The Journal, Sept. 6–19, 2018 by The Journal

THE NEWS SOURCE FOR DOWNTOWN & NORTHEAST MINNEAPOLIS RESIDENTS SEPTEMBER 6–19, 2018

INSIDE PAGE 19

POPOL VUH POPS

PAGE 20

CELEBRATING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

Crossing

divide

Samatar Crossing is a testament to late local Somali leader, city officials say Ubah Jama, the widow of Hussein Samatar, cut the ribbon at an Aug. 23 ceremony with council members Steve Fletcher and Abdi Warsame and her children by her side. Photo by Eric Best

PAGE 23

IMMERSION IN THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE

By Eric Best / ebest@journalmpls.com

he City of Minneapolis has repurposed a former highway ramp to forge a new connection between downtown and the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood for pedestrians and cyclists. The $1.9 million project is named in honor of Hussein Samatar, a former Minneapolis School Board member who became the state’s first Somali-American to hold elected office in 2010. Samatar Crossing officially opened in late August, five years to the month since Samatar died due to complications from leukemia in 2013. “Hussein loved this community. He was passionate about uplifting people and connecting communities,” said Ubah Jama, Samatar’s widow, at a ceremony with city officials. “I believe this space will bring people together and inspire us to keep connecting with one another.”

BIZ BUZZ

PARKS UPDATE

DEVELOPMENT TRACKER

GREEN DIGEST

MILL CITY COOKS

SEE SAMATAR / PAGE 2

Minneapolis could require affordable units in new development Proposed inclusionary zoning policy comes into focus By Dylan Thomas / dthomas@journalmpls.com New multi-family residential projects built anywhere in Minneapolis would be required to include some units priced below the market rate if the City Council acts on the recommendation of a national affordable housing organization this fall. That organization, Portland-based Grounded Solutions Network, was hired by the city to examine how Minneapolis might implement inclusionary zoning and its potential effects on the city’s housing market. Two of the organization’s policy experts offered a preview of their findings to the City Council’s Policy and Housing Development Committee in August, and they are expected to release a more detailed report in early September. The council could vote on an interim version of an inclusionary zoning policy as soon as November while city staff spend another year hammering out the details of the ordinance.

“My goal with this policy has been to create one more tool that we have as a city to get affordable units,” said City Council President Lisa Bender, who first introduced an inclusionary zoning ordinance in January 2016, during her first term representing renter-heavy Ward 10. “I don’t think anyone should pretend, and I don’t want to pretend, that this is the overall solution to our affordability problem.”

Opposition Still, Bender said she expected inclusionary zoning, also referred to as inclusionary housing, to play an important role in helping the city to achieve the housing goals proposed in Minneapolis 2040, the 10-year update to the city’s comprehensive plan. The plan anticipates Minneapolis’ population

continuing to grow from 416,000 residents today to 465,000 in 2040. City Council members will also hear about alternatives to a new inclusionary zoning ordinance from groups like Building Minneapolis Together, a coalition of local for-profit and nonprofit developers that includes Steve Minn, a former City Council member who is now vice president and chief financial officer for Lupe Development. The group is pitching a menu of alternatives, including an “inclusionary development investment fund” that would generate income through a new tax-increment financing district. New affordable projects would apply to tap the fund, which would be administered by the city’s Community Planning and Economic Development Department. Minn said a mandatory inclusionary zoning policy was “nothing but a tax on develop-

ment” and warned it could lower profits enough to scare away the outside investors who fund new housing projects. “That is a recipe for killing the goose that is laying the golden eggs here in Minneapolis,” Minn said.

