Development News

Smoke in the Pit, a smoked barbecue restaurant, is coming to a building on 38th and Chicago in South Minneapolis that long ago housed the House of Breakfast.

Smoke in the Pit owner Dwight Alexander says he has already built up a clientele for the food at the restaurant’s former location on East Lake Street.

For a couple of years, it offered his specially prepared smoked meats. “No flame hits the meat. It’s pure smoke,” making it healthier than straight-up barbecue, he explains.

To make way for the family-owned business, Alexander is revamping the place, which had to be completely gutted. Right now, construction is still underway, with everything from sheetrock to kitchen equipment being installed. However, the place is shaping up on schedule, even if the space looks a bit raw right now, he says.   

Alexander, who lives nearby, aims to open the restaurant by the end of the month or in early February.
He’s done some street vending outside of the restaurant, to let people know that Smoke in the Pit is on the way.  

The restaurateur sees the place as a positive addition to an area of the neighborhood that’s undergoing revitalization in many ways. Smoke in the Pit is across the street from a redevelopment that includes the Blue Ox Coffee Company, Covet Consign and Design, photographer Wing Young Huie’s The Third Place Gallery, and the Fox Egg Gallery.   

Plus, it offers a place to eat in area that has been known as a food desert. “I already know this will be a big improvement to the area,” he says.

Alexander expects the restaurant to draw people from outside of the neighborhood, as well, especially those who are already familiar with Smoke in the Pit.

Source: Dwight Alexander, owner, Smoke in the Pit
Writer: Anna Pratt

For years, Shane Kingsland had wanted to open a shop devoted to his passion, heavy metal.

In the past, he managed a heavy metal record store in Madison, Wis. “Well, a few bumps in the road (and years later), my wife and I finally got around to doing it now" in St. Paul, he says via email.

Into the Void Records, a 650-square-foot shop that specializes in heavy metal records, opened last month in a historic building in downtown St. Paul.

It’s the sister store to the first Into the Void Records shop in Dublin, Ireland, which debuted in 2010.

Kingsland has close ties to the Dublin outfit, which is a collective of Irish record labels. Kingsland, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Ireland, imports the releases for distribution in the U.S. He claims that Into the Void is one of the first transatlantic metal store chains.    

The shop carries “Minnesota’s deepest selection of True Metal,” according to online shop information. This includes Heavy, Power, Death, and Black metal genres and some “outer-fringe genres” like Ambient, Darkwave, and Neo-Folk.  

It’s a good fit for the location, he says.  

The store is in the same historic building as Capitol Guitars, an instrument store that he describes as metal-friendly. Into the Void is also within blocks of Station 4, a venue that “hosts most of the major metal tours that come through the area,” he says.  

Revamping the space was mainly a matter of bringing in custom-built racks for LPs, CDs, T-shirts, and more, along with a counter and display case. As for the aesthetic, “I tried to go for a combination of inner-city music store and heavy metal 'man cave' with posters covering a majority of the walls,” he says. “I don't know of any other shop similar in the Cities.”    

He hopes the shop reflects the local community’s needs and wants: “We’ve had a very community-oriented game plan from the get-go, with a special interest in getting feedback from the local scene in an effort to really meet their music and metal needs,” he says. “Metal has many subdivisions and sub-genres, and not all of them flourish locally," he explains.

But he also wants to give people "the opportunity to be exposed to new and obscure artists” from around the world, he says.  


Source: Shane Kingsland, owner, Into the Void Records
Writer: Anna Pratt

The Northeast Investment Cooperative (NEIC) is making headway toward its goal of revitalizing properties on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis.

NEIC is a for-profit cooperative that lets community members “pool their resources and collectively buy, rehab and manage commercial and residential property in the neighborhood,” a prepared statement from NEIC reads. See the earlier story from The Line here.

On Dec. 14, the group announced it had signed a purchase agreement for a property that includes two buildings at 2504 and 2506 Central Avenue Northeast.

NEIC, which has over 90 members that have invested $1,000 apiece in the coop, hopes to raise $300,000 by February 28 to pursue the project.

One of the group’s partners, the Recovery Bike Shop, will go into the 2504 building, according to NEIC board member Chris Bubser.   

