creative economy : Development News

When the city of St. Paul got a chance to pilot a green initiative in its swimming pools a couple years ago, it jumped at it.

Since then, the city has become an international leader in the technology that uses moss to reduce chlorine and save water and money.

Recently, the project was also one of three to nab a Governor’s Award for Pollution Prevention, the Pioneer Press reports.

It started when a local company, Creative Water Solutions, approached the city about trying the moss technology at the Highland Park Aquatic Center, at no charge.

Brad Meyer, a spokesperson for the Parks and Recreation department, explains via email that at the time, “The technology worked in smaller settings, but hadn’t been tried yet in large settings like a municipal pool,” he says.

The city’s pools get a lot of use, so water quality is a constant concern, according to Meyer.

To stay on top of it, more chemicals were being used, which is costlier and has environmental repercussions, he says.

In 2009, the city experimented with sphagnum moss at the Highland Park Aquatic Center. It fully rolled out the technology at the pool in 2010. At that time it also expanded it at the Great River Water Park. Como Pool will use the technology when it reopens in 2012, according to Meyer.  

Now, besides the regular chemical treatment that the water gets as it goes through various pipes in the mechanical room, it also gets filtered by the moss, which “re-conditions" it.

As a result of the technology, chemical use at the pools has been cut in half. Also, the moss doesn’t leave any residue, making cleanup at the end of the season easier, he says.

The renewable resource also benefits swimmers in that it “allows users to not experience the burning/itchy eyes and green hair that often come with normal municipal pools,” he says.   

Further, since the city adopted the technology, Creative Water Solutions has brought it to more than 50 municipal pools, according to Meyer.

Source: Brad Meyer, spokesperson, St. Paul Parks
Writer: Anna Pratt

At a public meeting on Sept. 20, some residents of St. Paul’s East Side will float an idea for a natural foods coop.

Beth Butterfield, one of the meeting's organizers, says that she's wanted to see a coop close to home ever since she moved to the area seven years ago.

About the East Side, which is the city's largest and most diverse neighborhood, she says, “I love it. I have friends here and I want to stay. But there are things that it could have to be more attractive," such as a natural foods coop.

Earlier this summer, she started talking it over with others who share her enthusiasm. Looking at other successful examples, such as the Mississippi Market on Selby and Dale avenues in St. Paul and The Wedge in Minneapolis, they wondered, “What would it take to open one?”  

Butterfield hopes the meeting will help to provide a sense for the level of support for such a “completely grassroots undertaking,” she says.

She says the timing makes sense because more and more people are interested in local organic foods and where they come from. A local coop would also help keep dollars in the community, which is especially needed on the East Side, she says. 

A coop could include a cafe and meeting space and feature items from local youth farmers.

However, to become a reality, the coop needs a committed group of volunteers. “A coop is about member-ownership. It’s not owned by one person,” which, she says, is what makes it a challenge to organize.

From the planning to the running of such a place, “It’s not just about food. It’s about bringing people together,” she says, adding, “That really is our grander goal in this.”

Source: Beth Butterfield, East Side natural foods coop organizer
Writer: Anna Pratt

The four elements--earth, wind, fire and water--will soon be represented in a colorful street mural in Minneapolis’s Near North neighborhood.

It’s the second street mural to come to the city as a part of a program called Paint the Pavement, which "promotes community building and 'placemaking' through creating neighborhood art," according to its website.

Recently, a Corcoran neighborhood mural was unveiled to help calm traffic at the intersection of East 34th Street and 19th Avenue South.  

Since the volunteer-run Paint the Pavement started in St. Paul, about 15 street murals have been done through the program, according to Jun-Li Wang, a program volunteer.

“Not only does a mural give visual impact, it’s really the process that goes into making it that has the most value,” she says, adding, “Neighbors work together and meet one another in a way that they wouldn’t at a potluck."

Naturally, the cost depends on a mural’s size, but “a few gallons of paint can have a wonderful impact.”

And it makes the neighborhood more attractive, something that real estate agents have even noted in some home listings, she says.

Last summer, community members in Near North, inspired by similar Portland public art projects, started planning a mural for the intersection of 17th and Girard with a block club grant, according to Ariah Fine, a neighborhood activist.

Following the project's emphasis on youth, neighbors, creativity, color, and environment, people submitted illustrations through a design contest at a block party. A neighborhood youth’s portrayal of the four elements won, and a local artist helped adapt it for the street.  

The mural will start small and then gradually grow into four main swirling shapes, Fine explains.

