Capstone Research Booklet: Kmart by Jordan Hedlund

Kmart:

The history and future of one of the most mythic landmarks in Minneapolis.

Capstone Proposal Book Jordan Hedlund

(Hedlund, 2020)

Book Sections 1. Land Acknowledgment 2. Site Location 3. Original Land Survey 4. Early 1900'S 5. "Mapping Prejudice" Context 6. Timeline Of Bigbox 7. Timeline Of Kmart Site 8. Project Brief 9. Personal Connection 10. Research Question 11. Project Manifesto 12. Site Context Today 13. Demographics Today 14. Current Site Condition 15. Northern Mural 16. Street Art On The Site 17. The Greenway 18. The History Of "Eat Street" 19. Minneapolis Landuse Planning 20. Transportation Around the Site 21. Pipeshed And Flooding 22. Site Ecology 23. Site Survey 24. Project Takeaways 25. Project Schedule 26. Special Thanks 27. Bibliography 28. Precedent Projects 29. Visual Appendix

Cover Image: Kmart site 1 month prior to the 2020 Presidential Election. The site is being leased by the USPS, as well as a ballot drop off location. Left Image: Photo taken of the inside of the Kmart building through plywood being used to cover the broken glass sliding doors. The building was ransacked in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd.

Small Dakota camp in 1863 believed to be near the Flats of Fort Snelling “Bdote” following the Dakota War. (MNHS)

A Dakota mother “Ina” and her children 1920. (MNNHS)

Dakota prisoner at Fort Snelling “Bdote” in 1863 following the Dakota War. (MNHS)

...destroying a sacred island is disrespectful, a willful act of erasure, ignorance, or malice. Renaming Indigenous places is another act of erasure, often the easiest form of erasure: an act of the pen, a cartographer’s conquest, seen clearly in the

Photo of Spirit

name America... - Andrea Carlson, Open Rivers

land to the Dak

to allow ship p

n in

Land Acknowledgment

The Kmart site at Nicollet Avenue

and Lake Street sits on Dakota Sioux land, as well as Minneapolis, and nearly the entire southern half of the state of Minnesota. In the Dakota language Mni Sota Makoce translates to “Land Where the Waters Reflect the Clouds” (Wester & White, 2012)

For generations leading up to

the Dakota War of 1862 the Dakota people off

had

their

been land,

forcefully and

have

pushed never

been allowed back. Governments have forcibly erased Dakota culture along with many other Native cultures in Dakota prisoner at Fort Snelling “Bdote” in

Minnesota and throughout the US.

1863 following the Dakota War. (MNHS)

Physical removal and the erasure

via changing of names in Minnesota and Minneapolis is a stain on our history and will never be forgotten. Minneapolis has taken steps to return names of landmarks within the city to their original Dakota tongue. This is one of many steps that will need to be taken as the city begins to recognize its unfortunate past.

t island, or “Wita Wanagi” in 1870, once and still sacred

kota people. Quarried, dredged, and fully removed by 1960

passage. (MNNHS)

Images at Left: All photos have been pulled from the archives at the Minnesota Hisorical Society (MNHS).

Site Location

The former Kmart bigbox store lies

in South Minneapolis in the Whittier Neighborhood, but directly adjacent to Lyndale, Central, and the East Phillips

Minnesota Hennepin County

neighborhoods. Lake Street bounds this 2 parcel, 10 acre site to the South, also acting to separate the Whittier and Lyndale neighborhoods. The bike and pedestrian trail called The Greenway creates a Northern trench that sits directly behind the site and 20’ lower. Nicollet Avenue was completely blocked

Minneapolis

for the construction of the Kmart as well as rerouting the adjacent Blaisdell Avenue and 1st Avenue South to oneways South and North, respectively. The

Whittier

Neighborhood

Alliance was created from the direct opposition of the project in 1977. Since then, the "dead-end at Nicollet" in both directions has been one the biggest headaches for Minneapolitans and one of the strongest arguments for opening the street back up. Today the 10 acre site is the stand-in location for the 2 local USPS buildings that were burned down during the protests following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, Memorial Day. In April of

2020,

Minneapolis

finally

bought

out the Kmart lease, giving them full ownership of the 2 parcels of land.

Nicollet Avenue

Whittier Neighbor

E. Phillips Neigh

Kmart Site 10 W L Lake Street

Central Neighborh

Lyndale Neighborh

NICOLLET AVE 1ST AVE SOUTH

BLAISDELL AVE

THE GREENWAY

WHITTIER NEIGHBORHOOD LAKE STREET NICOLLET AVE

rhood

DEAD END

LYNDALE

NEIGHBORHOOD

hborhood

Lake St.

...the worst planning mistake in Minneapolis

hood

history. - Minneapolis Director of Community and

hood

Economic Planing (MinnPost, 2020)

Original Land Survey

The

mid-1800's

Original

1848

Land

Surveys show a very different landscape than what we see today. The first one in

1848

did

not

show

West

the

Mississippi River, but does show the location of the St. Anthony Falls and the Sacred Spirit Island.

The next 30 years would then be

spent platting the land West and south of the river. In these surveys we can see what the original landscape looked like: prairies, farm fields, ponds and roads.

The

original

plat

lines

would

eventually develop into Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street. The winding dirt roads would be replaced with pavement and align to the Jeffersonian Grid. And what was lightly wooded rolling hills, would be chopped down and brought to the

river

for

milling.

What

would

remain is a graded landscape ready for

Whittier

neighborhoods, parks, and industry.

Prarie

W.Phillips

Lake Street

Farm Fields Orignial Dirt Roads Today's Roads Today's Neighborhoods Kmart Site

Lyndale Nicollet Ave

Ponds

Central

1876

Minneapolis Boundary Today

Early 1900's

The

brought

dawn with

the

20th new

century

style

transportation, electric street cars or "trollies". With this, cities began

to feel smaller and the Minneapolis

Standing on the Nicollet Ave bridge in 1919 looking sout

grid expanded rapidly. The intersection

over the then Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul R.R.(MNNHS)

of Nicollet Avenue and Lake Street became a hub for both transportation and recreation.

The "Greenway" as we know it today,

was a depressed rail (1) line that connected Minneapolis to other major cities

Chicago

and

Milwaukee.