Risk and reward Hundreds of cities and counties across the country have attempted to use inclusionary zoning policies to balance growth with affordability and respond to the community-altering effects of gentrification. “Inclusionary housing is one of the few policy tools available to address racial disparities by creating and retaining mixedincome neighborhoods throughout a city as communities change,” said Stephanie Reyes, a SEE HOUSING / PAGE 14

2 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 FROM SAMATAR / PAGE 1 Utilizing the former 5th Street ramp, the crossing stretches approximately 1,850 feet over Interstate 35W to connect either side of 5th Street between 11th Avenue South to the west and 15th Avenue South to the east. On the west side, the path empties out behind U.S. Bank Stadium in the Elliot Park neighborhood and, on the east side, it connects to the Cedar-Riverside light rail station and Currie Park. City officials credit the project for connecting two areas that have been historically separated by the highway. Council Member Steve Fletcher, whose Ward 3 include downtown, said he only lives a few blocks away, but now the borders between Elliot Park and Cedar-Riverside “just got a lot narrower.” “It felt like a whole different place, and now it’s a very easy walk,” he said. Mayor Jacob Frey praised the project’s importance in welcoming immigrants into the city’s urban core. “This is saying to our Somali population, to our new American population, ‘Yes, you are part of this city, and we want you here,’” he said. Council Member Abdi Warsame, who

Good community-minded design causes you to linger a little bit, get lost, lose track of time and stumble home a little bit later than you would otherwise, and I believe that ultimately that’s what this project will bring. — Mayor Jacob Frey

represents the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood on the City Council, said the connection is a testament to Samatar’s legacy. “Hussein worked all his life to connect people and to bridge communities,” he said. “He was an inspiration to many in the city of Minneapolis.” The crossing was first conceived under former Mayor R.T. Rybak as a vehicle connection as well, but Public Works Director Robin Hutcheson said they decided against it. In

Lisa Middag bikes across the newly opened Samatar Crossing on her way to work in downtown Minneapolis. Photos by Eric Best

that way, the project preserves the “social pieces” of the neighborhood by not bringing in more traffic and cars, she added. An additional round of work will bring in public art and landscaping to Samatar Crossing. The city is looking for a few artists to create memorable artwork. Hutcheson said planners asked themselves: “How could we make it a place in addition to a new connection?” The City of Minneapolis relied exclusively on public staff to design, plan and build the path instead of contractors. The city covered the approximately $1.9 million price tag. The crossing, which features bike paths and sidewalks that are at times separated, runs parallel to the Hiawatha Trail along the Blue Line. The two trails don’t directly connect. Lisa Middag used Samatar Crossing to bike to her office downtown a few times in the week after it opened. She said she prefers the connection over Hiawatha because it better integrates with traffic on the downtown side and it doesn’t cross light rail tracks. It will be a nicer entrance into the urban core for people coming from the University of Minnesota and Cedar-Riverside, she added.

“This is a lower stress pathway into downtown, and, especially if you’re going to the southern part of downtown, then you’re not as far north,” she said. South Minneapolis residents Rex Anderson and Ed Loch went to check out the pedestrian path because it’s close to the light rail, which makes it easier to get back home on the Blue Line. At first Samatar Crossing seemed redundant, Anderson said, but he thinks it will help with game days at U.S. Bank Stadium and with the increasing number of cyclists coming to and from downtown. “You’re trying to fit a very large amount of people into a small space, and this will accommodate this space a lot better,” he said. Jama cut the ribbon, officially opening Samatar Crossing, during an Aug. 23 ceremony with her children by her side. She said Samatar was known to say, “We are SomaliAmericans, and we are here to stay.” “Although we grieve and miss him dearly, yet we are thankful for the memories and legacy he has left behind. His positive energy, dedication and sense of helping others were remarkable,” she said.

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News By Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest

Owner and general manager Jami Olson serves Popol Vuh patrons during a soft opening event last month. Photos by Kevin Kramer