This is good news because “It’ll really give people who are thinking of joining or who are on the fence a real reason to take the next step,” he says.  

For the 2506 building, which NEIC will renovate and lease, the group is hoping to attract multiple tenants.

To that end, NEIC is looking for “proven business, aspiring entrepreneurs with a good plan, or a combination” of those to fill the space, according to NEIC information.

The projects will bring in more than a half million dollars in new investment to a highly visible intersection on Central, according to NEIC information.   

The goals are ambitious, but it seems doable. “Over the last few days, the response has been incredible,” Bubser says. “I think it’s going to work.”

If all goes as planned, construction could start as early as spring of 2013, he says.

As one of the first commercial real estate cooperatives in North America, “We’re pioneers in the area,” he says. “We’re excited to take one of the biggest properties and show how a committed group from the neighborhood can turn it around.”   

He hopes the project will help make Central Avenue a destination, not just a thoroughfare. In contrast to traditional real estate corporations, which are geared around profitability, “We’re about community building and support.”  

Source: Chris Bubser, NEIC board member
Writer: Anna Pratt

Vagabond, a fitting name for an “occasional boutique,” recently had a “save the store” sale, to make its February rent.

The store features an eclectic mix of “cute and curious” antiques and old and new furniture and decorations. It opened in a first-floor space in a duplex on 25th and Hennepin in Minneapolis’s Uptown neighborhood this past summer. In the past, the duplex housed an antique store.

The duplex is zoned for commercial uses, according to storeowner Angela Kreitlow.  

In setting up shop, Kreitlow added shelves and walls “to make it feel less like walking into a home,” and more like a commercial space.

She also painted the walls with patterns and color schemes that complement the merchandise. “It’s split up into warm and cool areas,” that is, neutral shades and bright pinks and purples, she says. “I’m all about balance and tones.”

At the three-day “save the store” sale last month, her goal was to make at least $2,000, a total she ended up exceeding. “There was a ton of amazing support,” she says. “A lot of people came in those three days.”   

At this point, she’s trying to regroup and figure out what her next step should be. She’s also planning an online version of the store, she says.

In towns like Stillwater and Buffalo, where she grew up, stores like this, which have special hours, are  destinations, according to Kreitlow. “You can drum up excitement and the sales are different every time,” she says, adding that she communicates with customers mainly through the store’s Facebook page.  

Eventually, she hopes to offer classes on reupholstering furniture and other topics to “get people excited about decorating their homes,” she says. “There’s nothing else like this around,” and yet “It belongs here."


Source: Angela Kreitlow, owner, Vagabond
Writer: Anna Pratt

Rincon 38, a new tapas bar, is taking over a space at the corner of 38th Street and Grand Avenue South in Minneapolis, which has been vacant for a couple of years.

Previously, the storefront space housed the Fairy Godmother gift shop.

The restaurant’s chef, Hector Ruiz, who also helped start Café Ena and the former El Meson, is going for a small European-style bistro, much like those where he used to spend time. “When I lived in Paris, I liked to dine out,” usually at small bistros that were “really cozy,” he says, adding, “Most times they just looked like a hallway, with a small bar.”

It’s eateries like this that “help Iberians bridge the long gap between the traditional 3 p.m. lunch and 10 p.m. dinner times,” a Southwest Patch story reads.

To recreate that feeling, the restaurant will serve Spanish-inspired cuisine in the form of tapas, or small plates, with French and Italian items in the mix, he says.

The place will also serve wine and beer, with an emphasis on local offerings.

To accommodate the restaurant, the space had to be built out, with a new bar and kitchen and walk-in coolers. It was a gradual process that has unfolded over the past year. “I had to start building slowly,” Ruiz says.   

Inside, the place has a modern aesthetic, with bright colors, wood floors, mosaic and tile counters, and a decorative metal wine shelf, he says. Nine butcher-block-style tables along with a 12-seat bar, for 32 seats altogether, fill the dining room. In the warmer months, the restaurant will also have patio seating for 20, he adds.

The neighborhood has been supportive of the business, which he hopes to open in early 2013. “A lot of people are excited for the restaurant to open,” Ruiz says.