Lake Street and West 31st Street (2)

became an East-West transit corridor

The entrance to Nicollet Park 1915, looking north on W

connecting the capital of St. Paul in

31st St and Nicollet Ave. (MNNHS)

the East to the western suburbs of St. Louis Park and Wayzata.

The minor league baseball team

The

Minneapolis

Millers

played

Nicollet Park (3) for over 60 years, located on the trolley lines. The team is known for hosting legendary Willie Mays for 2 months before being called up to play for the NY Giants. Today

3 Inside Nicollet Ball Park 1946. (MNNHS)

the MVP award for the World Series has been given his namesake.

Today, what was the Nicollet Car

Barn and Trolley Garage (4), is now the Metro Transit Bus Garage. Serving the same purpose it once did, just for a different generation.

4 Nicollet trolley station 1920(MNHS)

1930 Sanborn Plat Map: Re-stitched

Kmart Site Today

“Mapping Prejudice”

Site Surrounding South - (B13)

This map from 1937 is when the city

of Minneapolis begins to visually see the racial covenants and the influence that they will have on the city. Though this is only a snapshot in time, we begin to see how the city will trend for generations to come. High value/low risk loans being offered in areas of “whiteness”, near lakes and creeks, close to parkland, and away from industry.

Site Surrounding North - (C6)

Near the Kmart site there are two

ideas that stick out. First, D7 is deemed “Hazardous”, likely due to its proximity to industry and the railroad (EhrmanSolberg, 2020). Second is D6, a corridor that will eventually be destroyed and

Pre 35W Corridor - (D6)

turned into 35W, effectively splitting neighborhoods and the city in half. Both of these will create cheap land at the location of 10 W. Lake St. The land value impact will continue to compound after the construction of Kmart throughout the 70's, 80's, and 90's. This will be expressed in the population that moves to this area and the type of business that begin to arrive. Map with excerpts: 1937 Home Owners Loan Corporation (HOLC)

Map

showing

desirability

Minneapolis.

Accompanying text are the descriptions of why areas around the Kmart site were given certain ratings. Image: Lake Street and Nicollet Ave 1927. The Nicollet street car trolley tracks are still visible.

Pre “Kmart Site” Site - (D7)

(MNHS)

Kmart grand opening in Puerto Rico in 1964 (Forbes, 2020)

Kmart grand opening in South Bend Michigan

Tribune, 2017)

1964

(South

Bend

Timeline of Bigbox

1962 was the beginning of 4 of

the largest retail chains the US has seen.

Though

they

all

started

the

same year they each had very different trajectories.

Kmart initially doing better by

far, reached 2000 stores in just under 20 years. A decade later it peaked, coincidentally at the same time Amazon emerges as an online bookseller. From there, the next 2 decades would take its toll on the business

As Target, Walmart, and Amazon

seamlessly merge to the online platform Kmart

seems

flounder,

especially

in the late 90's and early 2000's. The writing was on the wall as it nosedives for the next decade, pulling out of the Canadian market, going into bankruptcy, and merging with Sears.

Until

their

2018

bankruptcy

(again) there were around 700 Kmarts left. Since then the exact numbers are shrouded in secrecy now that the remaining Kmarts are owned by Transform Co. The rough estimate of the amount remaining as of 2020 is around 30. Allegedly,

the

best

financially

performing Kmart is currently located Guam.

Timeline of Kmart on Lake & Nicollet

The timeline of Kmart at 10 W.

Lake Street really boils down to 4 main periods: the decades leading up to the 1970's, the 1970's during which Kmart was in negotiation wit the city of Minneapolis, the bigbox boom between the 1970's to the early 2000's, and the last 5 years as the city of Minneapolis acquires the land and building.

Image Above: A clipping from the 1976 Minneapolis Star Tribune shows Kmart over Nicollet Ave and integrated into what was supposed to be the new mall.

Project Brief

It wasn’t until recently that the

site next. Most recently, the USPS signed a

two parcel, 10 acre lot that sits directly

month contract to lease the site in July of 202

at the intersection of Lake Street and

The site is currently acting as the post offi

Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis

for 2 adjacent neighborhoods, both of which h

has come into the public eye. Though the

their own burned down during the 2020 Geor

site has been part of plenty internal

Floyd protests. Additionally, Covid-19 has sh

planning amongst the City of Minneapolis

down many of the local establishments forci

and neighborhood organizations, it was

surviving restaurant to be takeout only. 1 blo

not until local and state media outlets

east of the site is Interstate 35W on the hee

started asking why Kmart disrupts the

of its 4.5 year $239M renovation.

city grid at a major through-way in the heart of Minneapolis, Nicollet Avenue.

Upon further investigation, it was

discovered that the proposed “Nicollet Lake Development District” of the 1970’s was desperate for funding after much of the expected development along the corridors fell through. Luckily, an up and coming discount retail store named Kmart,

offered

millions

dollars

in needed funding to lease a future building, eventually shutting down any thoughtful

movement

north

south

along Nicollet Avenue. From this, we get to the 10 acre impervious structure and parking lot that we see today. This was the beginning of the "Bigbox" era.

Despite the City of Minneapolis

buying out the Kmart lease in 2020 for $9.1 Million, there really is no indication what will happen with the

I have decided to take a three tiered

20.

approach towards investigating the Kmart Site:

ice

Future Speculation Supported By Community Based

had

Research, Integration Of Existing Transportation

rge

Planning For The Area, And The Need For An Urban

hut

Ecological Zone/Corridor. I believe that these

ing

three areas will not only deal with existing

ock

planning (transportation) but also acknowledge

els

the surrounding community’s needs, and ensure a sustainable ecology for future generations.

(Hedlund, 2020)

Personal Connection

My interest in the Kmart site, 10

West Lake Street in Minneapolis grew out of a fascination of the dead end on Nicollet Avenue. After living for nearly a decade in both Minneapolis and Saint Paul, I learned very quickly to avoid the Nicollet & Lake area as well as the 1-way streets on either side of it.

Though I never personally shopped

in the Kmart before its 2020 closing, research is showing that it may have been more than just a roadblock or a department store. This Kmart served as the community grocery store, clothing store, office supply shop, and meeting place.