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After opening the casual Mexican restaurant Centro in July, restaurateur Jami Olson has opened an “elevated,” more formal restaurant next door. Popol Vuh will showcase chef Jose Alarcon’s French cooking techniques with Mexican ingredients, from hand-ground corn to a mushroom-like fungus that grows outside corn husks, which Olson calls corn truﬄes. The restaurant is the finer sister concept to Centro, a counter-service bar that churns out agave-infused slushies and tacos. With a four-course tasting menu and unusual ingredients, Olson said Popol Vuh will be its own unique experience. “(Popol Vuh) is definitely more refined,” she said. The restaurant officially opened last month in a former adhesives factory at 15th & Quincy, across the street from Indeed Brewing Co. The 5,300-square-foot restaurant features a 65-seat dining room, 10-seat bar and chef’s table that allows diners to see behind the scenes. A private dining room is available for small events for up to 12 people. Popol Vuh is open for dinner and offers both an a la carte menu with about 14 items and the multi-course tasting menu ($45). Dishes include tuna ceviche, a roasted vegetable course and octopus served with a squid ink aioli in a red tortilla. “It’s definitely not your traditional Mexican taco,” she said.

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Olson said they’re growing the dining menu little by little, but Popol Vuh’s agave spirits menu is among the state’s largest. On the bar side, the restaurant continues Centro’s agave focus with a wide variety of cocktails based on tequila, mezcal and more. Olson likens the agave program to an education. “It’s almost like a wine menu. It’s a really, really cool menu,” she said. Olson and Alarcon are both veterans of Lyn 65 in South Minneapolis. Olson, a bartender by trade, has worked in several local establishments like downtown’s Butcher and the Boar. Alarcon, who originally hails from Axochiapan, Morelos, Mexico, brings in experience from Café Ena and Travail Kitchen & Amusements. Popol Vuh, at 1414 Quincy St. NE, is open 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday and 5 p.m.–1 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It is closed Monday.

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Twin Cities-based Los Ocampo has opened a quick-service taqueria in City Center. Los Ocampo Express serves customizable Mexican street food, from tacos and quesadillas to pozole and machete. The fast-casual restaurant serves each dish with one or several of the 10 meat options and a handful of salsa options. Diners choose their own vegetables, cheese and other toppings. The skyway version of the local restaurant chain offers several recognizable

dishes and beverages for Los Ocampo regulars. Diners can wash down the marinated meat-filled tacos or machete — a masa cake filled with meat and cheese — with horchata or Mexican sodas. Los Ocampo Express, at 40 S. 7th St., is open 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday through Friday. It occupies the former Baja Sol space next door to Leeann Chin, Cardigan Donuts and Naf Naf Grill, just above the City Center atrium.

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Chris Bjorling describes his and his wife Danielle’s new cafe as “serendipitous.” That’s because the two, the owners of The Copper Hen Cakery & Kitchen in Whittier, were already working on the Copper Cow, their new restaurant out in Minnetonka. But when the chance came for the two to develop a coffee shop and wine bar just off the downtown Minneapolis skyway, it was too good to pass up. So they created Gray Fox Coffee & Wine. “We weren’t really looking for this. We were already busy pursuing (the Copper Cow), but this fell into our laps and it seemed like a good opportunity,” he said. In addition to following the restaurateurs’ color-plus-animal naming convention, Gray Fox features their focus on baked goods and fresh local ingredients. The coffee shop opened Monday in the atrium of the 801 Marquette building, which was recently renovated. Building owner Franklin Street Properties approached the two to develop a café that could do it all, from breakfast and lunch to pastries and happy hour. In addition to lattes and treats, Gray Fox serves hot paninis, smoothie bowls and salads made from scratch. A separate wine bar offers wines by the glass for about $8–$11 or by the bottle, but during happy hour, Bjorling