The group chose this intersection because it’s close to the North High School football field, which gets lots of traffic. Also, neighbors close to the intersection were open to it, he says.

On Sept. 24, neighbors will come together to paint the mural. “It’ll be a community event, with more people than just from the block club,” he says. “I hope it’s the first of many opportunities to bring the community together.”


Source: Jun-Li Wang, Paint the Pavement; Ariah Fine, Near North neighborhood activist
Writer: Anna Pratt

Kelly Sharp, who owns an old-school barbershop called The Barber Sharp, recently redeveloped the Northeast Minneapolis building where the shop is located.

The building, which once housed a gallery and apartments, now has a handful of businesses. Tiger Rose Tattoos opened up on the second floor earlier this summer, while the spaces for Studio 3 massage therapy and the Tarnish & Gold art gallery are still undergoing renovation.

Sharp also plans to host various events in the building and create a community garden just beyond the parking lot.

The businesses collectively agreed to call the building The Foundry. Sharp explains that a foundry is a place where “precious metal is broken, melted down and molded to become whole again.”

It’s symbolic of what she hopes happens at The Foundry, and how it came together, she says.

She’d been running the barbershop for about a year at its original location a couple of blocks away--where it had been in business since the 1920s--when her rent increased. It was then that Sharp, who lives nearby, scouted out the building at 349 13th Ave. N.E.  

It seemed like an ideal location, but the whole building had to be leased at once.

Although she’s seen other real estate ventures fail in the economic downturn, she decided to go for it. “I said, ‘build it and they will come.’ I said to the universe, 'send me the people who are supposed to be here.’”   

Her vision was for a place that would “build a strong sense of community,” a kind of “third place” where neighbors can come and hang out, she says.

After she got to work on revamping the building, a process that included everything from repainting to opening up access to the courtyard, other business owners started to express interest.

She’s found that the main focus for those who want to be a part of the development is on “helping people get where they want to be in life”--not money.

She’s pleased that the community has embraced the shop.

For example, several generations are coming together at the barbershop. Some of the men who’d patronized the barbershop for decades under its previous owner had never had their hair cut by a woman before, she says.  

“People can buy art or have a massage or sit in the courtyard,” she says.  

Source: Kelly Sharp, The Barber Sharp
Writer: Anna Pratt

A colorful mural on one wall of the American Indian OIC in South Minneapolis blends together floral and geometric patterns and buffalo images, as a symbolic nod to the area's history. 

In the past, the woodlands- and plains-based American Indian tribes met in this part of the region, according to community organizer Daniel Yang, who led the project on behalf of the Native American Development Institute (NACDI), which is an American Indian community development organization.

Eight American Indian youth who range from 12 to 18 years of age helped create the mural, which was unveiled on Aug. 22, with the help of local artist Bobby Wilson.

Stretching 18 feet by 200 feet, the mural, which is visible to light rail passengers and Greenway bicyclists, is one of the largest in the Twin Cities.

Previously, graffiti and overgrown plants cluttered the wall. “The before and after picture is amazing,” Yang says.

It’s the second of three similar projects that are planned for East Franklin Avenue as a part of NACDI's “Paint the Avenue” initiative.

In September 2010, another mural, which features several community leaders, went on the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Building, while a third one that’s still in planning stages is to come next month.

The paintings promote the American Indian Cultural Corridor along East Franklin Avenue.

South Minneapolis has the greatest concentration of American Indians in the country. “There’s a long history in this area. We’re trying to build on that,” Yang says.

He hopes the avenue attracts new businesses, craft stores, and galleries with the help of murals and other amenities.

“Murals go far in establishing a visual sense that we belong here, that we’ve been here, and this is our home,” he says. “At the same time, it creates community ownership and pride in the individuals who worked on these projects.”  

Each mural can cost between $1,000 and $3,000. Youth also get a $250 stipend for their work. For them, it’s a process that begins with surveying local property and business owners and other community members before getting to the art part.    

“It’s much more than an investment in aesthetics,” he says, adding, “It’s an investment in youth and the next generation.”


Source: Daniel Yang, community organizer, NACDI
Writer: Anna Pratt
 

On Spring Lake in Minneapolis, seven floating islands that were fashioned from everyday recyclables are serving as wildlife habitat. At the same time, they’re helping to remediate the lake’s impaired waters.

The islands, which come from the St. Paul-based company Midwest Floating Islands, feature native plants for a “concentrated wetland effect," according to a prepared statement about the project.

They were launched on the lake last week.