Some

would

even

argue

that

without the “roadblock” Nicollet Avenue would have developed similar to Hennepin Avenue and Lyndale Avenue, busy, loud, and expensive.

With this commodity gone, a void

is left within the city, a once bustling retail hotspot now lays desolate as a 10 acre fenced off eye sore. On the site,

issues

crime,

abandonment,

and identity are in plain sight, and acquiring this land has been a 5 year, $23 Million endeavor by the City of Minneapolis. The question is how will the site live on?

If Nicollet had never been closed at Lake Street, it’s easy to imagine a mid-1980s sideburn-heavy Public Works department widening it to funnel Chrysler Le Barons to South Minneapolis and Richfield. - City Pages, 3/9/2020 (Hedlund, 2020)

(Hedlund, 2020)

Research Question What integrative approach can be taken at 10 W Lake Street to ensure community input, support transportation planning, and promote an urban ecological zone/ corridor?

This study will take a three tiered

approach at investigating the Kmart site. These will include: community based research, future transportation planning,

and

identification

urban ecological void.

The

community

based

research

approach will examine survey results sent to both the local and at large communities. Transportation research looks at the proposed corridors that are planned for the area. The urban ecology of both the site and surrounding area will be examined to propose a new ecological zone to fill the vegetal void at the site.

I just don’t want to see more of these unaffordable apartment complexes appear there. - Comment from survey taker

Project Manifesto

The following is a manifesto that

has been developed for the Kmart Site Project. Since the site is situated in an urban environment in which many of its people over the years have been disenfranchised, the purpose of this manifesto is to set a moral foundation for how the project will develop.

This is a three tier lens that

focuses on the people, the land, and the

future.

Many

aspects

this

align with the Minneapolis 2040 Civic Engagement Plan, valuing the process in which urban development happens and the trust-building required among the communities.

Creation

this

foundation

ensures that any process moving forward thinks back on who it is impacting and the long term effects of those impacts. This manifesto will ground the project

to force reflection and

critical thought for every move.

The research that went into this

manifesto

looked

the

past,

the

present, and the future. Seeing time as fluid and that change over time as inherent. How that change happens and the generational impacts it will have is where we find ourselves as designers. To move forward is one thing, but to move forward together is another.

Intention Purpose Ideals Tales Memory Healing Connect Adapt Thrive

Seek Trust

Provide Opportunity

Value Quality

Amplify The Voiceless Promote Understanding

Value Informality

Embrace Complexity

Nurture Traditions+Cultures Community Outreach

Inter/Intra-Disciplinary Design

Urban Ecologies

Embrace Change

Intention Purpose Ideals

The first pillar of the project’s

manifesto will look to seek trust within the community through engaged outreach. The city will be able to provide opportunity for feedback in an act to uplift and amplify the voiceless. Engaging in this process will ensure that the project hears all considerations from the community. This will

approach maintain

values full

quality

transparency

throughout the entire process.

and

Tales Memory Healing

The

second

pillar

identifies

the site’s history, both physically and

socially.

promote

will

understanding of the site and embrace its complexity by looking at its rich history. Only by understanding these qualities will the project be able to

nurture

the

diverse

traditions

and cultures that have shaped the area and the neighborhoods. Through this, the site will grow with the neighborhood,

valuing

and informal change.

both

formal

Connect Adapt Thrive

The final tier looks at change

over time. In order for beneficial change to occur there must be community outreach.

The

community

will

work

with designers, and designers will work inter/intra-disciplinarily with each other to move projects forward together. By working across scales we can take a step back and look at the city as a living changing being. Valuing the urban ecologies that are quickly

vanishings

and

embracing

the change that will happen, this project will serve as a benchmark for

engagement

forward.

and

process

moving

Site Context Today

The area directly surrounding

the site today developed rapidly in the mid to late 20th Century. Low housing prices due to suburban flight and the obnoxious dead end allowed immigrant and small business families to move to the area.

The creation of the Greenway

as a bike and pedestrian corridor and Lake Street as a main bus route, turned this area into something you

Park Square

pass by on your way to Uptown to the

Condos

West.

Despite what many people saw as

a place to avoid, this area grew to

Karmel Square

be known as a place of diversity and community goods. Restaurants, banks, and places of worship emerged here. More recently, with the construction of the 35W and Lake Street Transit Hub off the freeway, this part of town will begin to see a surge in new development that it hasn't seen in a generation. Neighborhood Boundary Food, Markets, & Restaurants Car, Home, & Personal Services Religious and Community Centers Apartments and Condos Low Income Housing Closed or Demo’d from Protests Bus Stops

Horn Towers

FIRE STATION

CLINIC

WHITTIER

NICOLLET AVE

THE GREENWAY

1ST AVE SOUTH

BLAISDELL AVE

MINNEAPOLIS

Nico Products Finishing

WHITTIER EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD LAKE STREET LYNDALE CENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD NICOLLET AVE

WELLS FARGO

Umatul Islam Center USPS

METRO TRANSIT

POLICE

BUS GARAGE

5TH PRECINCT

Demographics Today

The

demographics

neighborhoods

that

the

surround

3 the

site including Whittier presents an interesting

narrative.

Compared

Minneapolis, the age distribution is almost identical, but that is the only similarity.

The amount of People of Color,

foreign born citizens, and English not being the main language spoken, is almost double that of Minneapolis as a whole. Also, the amount of households living under an annual income of less than $35k a year is 16% higher than the rest of the city. ones

These neighborhoods along with more

towards

the

Mississippi

River like the rest of Phillips and Cedar

Riverside

percentage

have the

the city's

largest Native

American population. Though the Native population in Minneapolis makes up a small percentage of the city, they are some of the largest outside of the Reservations.

recent

populations

has

years been

the a

homeless

contentious

topic. The city has struggled with an approach on how to control them, many times just fencing off popular areas to sleep and carpeting the ground with jersey barriers and old light posts.

(Hedlund, 2020)

Current Site Conditions

Building Fenced Off Sidewalks Turf/Dirt Boulevards Food Truck Staging Parcel Boundaries Jersey Barriers Car & Truck Access Bus Stops/Shelters Trees Coniferous Trees Deciduous Shrubs

The current state of the site

is desolate. The building that is currently 5 months into a 24 month lease with the USPS is 128,000 sqft, nearly 3 acres. The surrounding impervious parking and northern alley and loading dock is an additional 286,000 sqft, 6.5 acres.

