Breaking Ground on East Franklin east of the Mpls. American Indian Center and south of Anishinabe Wakiagun to build Anishinabe Bii Gii Wii a 32 unit,3-story, multifamily affordable housing facility.
Breaking Ground has people dancing on East Lake St. & Hiawatha for Hennepin Cty Service Center/Office 5 stories along Lake S. + retail spaces and Midtown Farmer”'s Market east of here along the Light Rail.
BY HARVEY WINJE
A Groundswell of disappointment, anger and resentment toward City of Mpls. politicians and bureaucrats by East Phillips residents that opposed the City”'s purchasing the Roof Depot site to use as the Water Dept. Yard has happened. The City buys Roof Depot site!
An honest, straightforward process could have been respected but the lack of transparency and excess of surreptitious manuvering by the City threatens future relationships.
The oldest residents of South Minneapolis can recall similar opposition by thousands of people to the building of an incinerator next to Pioneer and Soldiers Cemetery in the late 1930”'s. The local Councilmember was also in opposition as were religious and veterans”' groups, school alumni associations, scout troops, and more that united under Southside Minneapolis Association with meetings at the old South High of 3,000 people and attendance at Council of 300 people. Because the mayor opposed the project, it was a Passed Vote while he was away from the City. Advocates claimed its necessity was to be able to burn the excessive garbage after a “bumper-crop” year of gardening.
If the City would have had resident composting available then, we wouldn”'t have the smoke stack now or the garbage transfer station.
These are two examples of Disengagement between Voters and The City. There have been many more in the decades between them.
