‘Cover Stories’ Archives
New Direction for East Phillips Urban Farm Derailed by Mayor Frey’s Veto
Update: On March 24, the Minneapolis City Council upheld Mayor Frey's veto of CM Chavez' motion by a vote of 7-6. At the March 24 City Council meeting, CM Chavez said he hoped to bring a new motion forward at the next full council meeting on April 7. Look for an update on that in the May issue of the alley. By Lindsey Fenner At the March 10 City Council meeting, new Ward 9 Councilmember Jason Chavez put forward a motion that rescinded the council action last fall that gave a green light to the expansion of the Public Works facility at 1901 E 26th Street. Chavez’ motion gave the East Phillips Urban Farm project a new way forward on that parcel. It also explicitly included the public works training facility that had been left out of the last council action, stopped demolition of the former Roof Depot Building, instructed city staff to find funding options to repay the Water Fund, and required community stakeholders to make formal proposals for redevelopment of that [...]
Challenging Responsibility
Interview with Amy Koehnen of Ebenezer Senior Living, Part One Editors note: When this article was first published online we incorrectly stated that if you are unvaccinated you can work at Ebenezer. This error has been corrected. By DWIGHT HOBBES The corona virus contagion threw South Minneapolis businesses for a loop. Those that haven’t closed are fighting to hold on. On top of which the highly contagious Omicron variant continues spreading across the country, eclipsing those fueled by the Delta variant over last summer: businesses are far from full strength. "There are many places in the country where hospitalizations now are increasing," Dr. William Schaffner of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, told CNN in December. As of January, the rate of infections in Hennepin County is “very high”, according to the New York Times. Ebenezer shoulders the unenviable responsibility to not only stay in business – after all, the bottom line [...]
Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore to Open in New Location
by Carz Nelson Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and its twin, Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore, will reopen soon in a new location. The two stores, known collectively as the Uncles, were burned to the ground during the George Floyd Uprising in 2020. In the January 28, 2022 edition of the store’s newsletter, How’s Business, owner Don Blyly announced his plan to purchase the building at 2716 E 31st St. as the new site for the Uncles. It’s conveniently located - within walking distance of a light rail stop and Lake Street buses. Off-street parking won’t be available; however, there is always plenty of free street parking in the area. The 5000 square foot building was built in 1932, and reportedly has a WPA painting of Minnehaha Falls on an interior wall. If all goes well, the sale will close on March 24. After some work on the building, Blyly anticipates the store will open in June. He cautions that projects like this often take longer than planned, so this [...]