In the center of the parking lot

the USPS has erected 10' chain link and barbed wire fencing for their mail truck parking. The city has slid jersey barriers into place to block the Lake Street entrance to the south end of the parking lot.

The handful of pine and ash

trees provide little respite while waiting for the bus. The Nicollet bridge has been completely fenced off to the north, as well as chain link fence indicating the boundary of city owned land and the Hennepin County Railroad Authority (HCRRA).

The handful of things that bring

people to the site: La Taqueria Food Truck, the USPS, waiting for the bus, and just passing through. Police still patrol the northern side, and Minneapolis Facilities Maintenance was present whenever I would visit.

(MPR, 2014)

(Hedlund, 2020)

Northern Mural

The

current

condition

the

building at 10 West Lake Street will vary depending on who you ask. To a street artist, the building is an open canvas waiting to be painted. To a concerned neighbor, the site is unkempt and unsafe.

The mural along the back side

was

olive

branch

sorts

the community from Kmart. It was a commissioned project that didn't show the building in a great light since its completion in 1977. It shows what is assumed to be a business man closing a door on the community (MPR, 2014).

When the Kmart building was built,

no doors or entrances were designed on the northern side. What was built was a nearly 600' road block, alley, and loading docks facing the Whittier Neighborhood.

Construction

the

Kmart was a clear decision to value one area of the city over another.

Instead,

City

investment

was

turned towards Lake Street and the adjacent Uptown community. For 30 years following the construction of Kmart, the area north of it would develop slowly. For an entire generation the city would rush by on 35W and Lake Street.

Street Art On The Site

about

I spoke with Virginia Torzewski her

2018

Capstone

"Nicollet

Garden" (Nicollet Garden, Torzewski, 2018) and she informed me that the majority of the painting had been done since the closing of Kmart. The 10 acre vacancy in a dense urban environment has

been

invitation

street

artists and graffiti artists alike.

The majority of the murals on

the site have been painted directly onto the building, covering the entire back

(northern)

side.

Artists

have

even painted the awning and HVAC units on the roof. The murals stretch onto the sides of the adjacent Greenway and vacant car wash behind the building

as well. The few on the front have been painted on particle board and attached, some with pieces that stick out to create a 3D effect. Image 1: Front (south) of building panorama stitch. Image 2: Back (north-east) of building panorama stitch. Image 3: View across Nicollet Ave bridge & The Greenway access. This image is taken over the 8' security chain link fence standing on jersey barriers. Image 4: Commissioned work by Chicago artist "Werm" that reflects the culture and history of this area of the city. The USPS agreed to leave the mural up after moving into the building in the summer of 2020.

(Hedlund, 2020)

Connection at the Greenway

There seems to be 2 main consensus'

when it comes to the Kmart Site: open Nicollet Avenue and fix the entrance to

the Greenway. The current entrance

at Nicollet Avenue is a combination of painted jersey barriers and chain link fencing. To the West the next exit off The Greenway is 9 blocks down on Bryant Avenue, and to the East it is 6 blocks away on South 5th Avenue.

The historic nature of this once

rail line that connected Minneapolis to the rest of the Midwest is lost despite being right on top of it. The crumbling bridges, the lack of simple amenities like trash cans and benches, and the odd scale of the paved path to the surrounding height of the retaining walls makes this area of The Greenway uninviting. Not to mention that the entrance is only accessible from one direction, coming south on Nicollet Avenue into the dead-end.

[maintained] poorly right around the Kmart. Particularly the Greenway up to the roads near there. It does not feel very safe - Comment from survey taker

BLAISDELL AVE

PILLSBURY AVE

5 4

GREENWAY

NICOLLET AVE

STEVENS AVE

1ST AVE S

On The Greenway

Coming down to The Greenway off

of Nicollet Avenue is not the most inviting. First passing the makeshift jersey barrier funnel and vacant car wash, then past the overgrown scrub and

the

crumbling

retaining

wall,

and finally to the paved path that is oddly only half the width of the entire trench.

The only directions you are given

is towards the lake that is 1.5 miles West or the river that is 3.5 miles

East. Anyone walking must go either 6 blocks East or 9 blocks West before they find their way off. Also, the deteriorating bridges on either side give no indication of the roads going over them. Placing yourself on this 5 mile stretch is difficult at best without taking one of the few steeply pitched ramps up to the main grade of the city, at one of the few exits.

There

plenty

existing

studies that have been done on The Greenway over the last decade looking at improving surfacing and amenities as well as fixing the many bridges that cross it. Many of the bridges are on the Historical Register making it increasingly difficult to do any work whatsoever.

The History of “Eat Street”

The “Eat Street” corridor is a

stretch of Nicollet Avenue that spans from Downtown Minneapolis to the "deadend" at The Greenway and the Kmart site, about 1.5 miles. Here you can find food from all over the world, one of the oldest staples of the area is the Black Forest Inn, a German style kitchen. This

section

developed

uniquely

adjacent

corridors

of compared of

Nicollet to

its

Hennepin

and

Lyndale Avenues due to the Kmart being built blocking the through-way traffic in 1977. This decision slowed down traffic, allowed local businesses to flourish, and encouraged local “small town” growth with coffee shops, food and bar patios, and cultures from all around the world to gather.

It wasn’t until 1997 that the

Whittier Alliance branded the corridor as “Eat Street”. This move cemented the area to be known as a cultural corridor of Minneapolis. 4

Images

the

Right:

These

images

are

from

exhibition hosted by the Hennepin History Museum called “Eat Street 20: In Their Own Words.” This exhibition was in celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the formal naming of the “Eat Street” corridor, but displayed the history all the way back to the 1970’s.

EAT STREET CORRIDOR

Interstate 94

Franklin Ave

East 26th Ave

Interstate 35W

Running from North to South from downtown Minneapolis to that weird Kmart complex that NICOLLET DEAD END The Greenway

needs to get torn down already - Eater Twin

Kmart Site

Cities

Lake Street

Minneapolis Landuse Planning

The Kmart Site sits directly in

the middle of the intersection of 2 major planning corridors: Minneapolis 2040 and the Minneapolis Great Streets Program. The Minneapolis 2040 is a comprehensive

zoning

plan

that

taken on every 10 years. The plan is meant to support both population and economic growth over the next 20 years.