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Gray Fox Coﬀee & Wine said, some wines will only run patrons $3 or $4 per glass. The mix and sheer number of offerings makes Gray Fox stand out in the skyway, he added. “There are a lot of coffee shops and there are some bars and some happy hour places. But there’s not like a coffee-bar hangout area,” he said. “It gave us an opportunity to create something that’s refreshing and unique.” Both sides of the business feature a few trend-conscious items like froze or frozen rosé wine and even a Millennial Pink Latte with strawberries, espresso, oat milk and beetroot power. Gray Fox carries bagels from the North Loop’s Rise Bagel Co. and doughnuts from the skyway’s Cardigan Donuts. The décor also follows the trends. Both the café and wine bar follow a white, black and rose gold color scheme that spills out into the atrium with black Victorian-style furniture, from black wood tables for office meetings to velvet lounge furniture for postwork hangouts. Bjorling said creating a concept for the skyway and downtown’s office workers was a new challenge. “People want something quick. They want it to be good. They want it to be memorable. And they want it to go,” he said. Gray Fox, at 801 Marquette Ave. S., is open 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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Central Avenue’s Bonicelli Kitchen is now closed. Chef Laura Bonicelli opened the Northeast Minneapolis restaurant near 19th & Central in 2016 after developing a successful meal delivery service. The eclectic Mediterranean and American concept served breakfast, lunch and dinner in a wine bar setting. Co-owners Bonicelli and her husband Mark LaFavor said the restaurant hasn’t accomplished that they wanted to do “financially or creatively.” “So after much thought and consideration, we have decided to set our sights on new goals and are closing Bonicelli Kitchen,” they said in a statement. The restaurant almost didn’t open a couple years ago when a property owner wasn’t able to uphold their end of a lease for Bonicelli’s original location a few blocks away from where it ended up. The restaurateur

raised more than $60,000 on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to renovate the 2,200-square-foot building at 1839 Central Ave. NE. Bonicelli Kitchen has a staggered opening, with its patio initially opened for Art-A-Whirl and the full dining room and wine bar opening several months later. The chef runs Bonicelli Fresh Meal Delivery, a gourmet meal service that was based out of the restaurant. Bonicelli said she hasn’t settled on a new site for the business, which she plans to build back up now that the restaurant is closed. Bonicelli plans to launch an online cooking tutorial website geared toward professional and in-home cooks. The content, which Bonicelli said she’s been work on for the past year, will coincide with the live demonstrations she does at the Minneapolis Farmers Market. It will focus on food producers, ingredient preparation and beverage pairings.

journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 5

News

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“Hamilton” patrons will get their shot to wait for the hit musical in new lounges next door to the Orpheum Theatre. The Hennepin Theatre Trust opened the Jack Link’s Legend Lounge and PNC Encore Lounge the evening of the Broadway musical’s first show. The nonprofit designed the renovated rooms, which open 90 minutes before select performances, as pre-show destinations. The Jack Link’s Legend Lounge, which is also open to guests during intermission, serves bites and cocktails inspired by the Wisconsin-based meat snack company. “We’re grateful to Jack Link’s for their support of this distinctive new public space on Hennepin Avenue. Together, we’ve created a brand new experience for theatre-goers and their guests when attending shows,” said Mark Nerenhausen, the trust’s president and CEO, in a statement. The PNC Encore Lounge is a premier space for Hennepin Theatre Trust donors and corporate sponsors with complimentary beverages and other benefits. The lounges are located on the ground floor of 900 Hennepin, the former Solera building at 9th & Hennepin that the trust purchased in 2016 for its offices. The organi-

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zation is in the midst of renovating the 1921 building into new uses. The new spaces offer a full bar with beer, wine and cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for the trust’s Bank of America Broadway on Hennepin series. The organization may partner with local breweries and distilleries for special events and free tastings in the future. Next door, the Orpheum will see performances of actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” through Oct. 7. The lounges will open at 6 p.m. before the performance.

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Eat Street mainstay Salsa a la Salsa closed Sunday, Aug. 26. The Loring Park restaurant and margarita bar has been expected to close ever since a development proposal has hung over the block, with other restaurants like Market Bar-B-Que already shutting their doors. Owner Lorenzo Ariza said the Midtown Global Market location will remain open. “I would like to express my gratitude for the community, media, our employees past and present, and every customer for their support in helping us grow over the past 15 years”, he said in a statement. “Change is always a good thing, and there is always an opportunity.” The Nicollet Avenue Salsa a la Salsa was known for its authentic central Mexican

cuisine, with many recipes being passed down through Ariza’s family for generations. There were also modern variations on traditional Mexican ingredients, like a vegan chorizo and cactus sorbet. Much of the 1400 block of Nicollet Avenue is being demolished and turned into a new six-story apartment building, which will have several commercial spaces fronting the thoroughfare. In addition to affecting Salsa a la Salsa and Market BarB-Que, the project led to the closing of Ryan’s Pub and Asian Taste. Another residential development is under construction a block south. That project displaced buildings home to Jerusalem’s Restaurant and a corner grocer, among other low-rise buildings.