Source: Hector Ruiz, Rincon 38
Writer: Anna Pratt

Local chiropractor Tara Watson is making space for an Anytime Fitness gym at West Broadway and Penn Avenue in North Minneapolis, in the same building where she runs her practice.

The gym will be open 24 hours a day, with cutting-edge "zero gravity" machines, a shower and locker area, and room for classes, she says.

Watson, the franchise owner, hopes the place will appeal to a range of people, from the elite athlete to weekend warriors. “It’ll have something for everyone,” she says.  

Usually, people who want to work out have to go outside of the community, she points out.

She chose Anytime Fitness in part because it has so many health and wellness initiatives in the works.  Looking at the big picture, she hopes the gym will help lower obesity rates in the community while also providing a healthy outlet for adults.

The space will require an extensive build-out inside and out, with equipment that needs to be built on site. The project comes with a price tag of a couple hundred thousand dollars. Adding new flooring accounts for much of the work that has to be done, according to Watson.

With over 5,000 square feet, “It’ll be one of the larger clubs” like this, she says. “It should be able to accommodate the community.”   

It means that she’ll be able to provide group fitness classes, which is especially important to her, along with personal trainers and massage and tanning services. “I can put a lot in there and do a lot,” including “things not found in the community,” she says.   

She aims to open the gym in early 2013.

“The community deserves something state-of-the-art,” she says. “People are interested and want to see it happen.”  

Source: Dr. Tara Watson, franchise owner, Anytime Fitness
Writer: Anna Pratt    

Public Art Saint Paul, a nonprofit organization that started in 2005, now has several artists-in-residence based in the city’s public works department.

Executive director Christine Podas-Larson says the artists will “impact the way the city thinks, plans and builds” in the long term.

The program aims to “shape a public realm that fosters imagination and strengthens public places as vessels of civic life,” a prepared statement from the organization reads.  

Initially, the program had in mind a fellowship-type of arrangement, but it became clear early on that a “deeper level of immersion was required to be effective,” she says. “There’s so much to learn about the language of the city and how it works.”

Furthermore, city projects often develop over a long period, she says.  

In 2006, conceptual/behavioral artist Marcus Young joined the program as its artistic director.

After spending a year in the public works department, Young developed the Everyday Poems for City Sidewalks, which imbeds poetry in the concrete of new sidewalks in conjunction with the sidewalk replacement that goes on yearly.

Young has also worked in other areas of the city, dealing with planning, infrastructure development, residential street construction, and more, according to program information.  

Building on his ongoing efforts, Public Art Saint Paul more recently sought to flesh out the program with more artistic viewpoints and expertise, Podas-Larson says.  

Sarah West, a multidisciplinary artist who’s led public art installations and architecture projects, will work with city streetscapes, bridges, open spaces and other elements. By contrast, Amanda Lovelee, a visual artist who specializes in photography and video, will focus on the urban forest.

“It’s a pretty full complement,” Podas-Larson says. “It’s synergistic yet distinct.”

Typically, one percent of the construction budget for city infrastructure goes to public art, which is created at a certain point in a project’s timeline. Through this program, the artists help bring their sensibility to projects every step of the way.

“It’s unique nationwide. No one else is doing it,” Podas-Larson says. “Other cities are calling us about this model.”

Source: Christine Podas-Larson, Public Art St. Paul
Writer: Anna Pratt

After mulling over a street food restaurant concept, several years ago brothers Saed and Sameh Wadi, owners of the Saffron Restaurant & Lounge in Minneapolis, decided to start out with a World Street Kitchen food truck. 

Local legislation had only just changed to allow for food trucks. “We jumped right on it,” Sameh says. “What better way to test the market for street food than on the street?”

World Street Kitchen, which features a seasonal menu of foods from street carts around the world--with a twist--was one of the city’s first food trucks, he adds.

It wasn’t long before the Wadis returned to the idea of a physical restaurant. They looked for a location that would complement the food truck, not compete with it.

Last week they opened a bricks-and-mortar version of the restaurant in Minneapolis’s Uptown area, in The Greenleaf, a building that includes apartments and first-floor retail.  

Uptown seemed ideal because “It has a neighborhood feel, but it also has a little nightlife,” he says. “That fits really well with the concept.”

Beginning with an empty shell, they buillt the space out over the last year. “We wanted it to have the same vibe as the food truck, and translate it into here.”