While

the

Minneapolis

Great

Streets Program helps guide grant and small

business

funding

selected

commercial corridors.

MPLS

2040

Transit

15:

4-15

stories, along major transit lines.

MPLS 2040 Corridor 6: 2-6 stories,

along major transit lines.

MPLS

Great

Streets

"Support":

Shows strength but barriers to market/ business

MPLS

development exist. Great

Streets

"Monitor":

Strong market development & business activity.

MPLS

Corridor:

2040

Goods

location

Services commercial

fronts & identifies considerations for commercial growth and/or establishment.

This 2 parcel plot of land is within

some

the

busiest

transportation

corridors in the state of Minnesota. Interstate 35W and Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis are in the top 15 busiest stretches of road in the entire state (MNDOT, 2021). Moreover, The Greenway acts as a shared pedestrian and bike artery across the city, allowing safe and efficient travel of over 5,000 people per day during all 4 seasons.

The future of this site can already

be seen as MNDOT nears the completion of their new transit hub bus station beneath 35W. Also, new crosstown bus lines, the Greenway Extension to the West, and the Nicollet Modern Streetcar to the North into Downtown, are in the works over the next decade. One of the final pieces of the puzzle will be to open Nicollet Avenue back up to allow the free flow of traffic once again for the first time in over 45 years. Bike on Sidewalks Bike on Streets Bike and Pedestrian shared City & County Highways Interstate Freeway Existing Transit Bus Shelters Proposed Transit Bus Shelters Parkland

LYNDALE AVE S

Transportation Around The Site

NICOLLET AVE

THE GREENWAY

LAKE STREET

E 31ST STREET

Pipeshed and Flooding

The city of Minneapolis consists

of 4 watershed management districts. The one that falls within the boundary of the project site and most of the city,

the

Mississippi

Watershed

Management Organization (MWMO).

Though prolonged flooding at the

site has not been an issue in the past, there have been reports of manhole covers being blown off due to surges of the pipeshed system during high capacity rain events. A major part of the $239M interstate construction project

install

underground

cisterns to hold 4.5 million gallons of water before slowly releasing it back into the system. This Localized Flood Map examines topographic data to show flood vulnerability in the urban streetscape. Stormwater Catch Basin

Localized Flood Potential

Max 1' (Shallow) 0' to 1' 1' to 2' 2' to 3' 3' to 4' 4' to 6' 6' to 8' 8' to 10' > 10'

Tree Canopy Loss

Site Ecology

1993 Forestation Map. Blue showing hard scape/ impervious cover. canopy. Though this map is nearly 30 years old, development has o

The vegetal void in and around

creation of this map and the tree canopy today is significantly le

the Kmart site is clear, whether you step foot there or if you look at it from above. The expanse of 7 acres of surface parking with a handful of trees and shrubs dotting the boulevards create little, if any softness to the urban hardscape. Moreover, the closest park space to the Kmart Site has been taken over and is being used to stage construction Interstate

materials

for

construction

the

project

35W by

MNDOT.

The ecological future of the site

will rely on 3 factors: increasing tree canopy, impacts,

reducing and

urban

heat

promoting

island

pollinator

habitat. All 3 can be addressed by a tactical increase of vegetation along the Lake Street, Nicollet Avenue, and Greenway corridors. The 3 coalesce into what could be a ecological connection point across South Minneapolis. Nicollet/Lake/Greenway Corridors Park space Rooftop Honey Bee Permit Ground Honey Bee Permit Native XSmall Bee Range Native Small Bee Range Native Medium Bee Range Native Large Bee Range Native XLarge Bee Range

Localized Pollinators

Urban Heat Island Red showing turf and tree

July 22, 2016 Land Surface Temperatures (hottest day in 3 years). Surface temperatures on

nly increased since the

this day would range from 90 degrees in parks (green/yellow) to over 105 degrees at buildings

ss.

and along roadways and surface parking (red).

USDA FSA, GeoEye, Maxar

2017 Bee Permits locations in Minneapolis in proximity to the Kmart site with flight radius buffers based on bee size. Only some of the largest bees could make it to the Kmart site and Lake Street from existing permit locations, but there is potential to allocate space in this area to try and bridge this gap. USDA FSA, GeoEye, Maxar

Site Survey

In November of 2020 I began my

campaign to get as much feedback from a the community as possible via a survey. The approach was going to be 3 fold: a push across social media, posting a QR code link around the site, and emails.

Over the course of a week I posted

a link to my survey on the social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor, and Reddit. The Reddit post was directed to

channels:

r/Minneapolis,

TwinCities, r/Minnesota.

On the site, I invested over 10

hours walking more than 20 square blocks to tape the QR code link to as many things as possible. I also was able to get local businesses that still allowed people inside to post the QR code in break rooms, on counters, and on doors.

The email campaign was simple, I

reached out to each of the 3 surrounding neighborhoods

well

Whittier

asking if they would pass the link to their communities via their internal networks. I also emailed friends and family that may have memories of the Kmart site, the only caveat being, "If I say "Minneapolis Kmart" do you think of this site?" showing an image of the site just after it opened in 1978.

[Need] Lots of pedestrian space and multi-use with places for public art-something that blends the greenway into the landscape instead of making it a gash in the ground - Comment from survey taker

Site Survey Results

The amount of feedback I received

was astounding. In just under 3 weeks I had received 328 total responses, 30% being from the 4 critical neighborhoods. The next top 5 Minneapolis neighborhoods combined to make up another 19% of respondents, giving me great insight of what residents of the city think about the

site.

The

"40%

other"

consisted

of Minneapolis neighborhood responses below 3% and responses from suburbs and people who had moved out of state but were familiar with the site.

Despite the amount of work the QR

code entailed, there was very little response. Not surprising, social media worked

great

get

the

word

out,

garnering 71% of the feedback. Emailing neighborhood associations worked well, and the Lyndale Neighborhood Association (LNA) made an explicit effort to bring it to their community's attention.

