical parking for the area. Kit Richardson of Schafer Richardson, the lead developer of East Bank Mills, the Pillsbury A Mill residential and retail complex, told Stern that the retailers with whom he’s meeting are counting on at least 650 parking stalls. Board president Victor Grambsch explained that the private ramps have ignored agreements they’ve made with the neighborhood and refused to work with local merchants. Stern promised to take their input back to CPED.
CROWN HYDRO PROJECT STILL A CONCERN: Neighborhood residents expressed their concern that the proposed Crown Hydro plant will have an adverse effect on the viability and aesthetics of the stretch of river by Nicollet Island including St. Anthony Falls. Crown Hydro’s operations will likely slow or stop water flow over the falls during the course of its daily operations.
Kit Richardson told the board that he and Crown Hydro are meeting to discuss the possibility of putting their plant in the basement of the Pillsbury A Mill development. He thinks that this might help to mitigate the negative impact on the river.
ANNUAL MEETING: NIEBNA will hold its annual meeting on June 27 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at either Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church at 1 Lourdes Place or Rachel’s Café at 222 East Hennepin. The exact location and agenda will be available on NIEBNA’s new Web site (www.niebna.org), which the board hopes to launch soon.
R&R SOCIAL CLUB: The R&R Social Club will be cruising on the Mississippi River on the Minneapolis Queen and Paradise Lady on May 23 from 5 p.m.–9 p.m.
NEXT: Annual meeting, June 27, 2007
MEETINGS: 3rd Monday bimonthly, 6:30 p.m., location TBA
CONTACT: Victor Grambsch, pvictor@eudaemonics.com
BORDERS: Apex of Central and Hennepin avenues to Mississippi River, Nicollet Island
last revised: May 22, 2007