This song and dance of putting Nicollet back together has been done before. About 30 years ago, the city agreed to a development plan to close off the busy Nicollet Avenue at Lake Street, and put in a K-Mart. The development effectively isolates the Whittier neighborhood and provides a transportation challenge for motorists and bikers in the area.
Nicollet Avenue cuts through all of of south Minneapolis, beyond I-35W/Hwy 62, through Richfield, and on to Bloomington and past I-494. On the north end, it enters downtown Minneapolis after it crosses I-94 and becomes Nicollet Mall. The section directly south of downtown is known as Eat Street with it diverse culinary options.
Click on picture for larger image.Nicollet Avenue is highlighted in yellow and K-Mart is blue.
Yellow arrows show where north and south bound traffic must go to continue on Nicollet.
Arrows do not necessarily denote one-way. Lake Street is a two-way street.
Council Member Robert Lilligren's top priority continues to be to "reopen" Nicollet Avenue. Despite the fact that K-Mart is hesitant to close one of their profitable locations and that the city would probably have to pay more than a few pennies for this valuable real estate, plans appear to be going forward. Yet again.
It makes sense why Lilligren and others are investing so much in this despite past failures to make any headway. The re-link of Nicollet to Nicollet makes a lot of sense from a transportation perspective. But the project could also prove a great opportunity to redevelop a key, two-block section of Lake Street and transform the surrounding neighborhood, much in the way that the Sears Building project has done just down Lake Street.
It makes sense why Lilligren and others are investing so much in this despite past failures to make any headway. The re-link of Nicollet to Nicollet makes a lot of sense from a transportation perspective. But the project could also prove a great opportunity to redevelop a key, two-block section of Lake Street and transform the surrounding neighborhood, much in the way that the Sears Building project has done just down Lake Street.
3 comments:
I live in a condominium community across the street from Kmart. I am very hopeful that Kmart will be relocated/redeveloped/blown down--anything! Nicollet and Lake is such a historical intersection for Minneapolis--it really is a shame that the city allowed this to happen.
With the renovation of Lake Street to our East and West, the city is virtually creating a 6 block ghetto that will remain in ruins until the 35W Access Project (initiated 22 years ago) and a solution to the Kmart ordeal are initiated. Once this key area is redeveloped Uptown to Midtown will be one, unified, fantastic corridor.
Agreed, it is unfortunate that the neighborhood suffers because of this block of sub-par businesses. Both K-Mart and Supervalu are very poorly kept stores that are eyesores for the neighborhood. In addition, I feel like Supervalu takes advantage of the neighborhood's footbound traffic. Their prices are significantly more than what you would pay at the "premium" grocery stores like Kowalskis, Lunds and Byerly's but in contrast, their store appears dirty and rundown.
Agreed, it is unfortunate that the neighborhood suffers because of this block of sub-par businesses. Both K-Mart and Supervalu are very poorly kept stores that are eyesores for the neighborhood. In addition, I feel like Supervalu takes advantage of the neighborhood's footbound traffic. Their prices are significantly more than what you would pay at the "premium" grocery stores like Kowalskis, Lunds and Byerly's but in contrast, their store appears dirty and rundown.
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