What was surprising to me was the

amount the survey was passed around by word of mouth (WoM) and through the neighborhood associations emails (NA). 9% of responses came from this which equates to 29 people. The grassroots approach in 2020 may be most effective through

social

organizations.

media

community

Site Survey Results

Feedback

what

people

would

like to see at the site was the most interesting to me. For these 2 questions I allowed multiple choice and the options were the same, just asking people what they would LIKE or NOT LIKE to see at the Kmart site. The comments from these questions will be insightful to dig deeper into. Many responses came with caveats like not wanting a DMV because there is one further down Lake Street, or people begging for green space, but not a dog park.

Also comments towards the homeless

population were interesting to see. Some a photo toto givesupport feedback them with asking forTake services

Anonymous Survey about the Kmart site! Take a photo to give feedback

a shelter, and anónima not just shelter its o de Encuesta sobre a el sitio de r tu opinión Kmart! Toma una foto para dar tu opinión

Encuesta anónima sobre el sitio de Kmart! Toma una foto para dar tu opinión

Kmart site!

Anonymous Survey about the Kmart site!

self.

Kmart site!

Anonymous Survey about the Kmart site! Take a photo to give feedback

o de r tu opinión

Encuesta anónima sobre el sitio de Kmart! Toma una foto para dar tu opinión

Site Survey Results

Looking at the data that came back

on how often people were at the site and what would bring them to the site is enlightening. Nearly 80% of respondents are at the site at least monthly or more. This helps validate the survey results showing that respondents are there regularly.

That said, half of people responding

to the survey were just passing through. This matters because when it comes to planning a space as large as this, what becomes your approach if people aren't stay around? Over 30% say they are in the area for food, shopping and The Greenway while many said that multiple choices would apply.

The favorability diagram was an

interesting investigation in how people thought about the site, comparing how people feel the site is maintained and their own personal safety. The general correlation is that the majority of people feel "somewhat" safe and that the site is "somewhat" maintained. Very feel people thought highly of the site as the data points suggest.

After digging through the data I

feel confident in saying that no one took the survey that was not already familiar with the site in some fashion.

(CPED Archive, 1979)

Project Takeaways Effective community engagement and community lead design will be a key to success. The site needs to be accepted by the community as to not make the same mistake twice. The K-Mart site will be a hub for multi-modal

transportation

across

Minneapolis. The site's connection at the Greenway needs improvement. Consensus is to open Nicollet Avenue back up in some fashion. Restoring this ecological void will be beneficial for both Minneapolitans and the environment. The needs to get "stitched" back into the Minneapolis grid.

(CPED Archive, 1979)

Project Schedule Winter Break 2021: Meet with advisor and continue research into transportation, water, and ecology at the site. February

2021:

Cutoff

finalize

research that will be included in the project. March 2021: Creation of final template, develop narrative, develop full site model, and site design speculation. April 2021: Finalize site design, site model, and analyzation of stakeholder input. May 2021: Full production of all visual graphics and final presentation.

(CPED Archive, 1978)

SPECIAL THANKS Adrienne Planning

Brockheim, &

Economic

Community Development:

Principal City Planner Minneapolis Bruce

Chamberlain,

HKGi:

Urban

Strategy Kevin Ehrman-Solber, University of Minnesota: Geospatial Director Rebecca

Krinke,

Minnesota:

University

Director

Graduate

Studies MLA Ryan Mattke, University of Minnesota: John R. Borchert Map Library Head, Mapping Prejudice

Bibliography

“About the Greenway.” Midtown Greenway Coalition. Space2Burn, n.d. Accessed December 15, 2021. https:// midtowngreenway.org/about-the-greenway/.

Berger, Alan. Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. New York: Princeton Architectural, 2007.

Carlson, Aandrea. “On the Uncompromising Hand: Remembering Spirit Island.” Open Rivers Journa, 2018.

Ehrman-Solberg, Kevin. “The Battle of the Bookstores and Gay Sexual Liberation in Minneapolis.” Middle West Review 3, no. 1 (2016): 1-24.

Hedlund, Jordan, and Adrienne Brockheim. Interview With A Minneapolis C.P.E.D. Employee. Personal, September 30, 2020.

Hedlund, Jordan, and Kevin Ehrman-Solberg. Interview With a Geospatial Professional on Redlining: Mapping Prejudice Project. Personal, October 3, 2020.

“History of Whittier.” Neighborhood Updates. Accessed December 13, 2020. http://www.whittieralliance.org/ history-of-whittier.html.

Holman, Lee, and Greg Buzek. “Debunking the retail apocalypse.” IHL Group. Retrieved January 2 (2017): 2019.

MacCleery, Rachel, Edward McMahon, and Matthew Norris. Active transportation and real estate: the next frontier. Urban Land Institute, 2016.

Mairead J. Fitzgerald-Mumford, “Shells of the Stores

They Once Were: Returning Vacant Retail Property to Productive Use in the Midst of the

“Roadway Data.” Roadway Data Fun Facts - TDA, MnDOT.

Retail Apocalypse,” Notre Dame

Accessed January 15, 2021. https://www.dot.state.

Law Review 94, no. 4 (April 2019): 1797-1818

mn.us/roadway/data/fun-facts.html.

“March 2, 1976 (Page 1 of 45).” Minneapolis Star

Sarah B. Schindler, “The Future of Abandoned Big Box

(1947-1982), Mar 02, 1976. http://login.ezproxy.lib.

Stores: Legal Solutions to the

umn.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezp2.lib.

Legacies of Poor Planning Decisions,” University of

umn.edu/docview/1878484145?accountid=14586.

Colorado Law Review 83, no. 2 (2012): 471-548

Martin, Judith A., and David Lanegran. Where We Live. The Residential Districts of Minneapolis and Saint

Schmelzkopf, Karen. “Urban community gardens as

Paul. (1983).

contested space.” Geographical review (1995): 364381.

“May 11, 1976 (Page 33 of 68).” Minneapolis Star (1947-1982), May 11, 1976. http://login.ezproxy.lib.

Stoecker, Randy, Susan H. Ambler, Nicholas J.

umn.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezp2.lib.

Cutforth, Patrick Donohue, Dan Dougherty, Sam

umn.edu/docview/1878463056?accountid=14586.