It’s the most significant example of this kind of technology at work in Minnesota, according to Craig Wilson, who serves on the board for the Lowry Hill neighborhood group.

Wilson is also a landscape architect who is the principal of the local green business, Sustology. He was instrumental in getting the islands set up.

The $50,000 Spring Lake project resulted from a collaboration between the Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association (LHNA) and the American Society of Landscape Architects Minnesota Chapter, along with numerous other partners.

This project was also featured on a national scale as a part of the Society’s “8/17/11” campaign to build awareness of its work.

The idea is to restore the historic bird and wildlife sanctuary, according to Wilson.

Birds and other animals hang out at the surface of the islands. Less visible are the microbes the islands attract beneath the surface, which are “responsible for breaking down water-borne pollutants,” according to a prepared statement about the project. 

Wilson says that the floating islands were originally part of the RiverFIRST proposal to transform a portion of the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities.  

RiverFIRST, which is still in early phases from TLS/KVA landscape architects and designers, is “a multifaceted and multidimensional vision for a renewed and revitalized Upper Riverfront," the website reads.

But as a result of the state government shutdown earlier this summer, the floating islands had to be relocated. That’s when Wilson thought about the close-to-home Spring Lake, which many people don’t even know exists, he says.

The Lowry Hill neighborhood group had previously helped with species removal in the lake but hadn’t yet tackled its water quality issues. “We realized that if we upgraded the number of islands, we’d be able to clean up the lake,” he says.

It was then that the project became more than a demonstration, something that “could benefit the whole lake,” he says, adding, “It’s also a great educational opportunity.”


Source: Craig Wilson, principal, Sustology
Writer: Anna Pratt



 
 

At an August 4 community meeting at Farview Park Recreation Center in Minneapolis, people got a chance to learn more about the RiverFirst proposal for redeveloping a 5.5-mile stretch of the Mississippi River. It starts at the Stone Arch Bridge and goes north. 

The meeting focused on benefits for the city's North and Northeast areas, which are largely cut off from the river, along with the idea of "problem-solving" parks that would be destinations, according to a prepared statement about the event.

It's part of a broadly based community engagement effort to gather feedback about the RiverFirst proposal--under the umbrella of the Minneapolis Riverfront Development Initiative--for re-imagining this portion of the riverfront. The TLS/KVA team of landscape architects and designers won a design competition earlier this year to bring its proposal to fruition.

RiverFirst is a multifaceted plan for revitalizing the riverfront. It includes everything from riverfront trails to a "biohaven" that would use recycled materials to form a riparian habitat for endangered species and migratory birds, according to project information.
   
Right now the design team is working to refine its proposal, studying its feasibility and gathering public input, according to project manager Mary deLaittre. On Sept. 21, the team will present its recommendations and implementation plans to the city's park board.

HR&A Advisors from New York is working closely with the design team to come up with a strategic plan "that will shape the priority projects and financing approaches," she says.  

Six youth ambassadors are also working to help spread the word about the project and collect feedback at various community events.

One idea that has been well received, deLaittre says, is for a green land bridge over I-94 to link Farview Park to the river. It's a creative solution for reconnecting this part of the city with the river and other parks and trails.

DeLaittre underscores the need for community input, for which people can fill out an online survey. All along the way, comments and images from people are being featured on the website under the heading, "River Is."

"This is a big civic project and it's imperative that people weigh in," she says.

That being said, "The level of support has been tremendous," she says, adding, "People are very interested in making sure it happens."

The project has also attracted the attention of a delegation from Seattle who are  running a civic design competition. In coming to the Twin Cities, the delegation "wanted to emulate the innovative community engagement and coalition-building," she says. 


Source: Mary deLaittre, project manager for Mississippi Riverfront Development Initiative and founder and principal of Groundwork City Building
Writer: Anna Pratt

Janelle Nivens is touring each of the 81 Minneapolis neighborhoods, photographing and blogging the sights along the way.

The inspiration for her mission came on a cold March morning. "I parked a mile away from my brunch destination, Maria's Caf�, and walked along Franklin Avenue, marveling at all I would have missed if I hadn't gotten out of my car and walked around," she states on her blog.

For example, when she happened by Ventura Village, which was unfamiliar to her, a quick Internet search turned up many more neighborhoods that she'd never heard of. As an enthusiastic urban hiker, "I decided that visiting each was a good goal," she says.  

At first she relied on friends to show her around. But soon other informal tour guides, who caught wind of her blog, Minneapolis81.com, via Twitter, Facebook, and other word-of-mouth means, volunteered to help out. Her calendar filled up fast.

