Nov 2012 - Lowry Hill East Neighborhood Association

page 8 the wedge November 2012 November 2012 the wedge page 9
Development Development
How Do You Spell Library?
The ‘LIBRARY’ Sculpture and Construction
Photo courtesy of Hennepin County Libraries
crews remove the letters on october 4. to see more
photos of the removal event see www.flickr.com/photos/
hennepincountylibrary/sets/72157631778731426.
Many patrons have asked
about the fate of the outdoor
“LIBRARY” letter sculpture
that was located on the property
of Hennepin County
Walker Library, 2880 Hennepin
Avenue, which closed on
September 22 for new construction.
Before the library closed, librarian
Sandra Roback said,
“Patrons ask, ‘Are you keeping
them? Where will they go?
Will they be part of the new
building?’ It seems patrons really
identify them with Walker
Library.”
Thanks to funding from the
Friends of the Walker Library,
the sculpture was removed and
stored, and when the new library
opens in 2014 the letters
will be reinstalled on a wall on
the west side of the property.
“The ‘LIBRARY’ letter sculpture
at the Walker Library is a
community landmark that has
become almost iconic in south
Minneapolis,” said Hennepin
County Commissioner Gail
Dorfman. “We’re so pleased
that the Friends of the Walker
Library’s first contribution to
the new library is to ensure
that this sculpture will continue
to enhance the library’s visibility
for everyone who passes
by when the new library opens
in two years.”
The sculpture was originally
created and installed on
the property as part of several
Walker Library improvements
included in the City of
Minneapolis’ 1995 Uptown
Streetscape improvement project,
the objective of which was
to “repair and rejuvenate the
physical elements at Hennepin
and Lake,” according to a
Minneapolis Planning Department
memo. Improvements to
the underground library needed
at that time included fixing
the leaking roof, improving
interior lighting and air quality,
and raising the visibility or
“street presence.”
The “LIBRARY” letter sculpture
was created to increase
the library’s visibility from the
street. The seven-foot-high
letters were constructed of
stainless steel because of the
material’s durability and resistance
to graffiti, and because
it would be “more vibrant and
dynamic than polished concrete.”
The sculpture/signage
was designed by Sarah Weiner
of Leonard Parker Associates,
Architects, and completed by
Sheehy Construction Co.
The city’s 1995 improvement
project solved the library’s serious
leakage problems and
improved the public service
space and public plaza, but
other needed library improvements
costing hundreds of
thousands of dollars were
identified at that time, including
a need for more square
footage.
Walker Library is part of the
Hennepin County Library system,
following the merger of
Minneapolis Public Library
and Hennepin County Library
in 2008.
Moving Forward
Since the library closed, a
great deal of work has been
accomplished in addition to
the sculpture removal. The library
collection was reviewed
and moved to storage, and Radio
Frequency Identification
(RFID) tags were added to the
library materials.
To prepare for the project’s
start, a new site analysis was
conducted that included The
Mall space north of the Walker
Library that will be used as a
temporary staging area during
construction. Approximately
eight to ten trees (primarily
Locust trees adjacent to
the library property) will be
removed from the upper Mall
area to make room for the construction
activities during the
project. However, Hennepin
County, the Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board and the
contractor have identified each
tree that will be removed and
developed a replacement plan
that will plant new trees under
the direction of a Park Board
forester. A walkway will be
constructed on the north side
of The Mall starting at 29th
Street going east to the sidewalk
at Hennepin Avenue. This
walkway will allow pedestrians
and bikers to maintain a physical
connection between the
Mall and Hennepin Avenue.
For more information about
the Walker Library construction
project see www.hclib.org/
pub/info/buildingprojects/library.cfm?library=Walker.
AT HOME from page 1
ing 2316 and 2320 Colfax
Avenue. A new five story,
54-foot building would be
constructed, containing
48 units (40 one-bedroom
and 7 two-bedroom). Unit
size would range from 550-
1,100 square feet. Rental
cost would be approximately
$1.75-2 per square foot.
The building would have
47 parking spaces, seven of
them tandem stalls. Bike
parking would be provided
at a 1:1 ratio, and a shared
car would be located onsite.
Several variances would
be required related to decreased
setbacks in the rear
and side yards. But the parcels
are currently zoned R6,
which would allow for the
five stories in the proposal.
A historic review performed
by the City of Minneapolis
determined that the cur-
COWBOY SLIM’S from page 1
parent company, the Slim’s
shutdown was all part of the
schedule.
Not only was Diebold’s
son on-site but his father
was there helping the crew
sort through what would
be thrown away, stored or
moved to one of the two
new restaurant’s opening in
Otsego, Minnesota or the
boom town of Williston,
North Dakota.