Marullo, Kris S. Nelson, and Nancy B. Stutts. “Community-based research networks: Development and

“May 13, 1976 (Page 45 of 92).” Minneapolis Star

lessons learned in an emerging field.” (2003).

(1947-1982), May 13, 1976. http://login.ezproxy.lib. umn.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezp2.lib.

Torzewski, Virginia. “Nicollet Garden,” 2018.

umn.edu/docview/1878502304?accountid=14586. Trygg, J. William. Composite Map of United States “May 24, 1977 (Page 24 of 68).” Minneapolis Star

Land Surveyors' Original Plats and Field Notes:

(1947-1982), May 24, 1977. http://login.ezproxy.lib.

Minnesota Series. Ely, Minn.: J. Wm. Trygg, 1964.

umn.edu/login?url=https://www-proquest-com.ezp2.lib. umn.edu/docview/1878546496?accountid=14586.

Westerman, Gwen., and Bruce M. White. Mni Sota Makoce : The Land of the Dakota. St. Paul: Minnesota

Metro Transit, City of Minneapolis, Hennepin County,

Historical Society Press, 2012.

Metropolitan Council. Midtown Corridor Alternative Analysis: Final Report. April 2014.

“Moving in Memphis: The Vintage Trolly System Helped Revitalize Downtown.” Mass Transit. 37 (2011): 8-14.

Precedent Work 2007 Portland Mall Revitalization ZGF Architect

Project Considerations Used Nicollet Mall As A Precedent For An Urban “Mall” Create A Greater Transportation Network Value Multi-Modal Transportation Ensure Community Input And Listening Sessions

Precedent Work 2007 Portland Mall Revitalization ZGF Architect

(ZGF, 2008)

Project Considerations Used Nicollet Mall As A Precedent For An Urban “Mall” Create A Greater Transportation Network Value Multi-Modal Transportation

(ZGF, 2008)

Ensure Community Input And Listening Sessions

Precedent Work 2018 Nicollet Mall Revitalization Field Operations

Project Considerations Project Stretched From Peavey Plaza To River’s Edge (Originally) Revamp Of One Of The Nations First “Urban Malls” Prepare For The Eventual “Greenway Trolley” Connection Many Things Were Value Engineered Out, Super Bowl Time Crunch

Precedent Work 2018 Nicollet Mall Revitalization Field Operations

(SEH, 2018)

(Star Tribune, 2018)

Precedent Work 2018 Nicollet Garden Virginia Torzewski Capstone

After 18’

20’ 10’ 2’

3. Cooperative Grocery Store. The reestablishment of the grocery store is 3 vital for the community. This cooperative grocery sells the produce grown in the greenhouse as well as other products. The aim is a store similar to a Whole Foods, without the price tag and without the stigma attached. Parking for the store and residential above will be located entirely underground. The courtyard within the store allows for a small plaza space, apartments above to have access to Kmart Plaza fresh air. This building is eight stories tall with an accessible, extensive green roof. The food hall spills out onto the Kmart plaza with movable

and tables. A selection of 4. Eat Street. These nearly identical buildings which reflect across Nicollet seating the existing Kmart will remain on site, transformed into a hanging are broken up into several smaller retail spaces. Many small shops and restaurants 4 with fruiting and garden pergola flowering vines. The steel structure Restaurant will be left exposed to the elements are double fronted towards the street and the alleys to create many opportunities to change and transform over time. will grow upon the rusting for businesses to spill out and create plaza like spaces. The walls of the adjacent Vines metal creating unique shadows on Housing the seating area below. buildings would become opportunities for public art, such as art alleys decorated Food trucks are permitted to drive up on the twelve foot by local artists with spray paint, or with a traditional mural. Along Nicollet, walkway and park on the plaza. Grocery A space is reserved near the the frontages of the buildings are shaped to provide nooks and crannies for greenhouses for a farmers market. The market could be a bi-weekly Community Center pedestrian interaction and community gathering. Above the retail space are event where vendors from the Twin Cities area congregate to display another four floors of active space including residential, and the roof will provide and sell their goods. The plaza is large enough to be Greenhouse segmented into rooms of activity space for solar panels or green roofs. and features fixed game tables like 5and chess. table tennis New Kmart “Beyond functional purposes of permitting people to get from one place to another and to gain access to property, streets- most 5. New Kmart. To maintain the amenity of the box store, a new Kmart will assuredly the best streets- can and should help to do other things: bring people together, help be buildbuilt community, cause people to act along Lake. To accommodate the appropriate square footage, it will take and interact, to achieve together, what they might not alone.” up the first two-Allen floors of this eight story building, with parking underground. B. Jacobs Great Streets Roof access to this building will display an extensive green roof as well as a colony of bees.

2 6

Food Hall Access

Food Hall

45’

BuildingProject Programming Considerations The buildings on site each serve multiple purposes. In compliance with zoning and future plans for the site, each building is at least three stories tall and along Lake that height increases to eight stories. Buildings opposite the site helped to dictate the programming of each building.

Nicollet Avenue / “Eat Street” Access

6. Green Living Residential. Connected to the Kmart, this half of the building is predominately residential, with retail on the first floor. These smaller shops will face inward, toward the park space. In this way, Eat Street if further extended into the inner ring of the site. Shops and restaurants could extend out into the space, creating plaza like spaces all along the ring promenade. Blaisdell Ave is connected through this building, which also provides access to the courtyards. The inner courtyards would be hidden quiet spaces featuring moss and succulent gardens, green walls, and herb gardens. The residents above would have balconies facing out to the street, out to the park, and in to the courtyards. The roof of this five story building would have a dog space, a patio space, and a flower garden. 1

Community Lead Design + Education Urban Agriculture At The Forefront 2

Local Business 2. Greenhouse. Also connected to the food hall,Opportunity the greenhouse is both

a plant conservatory and an active growing hot house. The integration of growing with aesthetics will help visitors understand the process of food production, even in winter. Space will be provided for a coffee shop within the conservatory section, a space to seek humidity and warmth in the cold winter months.