One way they accomplished that is by having counter service. That way, “There’s no separation between you and a guest. You don’t wait for a waiter.”

An open kitchen also lets people see the food being prepped. “It’s an instant connection with the people making the food,” Sameh says.  

The dining room has an industrial feel, with recycled materials, wood and concrete, and metal accents. Many items have been repurposed.  

Besides the big, bold flavors of many street foods, “There’s something about being curbside,” eating, he says.  

He fondly remembers eating street food as a young boy. “Some of the best food I’ve had is from a rinky-dink stand where the person does one thing, and does it really well,” he says.

This kind of food is also a creative challenge to the chef. “While Saffron is a reflection of me as a chef, this is more of a reflection of me as a person,” he says. “This isn’t what I’m trained in, but it’s what I like to eat.”  

Source: Sameh Wadi, World Street Kitchen
Writer: Anna Pratt

After a short break, the Northeast Farmers Market is returning with its first indoor market of the season on Dec. 15 at the Eastside Food Cooperative in Northeast Minneapolis.

The opening day of the market, which runs monthly through May, features books for sale from the Friends of the Northeast Library, a performance from musician Matt Yetter and a massage chair, according to Northeast Farmers Market information.

The indoor market offers apples, honey products, homemade jam, hand-rolled spring rolls, grass-fed beef, eggs, bread, desserts, and handicrafts.

Although this is a smaller-scale version of the summer market, each of its 10 vendors this season have been a part of it before, according to Sarah Knoss, who oversees the Northeast Farmers Market.

That familiarity has advantages for shoppers. “We have a lot of loyal friends and fans that like to visit our vendors,” she says via email.

Besides the fact that people can access some of their favorite vendors year-round, it’s about shopping and eating locally. “We bring livability to the community and foster sustainability to the Northeast neighborhood,” she says.

The local nonprofit organizations, artists, and craftspeople that grace the market on a regular basis make it unique, she says.

Although the summer market has been successful over the past 12 years, the indoor market is still growing. “There is traffic from the coop and our fans know that we are there but we are trying to get the word out,” she says.

A number of other local farmers markets, including the St. Paul Farmers Market, the Kingfield and Fulton Farmers Market and the Minneapolis Farmers Market, have wintertime sales.   

More broadly, “It's really just a way for all of us to get together and enjoy what we do,” she says. “It keeps the us going and motivated to bake, make, and grow.”

Source: Sarah Knoss, manager, Northeast Farmers Market
Writer: Anna Pratt

An exhibit that highlights various sights along the Central Corridor light rail line and promotes literacy at the same time opened this month at the St. Anthony Park Branch Library in St. Paul.

The interactive exhibit, called the Alphabet Place, which first appeared at the Rondo Community Outreach Library this past summer, includes photos of letters that artist Amy Unger took while exploring the area around the light rail line. She used some of the “found” letters to create board games and a treasure hunt.

Some people might recognize certain letters she shot at local stores, offices, construction sites and elsewhere, along the light rail line.

Many of the letters are visible from Metro Transit’s number 6 bus route. In the library, children can search for the letters, which have been hidden here and there, throughout the children’s section.

“I can probably look at most of the letters and tell you where they’re from,” she says, adding that she almost got arrested a couple of times, snapping shots of letters from the street.

Unger, who is also a licensed elementary school teacher and a skilled typographer, has collected thousands of images of letters. Q’s and Z’s were among the most challenging letters to find.

Some letters are more whimsical or dynamic than others or new or old. “Some have a center like a face,” she says. “You get excited about the beauty and lines and shape of each letter.”  

It takes a lot of visual discernment to find the letters, which she says can help children strengthen eyesight and learn about the alphabet. “I find it lovely and fun,” she says. “I think letters and the alphabet should be endlessly charming and entertaining.”  

She also used nails and wires she found along the way, to form letters. The project has turned out to be an interesting way to see the area on foot, something she’d never done before. “I found the whole experience extremely moving,” she says.

Unger landed a $1,000 Irrigate grant to pursue the project, which she started in March.

The fact that the Irrigate grant was about placemaking and collaboration seems especially apropos given that, “I’m in love with University Avenue,” she says. “It was like an urban safari adventure. I have a great sense of place from doing it.”