In her tours so far, she's come across everything from a tree that's strewn with toys in Linden Hills to a shoe-filled chimney in Fulton. A McKinley-area park on the North Side impressed her, as did neighborhood's CSA Garden. However, she was struck by the area's lack of access to restaurants and grocery stores, which creates what she describes as a "food desert."

Occasionally she spots construction projects that she wonders about, or historical buildings, for which she tries to get the backstory. "Fact-finding is a fun part of it," she says.

She's also become acquainted with numerous local artists, small business owners, and many others who help make the neighborhoods thrive, she says.

Ultimately, through her blog, she hopes to introduce people to new neighborhoods. "I'd like to show how much it's opened my eyes to what they have to offer," she says, adding that it's also a good way to sharpen her photography skills.

Above all though, the project makes it so that "every night and weekend it's like a vacation in my own city," she says.

Source: Janelle Nivens, photographer, Minneapolis81.com 
Writer: Anna Pratt

When Melanie Logan was scoping out places for her Blue Ox Coffee Company concept, she was immediately drawn to a storefront space at 38th and Chicago in Minneapolis.

The area reminds her of the small Pennsylvania town where she grew up. She was also attracted to it because she wanted to try to fill a void in "a neighborhood that's lacking," at least as far as coffee shops go.  

Mike Stebnitz, the principal of Stillwater Companies, recently renovated the complex, which is close to another recent rehab, the Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, a hub for sculptural welding, blacksmithing, glasswork, and jewelry making.

It's a key intersection that ties together the Powderhorn, Central, Bancroft, and Bryant neighborhoods. Previously, some of the storefronts had been vacant and boarded up for up to 40 years. "This was a notorious intersection in the neighborhood," she says, adding that in recent times, "my friends have seen a huge improvement."

The Blue Ox shares a 1925-vintage two-story building with an empty restaurant space and handful of apartments, while an adjacent one-story structure is home to Covet Consign & Design, The Third Place (the photography studio and gallery of artist Wing Young Huie), and the Fox Egg Gallery,

Inside the space, a counter is still being built, but most of the rest of the construction is wrapping up. Original plaster and hardwood floors are intact, while several shades of blue on the walls and metal accents give the place an industrial feel. The build-out for the coffee shop totals about $80,000.  

A minimalist style defines the space, which is furnished with used white Formica tables, black chairs (new), and rescued church pews. "We want it to be an inviting environment," Logan says.

The cafe will feature many certified organic and "direct trade" coffee beans. Baked goods come from Patisserie 46 while sandwiches will be made in-house.

Logan plans to open the place by the end of the month. Already she's been getting plenty of positive feedback. "Most people can't wait for it to open. I'm looking forward to it."  

Source: Melanie Logan, owner, Blue Ox Coffee Company
Writer: Anna Pratt

For the first time in a decade, the Youth Farm and Market Project, which develops youth leaders through urban agriculture, gardens, and greenhouses, is adding a couple of new farms to its lineup.

In recent months, it's been redeveloping a lot at Nellie Stone Johnson Community School in North Minneapolis's Hawthorne neighborhood and another at the Church and School of St. Agnes in St. Paul's Frogtown.

The organization, which originated in Minneapolis's Lyndale neighborhood in 1995, also has sites in Powderhorn and on the West Side of St. Paul.

Amanda Stoelb, who is the program's associate director, says that the Youth Farm and Market had been getting inquiries for several years from the neighborhoods. During the winter months this year, the right combination of partnerships, planning, and funding came together to make it work.

As for what encouraged the neighborhoods to approach Youth Farm and Market in the first place, she says, "I think the partners are the most excited about the youth organization and community engagement component."

The farms start with a group of about 10-15 youth, who range from 9 to 18 years of age. They grow, prepare, and sell food. Farms differ from neighborhood to neighborhood, building on existing programs and individual needs. Children help assess an area's food needs and work alongside others to design and set up the farm, she explains.

In Hawthorne, a group of children chose vegetables based on "what they love," and what they were cooking, which resulted in all kinds of vegetables being planted. "It's the first year and the youth were excited to put a bunch of stuff in," she says, adding that they've even planted peanuts.

But in Frogtown, the site work is just beginning. Between the two new sites, "we're hoping to grow slowly," she says, "to engage youth and partners and meet the needs of the neighborhood as we go along."

Altogether, the organization works with about 500 youth, to whom it hopes to add another 200 in the next few years, according to Stoelb.

