Plans

Urbanism expert Gil Penalosa says the Twin Cities should spend more time planning for the 200 nice days a year than focusing on the 15 worst days of winter. In a presentation city officials at Hennepin Avenue's Brave New Workshop Wednesday, Penalosa said the region needs to do a better job retaining millenials and should build its cities so they are ideal for both 8 and 80-year-olds -- a mantra of his 8-80 Cities organization. Penalosa was formerly the park and recreation commissioner of Bogota, Colombia and is now renowned as an expert on cities. He is visiting the Twin Cities as part of a "Placemaking Residency" produced by the St. Paul Riverfront Corporation and funded by organizations including the Knight Foundation. He twice criticized downtown's skyways, which he said "work like a gigantic vacuum that sucks the life out of the city." Downtown business leaders expressed similar skyway concerns several years ago with the release of their 2025 plan. "You’ve got 15 horrible … [Read more...] about Urbanist Penalosa: ‘Plan for those 200 wonderful days’

Owners of the Minneapolis Armory in downtown will submit detailed plans this week to repair the building's roof, part of a larger process to overhaul the historic structure. The proposal calls for converting the 1935 building, home to many events in Minneapolis history, from a downtown parking lot into a multi-use space for concerts, galas and athletics. It is expected to cost upwards of $22 million. Doug Hoskin, managing member of Armory Development II, LLC, which owns the building, said they will submit detailed roof repair plans this week to the National Parks Service, which must approve them because of the building's listing on the National Register of Historic Places. If all goes to plan, repairs to the leaky roof would begin in late summer and the full renovation -- which includes building a new floor above what is now the ground level -- could be complete by next May. The project is also significant because it coincides with a larger development of downtown east. A new Vikings … [Read more...] about Armory plans inch forward in downtown east

As Minneapolis police investigators continued to interview people Tuesday about the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Nehemiah Steverson, his heartbroken parents planned a community vigil to mourn the boy they called their "heartbeat" and "laughter." The vigil, planned for 6 p.m. Wednesday at North Commons Park, will honor and celebrate the life of Steverson, his parents said in a statement. "...From the beginning to the end you are my heartbeat," his mother, Angie Steverson, wrote. "Our long talks and your strong hugs is what will carry me through. Love, Mommy." Steverson died at the hospital several hours after he was found by police officers who had been called to the intersection of 16th and Newton Avenues North. At least five people witnessed the shooting, according to police records.  The vigil will be hosted by the Steverson family and the Minneapolis Chapter of MAD DADS. Donations to help pay for Steverson's funeral can be made to any BMO Harris Bank; the … [Read more...] about Vigil planned for shooting victim Nehemiah Steverson, 17

This would have turned out just great. The Mirror says: Amy Winehouse was in the middle of adopting a poor St Lucian girl before she died. The troubled singer had started the process of becoming a mum to 10-year-old Dannika Augustine, who she met on the idyllic Caribbean island. Amy had booked her ticket to visit the schoolgirl next week. The child’s grandmother revealed the singer had already hired lawyers for the adoption, but her plans were cut short by her sudden death last week aged just 27. Pretty Dannika was living in ­poverty with her single mum, who was ­struggling to feed her, when Amy took her under her wing during one of her many stays on the island over the last two years. Meanwhile . . . over on . . . TMZ: Amy Winehouse was absolutely NOT going to adopt a 10-year-old girl from the island of St. Lucia ... despite U.K. reports to the contrary .... Amy's rep tells TMZ. The Sunday Mirror reported Dannika Augustine and her grandmother both confirmed that Amy … [Read more...] about Amy Winehouse was planning to adopt?

A massive and at times controversial plan to build a transit station in the middle of Interstate 35W at Lake Street and add two nearby freeway exits has been tweaked to alleviate concerns of neighbors. At an open house on Thursday night, project engineers showed how reducing some lane widths and moving the project slightly west prevents the widened freeway from edging closer to a block of historic homes on 2nd Avenue. Those homeowners fiercely opposed the encroachment, installing signs reading "Save Our Homes / Stop Freeway Expansion." The freeway would still move closer to some other homes, however. The leader of their effort, David Piehl, could not be reached for comment Friday, but wrote online in May that the new plan was a "favorable development and essentially achieves the goal of keeping the freeway from coming any closer to the homes than it already is." Some broad neighborhood concerns remain. The Phillips West Neighborhood passed a resolution in September opposing the … [Read more...] about Tweaked plan for 35W-Lake Street overhaul unveiled