Source: Amy Unger, artist
Writer: Anna Pratt


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St. Paul is marking the beginning of a new era for the historic Union Depot with an opening celebration on Dec. 8, which will be an all-day affair. 

After undergoing a $243 million renovation over the past couple of years, soon the 1920s landmark will again serve as a transit hub--this time for trains, buses, bicycle commuting and more.

The station last saw trains in 1971, according to information from the Ramsey County Regional Rail Authority.

Josh Collins, a spokesperson with the rail authority, says, "We really see this as an important celebration to mark the completion of the construction," adding, "It's a chance for the public to see their investment," and to show off a beautiful building.

Going forward, the depot will be "the living room of St. Paul," with meetings, galas and conventions happening there, he says.

People can also go to the depot to "use our wifi and get some work done," he says.

The day's celebration, which begins at 10 a.m., includes facility tours, theatrical performances, historical reenactments, music, dance, art, food and more.

The depot's history figures prominently into the event. For example, the nonprofit Bedlam Theatre will be staging performances that recreate historic moments. The theater troupe will portray soldiers returning from World War II, early immigrants arriving in the city, and more. "It'll be a fascinating artistic experience," he says. "I'm really excited about that." 

Old photos and artifacts that were uncovered during the renovation will also be on display.

The celebration also offers numerous interactive family-friendly activities, with train-themed photos, a Snoopy statue unveiling, appearances from Winter Carnival Royalty and a screening of the movie, "Elf," according to rail information. 

Metro Transit will kick off its bus service to and from the station with complimentary rides. The union depot's new website, uniondepot.org, will soon go live with free bus passes for the day.   

Furthermore, people "can learn about our growing transit system," he says. 

Next year, the Jefferson Regional Bus Lines and Amtrak Twin Cities will settle in at the depot, while the in-progress Central Corridor Light Rail Transit, which is being branded as the Green Line, will come through the station starting in 2014, according to rail information.

Also in the coming year, One-on-One Bicycle Studio in Minneapolis will open full-service bicycle center with storage space, a repair shop and lockers.

Source: Josh Collins, Ramsey County Regional Rail
Writer: Anna Pratt

A century-old building on Saint Paul's East Seventh Street, which has sat empty for nearly a decade, could soon be redeveloped to include office and retail space along with loft-style apartments.

Covenant Capital, a local developer that specializes in residential properties, plans to renovate the two-story brick building, which previously housed a cigar factory, a bowling shoe manufacturer, and a police station.

Ben Hosfield, a spokesperson for Covenant, says, “It’s kind of a property that’s been unnoticeable over the years,” explaining that a couple of other buildings, including a former discount tire store, covered it up.   

However, the tire store building will soon be torn down. “That will open up the space to the property,” he says. “Something could be done with that large space further down the road. It’s a big lot.”   

Although the project’s details, including the cost, are still coming together, it’ll likely take $340,000 to make the building meet modern code requirements, the Pioneer Press reports.   

To fit the building’s historic character, Covenant wants to add an exterior awning to the entryway. That will be subject to approval by the city’s heritage preservation commission, as the building belongs to the Dayton’s Bluff historic district, Hosfield says.

Potentially, there could be a restaurant on the main level, or some other type of storefront retail. Office suites, which will be built to suit, and apartments will go on the second floor, while a basement level, which the police had used for a gym, could become storage space or some other type of amenity. “’It’s a matter of how do we use that space?’” Hosfield says. “It’s still in question.”
 
Construction will probably start next year.

With other projects underway nearby, “We’ve seen the neighborhood start to redevelop,” he says, adding, “We hope we’re part of the neighborhood coming back.”

Source: Ben Hosfield, Covenant Capital
Writer: Anna Pratt  

Public Functionary, a new art space coming to the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, reached its $30,000 fundraising goal this week on Kickstarter.

Tricia Khutoretsky, who heads Public Functionary, explains that the center set its sights high because “We really believed in the potential for validation from the community. We also needed a way in which to build a new community” that goes beyond the typical art scene, she says.

The idea is to make the center as open and inclusive as possible, she adds.