While they produce a sizable amount of food, "we're a youth development organization that uses food," she says. "Our greatest outcome is not farming, it's that we're engaging youth in community."  
 
Source: Amanda Stoelb, program associate director, Youth Farm and Market
Writer: Anna Pratt

 

For those still dealing with the aftermath of the May 22 tornado that hit North Minneapolis, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) of Minneapolis and Minnesota have joined forces to provide some architectural assistance through a program called "Rebuilding it Right."

Beverly Hauschild-Baron, the executive vice president of AIA-MN, says that the affected area of the North Side has historic character that should be preserved. That being said, for those who are having to reconstruct part or all of their homes, "it might be difficult...to maintain the integrity of their homes, without some guidance," she says.

Architect teams, including 60 volunteers, are working with the neighborhood to study the structures, trying to figure out what types of drawings or sketches might be most helpful.They're also striving for greener technologies and smarter urban design in the rebuilding effort.

Teams are assigned various blocks to work on, "identifying structures that we might be able to have an impact on, or just simply providing quick design sketches to the homeowners," she says.

"We're trying to help with providing some interface between the homeowner and contractor so that the history and integrity of the neighborhood can be maintained."

This initial phase runs through Aug. 31. The group is partnering with the Northside Community Recovery Team, the city, USGBC-Minnesota, Architecture for Humanity-Minneapolis/ St. Paul, The Assembly of Architects, Rebuilding Together Twin Cities, Preservation Minneapolis, American Society of Landscape Architects Minnesota, and other local and state organizations.

"We recognize that this type of natural disaster is one in which people need to come together, to provide the skills they have and rebuild in the best way possible," she says.   

Source: Beverly Hauschild-Baron, executive vice president, AIA-MN
Writer: Anna Pratt

 

The Pillsbury 'A' Mill in Minneapolis, which once belonged to the world's largest flour-milling complex, represents a key part of the city's growth along the Mississippi River.

But in recent years, the mill, part of which dates to 1881, went through foreclosure after a redevelopment proposal from another developer fell through.

Afterward, it wound up on a list of "America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places," created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

But Plymouth-based Dominium Development has an $80-million plan to reverse the trend. It plans to convert a handful of buildings on the campus into a 240-unit affordable artist live/work complex, according to Owen Metz, a senior development associate with the company.

Separately, Doran Cos. in Minneapolis is planning a 375-unit housing development for another portion of the Pillsbury site. Read The Line story here.

Although Dominium is still working out the details of the building and land agreements, this "is the first project of its scale, in terms of affordable artist live/work housing," he says. "We're trying to have different little nooks that cater to artists, with studios as well," he says.

Dominium has a similar project underway at Jacob Schmidt Brewery in St. Paul, which The Line covered here.  "We're trying to play off of what's already been done and what we've learned," says Metz.      

Although much of the design work is still in an early phase at Pillsbury, Metz says that the iconic grain elevators, which contribute to its historic significance, will stay intact--purely for aesthetic reasons. 

The group is talking with the neighborhood group, city officials, and other stakeholders to get input and leverage some of the work that's already been done on the site. "We're trying to streamline the process a little bit but also get feedback," which Metz says is especially important for such a landmark.

Some of the building's structural issues need to be addressed before too much gets hammered out. "Nothing's in stone yet," he says. "We're considering various uses for the space. We want to make sure it fronts well at Main Street."    

He hopes it'll bring a unique vitality to the area, while also building on the existing community in Northeast, he says. "We feel that financially, it's a good investment and that it'll be a success and be able to fill up quickly," he says.

In an area where many of the housing options are higher-end, "It gives people the opportunity to live that close to downtown, with those views, at an affordable level," he says.

Source: Owen Metz, Dominium Development
Writer: Anna Pratt

This summer, music is happening in unconventional places in St. Paul. All over the city, 20 colorfully painted pianos have been planted outdoors. They're available for anyone to play through a program called "Pianos on Parade."  

The musical objets d'art have been on the streets since the beginning of June, where they'll stay until the end of this month.

Keys 4/4 Kids, a St. Paul-based nonprofit organization that raises money from the sale of used pianos for music education programs in the Twin Cities, Chicago, and Kansas City, worked with the city to bring the program to fruition.  

It's a take on an initiative that originated in the U.K. and debuted in New York last year, called, "Play Me I'm Yours," according to Kelsey Shanesy, a coordinator for Keys 4/4 Kids. When the New York City program took off, some people approached Keys 4/4 Kids about doing something similar locally, she says.