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Government

Volume 49, Issue 18 Publisher Janis Hall jhall@journalmpls.com Co-Publisher & Sales Manager Terry Gahan tgahan@journalmpls.com General Manager Zoe Gahan zgahan@journalmpls.com Editor Dylan Thomas 612-436-4391 dthomas@journalmpls.com @DThomasJournals Assistant Editor Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest Staﬀ Writers Michelle Bruch mbruch@journalmpls.com @MichelleBruch Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com @NateGotlieb Editorial Intern Austen Macalus Contributing Writers Sheila Regan Jenny Heck Carla Waldemar Client Services Delaney Patterson 612-436-5070 dpatterson@journalmpls.com Creative Director Valerie Moe 612-436-5075 vmoe@journalmpls.com Senior Graphic Designer Micah Edel medel@journalmpls.com Graphic Designer Kaitlin Ungs kungs@journalmpls.com Contributing Designers Dani Cunningham Sarah Karnas Distribution Marlo Johnson 612-436-4388 distribution@journalmpls.com Advertising 612-436-4360 sales@journalmpls.com Printing ECM Publishers, Inc.

Next issue: September 20 Advertising deadline: September 12 25,000 copies of The Journal are distributed free of charge to homes and businesses in Downtown and Northeast Minneapolis.

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CIVIC BEAT

By Dylan Thomas dthomas@journalmpls.com @dthomasjournals

Land acquisitions for light rail get OK A federal board on Aug. 22 gave the Metropolitan Council the go-ahead to take ownership of two segments of railroad corridor that are critical to its completion of the $1.9 billion Southwest Light Rail Transit project. The Surface Transportation Board will allow Met Council to take ownership of the Bass Lake Spur and Kenilworth Corridor, two key pieces of the planned 14.5-mile light rail connection between Minneapolis and Eden Prairie. The board’s decision also cleared the way for the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority to take on the role of common carrier, meaning it will be responsible for maintaining the freight rail service that already operates in both railroad corridors. Hennepin County Board Member Peter McLaughlin, who chairs the rail authority, described the decision as a “huge step,” but said he could not comment on the specifics of the board’s ruling until it had been reviewed by the county’s legal staff. “What I know is we needed a decision, and then we got one,” he said. “Now we can sort through things and move forward.” The board’s decision allows Met Council and the railroad authority to complete a deal announced this spring. Met Council plans to purchase the 6.8-mile Bass Lake Spur from Canadian Pacific Railway for up to $27.45 million while at the same time taking over

File photo ownership of the Kenilworth Corridor, worth an estimated $66 million, from the rail authority. The plan came together after a breakdown in negotiations between Met Council and Twin Cities and Western Railroad, a freight hauler that operates on both segments of track. Met Council had originally proposed for the Glencoe-based shortline railroad to become the common carrier along both the Bass Lake Spur and the Kenilworth Corridor, but the two sides could not come to terms, disagreeing on, among other things, how TC&W would be compensated for any losses due to light rail construction and operation. TC&W urged the Surface Transportation Board to reject Met Council’s plan, and in April it filed a lawsuit against the agency in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis. The two

sides met in mediation this summer, and in July TC&W and its shippers wrote to the board to withdraw their objections. TC&W also dropped its lawsuit. The Surface Transportation Board ruling is a sign of progress for the long-planned extension of the Metro Green Line, but many hurdles remain for the project. Those include an environmental lawsuit filed by a Minneapolis citizens group and uncertainty over whether and when the Federal Transit Administration will award the SWLRT project a grant expected to cover just less than half the total cost of the project. As the project budget has expanded, members of the Hennepin County Board have signaled rising concern over the county’s financial commitment to the project. Met Council is seeking a letter of no prejudice from the FTA that would let it begin construction activities even before the grant is awarded. A spokesperson said the agency resubmitted “a stronger application” for the letter Aug. 29 after winning the favorable Surface Transportation Board ruling. There was more good news for the project in August. The FTA completed its risk review of the project, a mandatory step before the awarding of a full-funding grant agreement. The agency also agreed to allow Met Council to reduce the project’s contingency fund, holding back another increase in the budget.