With the help of the Kickstarter funds, Public Functionary will open in January of 2013 in a one-story brick building on Buchanan and Broadway, which is also home to The Lab Digital and the Permanent Art and Design Group. The groups worked together to find the space, according to Khutoretsky.

Over the past five months, Public Functionary has been operating out of makeshift offices in the space. This has afforded people in the 2,500-square-foot center “the time to feel it out and figure out the best floor-plan and updates to make,” she says.

Already, the center has hosted several events in the raw space, which is characterized by high ceilings, lots of natural light, and cement floors.

The fact that a train runs by the building is a plus because it’s “constantly creating movement and energy right outside our windows, which feels classically Northeast,” she says.

In terms of the build-out of the space, walls will be moveable. This will help foster experimentation with every exhibit. “We think the gallery of the future is always changing, always responsive,” she says.  

On a yearly basis, the center will host exhibits corresponding to an overarching theme, with ongoing events that inspire a dialogue on contemporary art. “We’re focused on creating context and connection and using technology and social media,” she says.  

The arts district location is ideal, she says, noting that the entire Public Functionary team lives in the neighborhood. “We're looking forward to becoming a sort of hub or connector to attract more people to the arts activity in the area,” she says.


Source: Tricia Khutoretsky, Public Functionary
Writer: Anna Pratt

A novel called, “Moon Palace,” by Paul Auster, made quite an impression on Angela Schwesnedl as a young reader.  

So much so that when she and her husband, Jamie, recently decided to open a bookshop within walking distance of their South Minneapolis house, they christened it Moon Palace Books. “It’s the book that turned me into a reader,” she says.  

The 840-square-foot new and used bookshop opened on Oct. 25 in a former storage space on 33rd and Minnehaha, alongside Trylon Microcinema and Peace Coffee Shop.       

It’s titles like “Moon Palace” that the couple have hand-selected for the store--items that “My husband and I are excited about reading,” she says.  

The bookstore has special sections devoted to local authors, cookbooks, gardening, urban homesteading, film, fiction, graphic novels, poetry, children’s books, and more. It also sells ereaders and ebooks.   

To get the space bookstore-ready, the couple replaced the garage door with a glass door, painted the interior lavender, and lined the walls with wooden bookshelves. “Everyone says it smells like real wood and books,” she says.

The storefront is highly visible on the street, too, with bold bands of color wrapping around the building's exterior.

The neighborhood has been supportive of the shop, which she says fills a void. “There’s not a lot of bookstores in the neighborhood but there are a lot readers here,” she says. “I think we’ll be a good fit.”

Already, the bookstore has been getting foot traffic from the neighboring businesses, and vice versa.

Although things are still coming together in the bookshop, “If you like to dig around find stuff, it’s a great place,” she says, adding, “I think we’re just a fun and interesting place to shop for books.”


Source: Angela Schwesnedl
Writer: Anna Pratt

Aria, a special event space in downtown Minneapolis’s Warehouse District, has opened its doors to a creative sound installation called “Playing the Building,” from rocker David Byrne.

“Playing the Building,” which runs through Dec. 4 at Aria, has also exhibited in New York City, Stockholm, and London.

The show's title literally references how “The infrastructure, the physical plant of the building, is converted into a giant musical instrument,” according to the project website.

To make that happen, various pieces of equipment have been fixed to metal beams, pillars, and pipes to create sound. “The devices do not produce sound themselves, but they cause the building elements to vibrate, resonate and oscillate,” the website reads. 

This is the first artistic program open to the public to take place at Aria, which took over the old Theatre de la Jeune Lune space nearly a year ago, according to Michelle Klein, a spokesperson for the venue.  

“That’s part of the vision for the building,” she says. “The idea is to make it not just a private event center, but a public event destination.”

Considering that the vintage building was once the site of award-winning theatrical productions, “It would be a shame to close the doors and only open it to those who’ve booked the space,” she says.

More broadly, the idea of scheduling community-oriented arts programming in the space speaks to the vision of First and First, the site's development company, headed by Peter Remes.

The idea is about “being much more engaged in a robust way with the neighborhood,” she says. “We want to be a good neighbor, going far beyond sweeping the sidewalks.”  
 

Source: Michelle Klein, spokesperson, Aria
Writer: Anna Pratt