Her organization, which is well stocked with the instruments, was receptive to the idea, and the city backed it. "That's how it was born," Shanesy says.   

Besides adding a unique element to the landscape, "Pianos on Parade" aims to "create moments of community between people who might not otherwise encounter each other," she says.

So far, the response to the project has been positive. She's been getting enthusiastic emails about how the pianos are stirring up fond memories for people, along with comments about the experience of hearing the music wafting down the street. Photos of players banging out tunes are also coming in. "It's been a lot of fun and the city is wrapping its arms around it," she says. "It's had some great moments."

More broadly, the program seems attuned to a broader movement that's picking up all over the U.S., wherein the piano, which used to be the center of home entertainment, has migrated outside for all kinds of people to enjoy, she says.

Source: Kelsey Shanesy, Keys 4/4 Kids
Writer: Anna Pratt

A group of gardening enthusiasts in Southwest Minneapolis's Kingfield neighborhood are working to make the area greener.

In 2009, the Kingfield Neighborhood Association (KFNA) formed a volunteer gardening group that already has a number of projects in progress, according to KFNA executive director Sarah Linnes-Robinson. "Their vision is to share food, ideas, and work and create a connection between gardens and gardeners throughout Kingfield," she says.

The group's first endeavor, Pleasant Garden, opened last year on land it leases from the Center for Performing Arts at 3754 Pleasant Ave. S. It rents the 17 plots to people who share some equipment and resources, while a common garden on the site is open to the public.   

Another community garden flourishes at 45th and Nicollet Ave. S., on land that a private property owner donated to KFNA. The vegetables, including a mix of tomatoes and eggplants, were also donated. "It's a true community garden," she says, adding, "We use all of the food raised to support the project and share it with the food shelf."

Right now, the group is researching models for ownership and management of a possible garden at 3916 Blaisdell. "We're talking to neighbors to see what they want and to address their concerns," she says.

Separately, the group is also looking into an area along the Interstate-35W sound wall. "The hope along the sound wall is to work with the [Minnesota Department of Transportation] to adopt the land as an urban orchard, planting hearty and fruit species, bushes and trees," she says.   

Community gardens are helpful to those who don't have the growing space or live in a shady spot. People can exchange tips or host gardening classes. "It's getting bigger and bigger. It continues the education of gardening and growing sustainably. It's very cool," she says, adding that the gardeners who are working together on this "are so inspired."   

But the benefits go beyond the environmental. "It's also a great community-builder," she says.

Source: Sarah Linnes-Robinson, executive director, Kingfield Neighborhood Association  
Writer: Anna Pratt

At 56th and Xerxes in South Minneapolis, Pizzeria Lola has dramatically revamped the space that once housed a convenience store.

The restaurant, which opened late last year, recently began offering lunch and added patio seating.

Even though it's only been around for a matter of months, the authentic Italian-style pizza place, which has a Korean twist (there's a kimchi and Korean sausage pizza), has proven to be a boon for the neighborhood, according to Jennifer Swanson, who works for the Armatage Neighborhood Association.

Part of its success may have to do with the fact that the restaurant's co-owners, Ann Kim and Conrad Leifur, were engaged with the neighborhood group from the get-go, she says. 

Early on, the restaurateurs presented their plans and pizza dough samples to neighbors, she says. "They seemed to feel strongly about being a part of the neighborhood."

Also to their credit is the restaurant's thoughtful design, which makes it an enjoyable hangout, she says. St. Paul-based Loom Architecture's Ralph Nelson, who designed the 2,000-square-foot space, blends modern and vintage elements for a unique ambiance.

Eye-catching metallic track lights radiate overhead from the coppery oven. Gourmet pizzas are fired in the wood-burning oven, while the copper material is continued along the bar. 

Shiny concrete floors, decorative wood panels, antique items, cafeteria-style booths and tables, and a photo booth, help make the place "warm and inviting," Swanson says.

The transformation is so pronounced that "you can't believe that you're in the same space," she says.  

In a small way, the neighborhood group has even contributed to the space's upgrade by providing a grant to the building owner for a metal fence that's meant to enclose the new patio.

Swanson says she's heard plenty of positive feedback about the restaurant from nearby residents. "They value businesses like this that are unique to the neighborhood and are a part of the community," she says. "People really like having places like that to walk to," and Pizzeria Lola is family-friendly as well. 


Source: Jennifer Swanson, coordinator, Armatage Neighborhood Association
Writer: Anna Pratt