Master Plan

1. Food Hall. Inspired by similar buildings throughout the world, this food hall would be a statement of the site. Comprised of many small food stands, this building is the perfect startup for small businesses. The food hall is also on direct transit routes with the new trolleys. The Nicollet trolley stops across the street, and the Greenway trolley has a direct connection through an underground hallway which extends from the building directly to the platform. The food hall would be open all hours to allow multiple venues and events, including a beer garden located on the roof.

2. Greenway Trolley

3. Greenway Trolley Access 4. Food Hall

5. Kmart Plaza

6. Children’s Garden

7. Keyhole Urban Gardens 8. Green House

9. Cooperative Grocery Store 10. Art Alleys

11. Connected Nicollet Avenue 12. New Eat Street Buildings

8 8. Community Center. This three story building would provide the hub of activity for the Whittier community. This building features a community kitchen, where special events, classes, and open working times could be held. The mission of the center would be to help teach about the importance of healthy living, and would feature a roof garden. A daycare center would be in this building as well as a form of Boys and Girls Club, that children could attend after school. 13. New Kmart

14. Plaza Space

15. Playground 16. Park

17. Orchard

18. Loop Promenade

19. Green Living Residential 20. Town Homes

21. Community Center

14’ 20’ 4’

6’

Restaurant

Housing

Grocery Community Center Greenhouse 4

New Kmart

Building Programming

Urban Gardens Children’s Garden

2. Greenhouse. Also connected to the food hall, the greenhouse is both a plant conservatory and an active growing hot house. The integration of growing with aesthetics will help visitors understand the process of food production, even in winter. Space will be provided for a coffee shop within the conservatory section, a space to seek humidity and warmth in the cold winter months.

3. Cooperative Grocery Store. The reestablishment of the grocery store is 3 vital for the community. This cooperative grocery sells the produce grown in the greenhouse as well as other products. The aim is a store similar to a Whole Foods, without the price tag and without the stigma attached. Parking for the store and residential above will be located entirely underground. The courtyard within the store allows for a small plaza space, apartments above to have access to fresh air. This building is eight stories tall with an accessible, extensive green roof.

Vine Garden Greenhouse Orchard

4. Eat Street. These nearly identical buildings which reflect across Nicollet are broken up into several smaller retail spaces. Many small shops and restaurants 4 are double fronted towards the street and the alleys to create many opportunities for businesses to spill out and create plaza like spaces. The walls of the adjacent buildings would become opportunities for public art, such as art alleys decorated by local artists with spray paint, or with a traditional mural. Along Nicollet, the frontages of the buildings are shaped to provide nooks and crannies for pedestrian interaction and community gathering. Above the retail space are another four floors of active space including residential, and the roof will provide space for solar panels or green roofs. 5 5. New Kmart. To maintain the amenity of the box store, a new Kmart will be built along Lake. To accommodate the appropriate square footage, it will take up the first two floors of this eight story building, with parking underground. Roof access to this building will display an extensive green roof as well as a colony of bees. 6. Green Living Residential. Connected to the Kmart, this half of the building is predominately residential, with retail on the first floor. These smaller shops will face inward, toward the park space. In this way, Eat Street if further extended into the inner ring of the site. Shops and restaurants could extend out into the space, creating plaza like spaces all along the ring promenade. Blaisdell Ave is connected through this building, which also provides access to the courtyards. The inner courtyards would be hidden quiet spaces featuring moss and succulent gardens, green walls, and herb gardens. The residents above would have balconies facing out to the street, out to the park, and in to the courtyards. The roof of this five story building would have a dog space, a patio space, and a flower garden.

The buildings on site each serve multiple purposes. In compliance with zoning and future plans for the site, each building is at least three stories tall and along Lake that height increases to eight stories. Buildings opposite the site helped to dictate the programming of each building.

20’ Vegetated Slope

Platform

4’

Bike Lane

Trolley Tracks 7

6’5”

Bike Lane

4’

Walk Lane

20’

Stairs

20’

Platform

2’

7. Town homes. Directly connected but differentiated through style and size, this three story section resembles a row of town homes. In an effort to provide many different forms of residential, these town homes would accommodate large families to live in the city. As a special feature, each residence would have a backyard which fronts the Greenway. A short fence would allow personal views but prevent anyone from traveling down towards the trolley tracks. The roofs of the townhouses would be equipped with solar panels. 8 8. Community Center. This three story building would provide the hub of activity for the Whittier community. This building features a community kitchen, where special events, classes, and open working times could be held. The mission of the center would be to help teach about the importance of healthy living, and would feature a roof garden. A daycare center would be in this building as well as a form of Boys and Girls Club, that children could attend after school.

Commun Eat Street Bus Bike Trolley Bus Stop Trolley St

Green Roofs Farmers Market Plaza Spaces Park N

Precedent Work 2018 Put A Tunnel Through K-Mart Politics & Aesthetics of Obsolescence

Project Considerations A Speculative Look At Turning The K-Mart Building Into A Museum. Move To Turn The Parking Lot Into Public Housing. Ensure The 10 Acre Site Belongs To The People Of Minneapolis. Movement Via Facebook And Twitter.

1976 Star Tribune

@FILIPPA_d_ARCH

TOPOPHYLA

URBAN DESIGN LAB

@logan_cost.3dm

URBAN DESIGN LAB

MORPHIS

UNIVERSIDAD de BUENOS

@FILIPPA_

@ESTEFANIARO

Visual Appendix

This visual appendix is a catalog

of the inspirations that have brought me to this point. The images to the left are an array of firm and student work from around the world. Generally, they

are

pieces

and

projects

that

visually and spatially represent data, AIRES

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

mapping, and form. The intent of this work is to show the diverse ways of displaying ideas, space, and time. This work inspires me to dig deeper within myself and to look at the material that I create differently. The way in which complex information is put in front of

HARVARD GSD

someone is a powerful mechanism for change and understanding.

_D_ARCH

ODRIGUESARQ

MORPHIS

DRAPLIN

Capstone Research Booklet: Kmart

Articles inside

Bibliography

Special Thanks

Project Takeaways

Project Schedule

Pipeshed And Flooding

Transportation Around the Site

Northern Mural

Demographics Today

Site Context Today

Project Manifesto

Personal Connection

Research Question

Timeline Of Kmart Site

Timeline Of Bigbox

Original Land Survey

Project Brief

Mapping Prejudice" Context