Looking like a snowboarder,
dressed in shorts, sweatshirt
and ski hat, the only thing
that might make you pick
him out from the rest of the
crew that day was the blue
tooth phone in his ear as
he makes the occasional interruption
to answer a call.
When asked about the demise
of Cowboy Slim’s Dielbold
said it was “emotional–
we had a lot of good times in
that place. It’s friends, family
and we enjoy doing it. We
make most of the western
furniture for these places.”
But Diebold is already moving
on. His Cowboy Jack’s
in Otsego was opening soon
and his Williston restaurant
would also take some employees
and supplies from
the Uptown Slim’s. Although
both places will certainly create
more immediate work for
everyone, the Williston location
is on everyone’s mind.
rent structures at 2316 and
2320 Colfax Avenue do not
appear to “meet the City of
Minneapolis’ thresholds for
historical significance”.
Nearly 30 neighborhood
stakeholders attended the
meeting, in addition to
committee members and
the presenter. Many who
spoke were opposed to the
scale and/or density of the
development given its location.
Concern was voiced
regarding the demolition of
the existing houses; though
currently in use as a rooming
house, 2320 Colfax was
built by T.P. Healy. Some
cited the neighborhood rezoning
study completed
and adopted by the LHENA
Board in 2004. The study
was a set of rezoning principles
for the neighborhood
along with a recommended
zoning map which called for
a lower zoning classification
on these parcels. But the
Diebold related how he had
purchased property there a
while ago, when he saw what
was happening. Williston’s
Bakken Oilfield has changed
the face of the town. Job
openings and an inflated pay
rate, even for shift work in
fast food, has made it a magnet
for the unemployed and
investment.
Although Diebold’s description
of sleeping in his car,
people showering in gas station
restrooms or overinflated
motel rates were captivating,
many of his more
interesting stories about
what he’s seen there resemble
plot lines from HBO’s
Deadwood series.
It’s clear he’s addicted to the
business. He was required
to move out of the Uptown
space because of the new
buildling. But if it was successful
then why wouldn’t he
relocate there again?
Well, Diebold was candid
about it. He’s currently in discussions
with Uptown Gassen
company about bringing
back Slim’s as a Cowboy
Jack’s in the City Walk Uptown
building. If a lease is
signed his space could be
a 7,000 square foot ground
floor restaurant opening at
the end of the construction
cycle.
Bruce Cochran is Editor of the
Wedge newspaper and lives in
Uptown.
recommendations have not
been adopted by the City
and are therefore not enforceable.
A few attendees
were interested in further
exploring the concept of the
development.
The Z&P Committee offered
the development team
an opportunity to return to
an upcoming meeting with
more information on the
proposal, including elevations.
Since one the presenter’s
stated purposes was to
assess neighborhood reaction,
it is unclear whether
the development team will
continue to pursue this
project at this time.
The LHENA Zoning and
Planning Committee meets
the second Wednesday of
each month at 6:30 pm. For
more information please
contact the LHENA office
at LHENA@thewedge.org or
612.377.5023.
Leveraging Chaos
MPRB’s vision sessions treat ‘Challenges’ as ‘Opportunities’
Illustration courtesy of Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board
one idea suggested from the brainstorming is a land bridge that links the two lakes over Lake street.
The Minneapolis Park &
Recreation Board (MPRB)
is taking a fresh look at the
landscape between Lake
Calhoun and Lake of the Isles
HAPPY
WEDGE
KEY NAME
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LATE LATE NIGHT NIGHT EDITION! EDITION!
FAMOUS DAVES
KINSEN
CC CLUB
BRYANT-LAKE BOWL
FUJIYA SUSHI
COMMON ROOTS
in Minneapolis. Popular
destinations in the area have
led in recent years to steadily
increasing congestion
with accompanying safety
concerns. The MPRB led
a preliminary park design
study in early October,
organized as a multi-day
community design event,
Get more
HAPPY
Public House
Franklin
SUPPORT
YOUR LOCAL
WEBSITE
IN iTUNES ‘THRIFTYHIPSTER’
ONLINE THRIFTYHIPSTER.COM
MOBILE LHIP.US
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Photo by Bruce Cochran
scott schuler hopes to open his new restaurant by February
2013. Featuring traditional pub food and beer, Morrissey’s
irish pub is scheduled to open at 913 Lake st. schuler is also
seeking a c1 liquor license, which will allow the restaurant
to have up to five musicians.
or charrette, to engage the
public in envisioning the
future of the area.
For further information, or
to comment visit the North
3
Calhoun, South Lake of
the Isles project page on
the MPRB website at www.
minneapolisparks.org/
default.asp?PageID=1398.
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Lake
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