Council exploring ‘renters’ bill of rights’ With rising rents and low vacancy rates putting many renters in peril of losing their housing, the Minneapolis City Council will soon consider adopting a package of tenant protections. What some are calling a “renters’ bill of rights” was the subject of an Aug. 13 assembly at North Minneapolis’ Farview Park hosted by City Council President Lisa Bender and Council Member Jeremiah Ellison that drew about 50 people. It’s mean to protect renters not just in a time of scarce housing but also to address longstanding issues with evictions and poorly maintained properties. Considered for inclusion in the renters’ bill of rights are a cap on security deposits and application fees; allowing tenants to make some repairs themselves and deduct the cost from their rent; requiring landlords to give “just cause” for evictions; relocation benefits for displaced tenants; restricting how deeply landlords can dig into the background of potential tenants, including prior eviction records; and giving tenants the right to end their lease in certain situations. “Our goal is to engage with renters and create a floor for how we think renters should be treated in this city,” Bender said. Ellison said there appeared to be enough support among his colleagues to pass something, but exactly what is included in the final ordinance isn’t set in stone. As of late August, city legal staff were still reviewing the limits of the city’s authority under state law.

He said a specific proposal could reach the council as soon as October, although he acknowledged that timeline was “ambitious.” The goal is to potentially include support for the renters’ bill of rights in the 2019 budget, set for a council vote in December. The housing market is also creating a sense of urgency. Real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap’s August report on the multifamily housing market pegged the metro area’s vacancy rate at 2.7 percent. Experts say a balanced market has a vacancy rate of about 5 percent. Jennifer Arnold, director of local renter advocacy group Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (United Renters for Justice), said the “power imbalance” between landlords and tenants is made worse by a tight market. Landlords can be slow to make repairs and quick to evict when they have a waiting list for their apartments. Shannon Jones, executive director of Hope Community, a local housing nonprofit, said in this market landlords are able to “cherry pick” tenants. They’re less likely to take Section 8 subsidized housing vouchers from low-income families and more likely to eliminate potential tenants based on a background check. “It’s a lot more difficult for people who have barriers to housing,” Jones said. Minneapolis recently revoked the licenses of landlords Steve Frenz and Mahmood Khan, highprofile cases that drew attention to the substan-

dard living conditions endured by some renters. Both faced accusations of failing to complete long-overdue maintenance, among numerous other complaints. Jones said the Frenz and Kahn stories were “prime examples” of why tenants require more protection. While Hope Community doesn’t track the number of people coming to them for help, Jones said there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that it’s an especially tough time to live in Minneapolis as a low-income person. She described the “heartbreaking” experience of telling a family living out of their vehicle that the fastest way to find housing was to go to a homeless shelter. “There’s an uptick. I can’t quantify it, but I know the level of people who are coming to me about housing (is rising),” she said. Arnold said Inquilinxs Unidxs was primarily focused on repairs when the group first organized four years ago. Now, she said, the top concern of the renters who seek their help is increasing rents. And while more housing advocates are talking about the idea in Minneapolis, rent control is not among the items being considered for the renters’ bill of rights. State law currently prohibits cities from imposing rent control, but Emmanuel Ortiz, an organizer with Hope Community, said city leaders should be advocating to change that. “The long journey toward rent control I think has begun,” Ortiz said.

journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 7

Voices

Dateline Minneapolis / By Steve Brandt

NO, THE BULLDOZERS AREN’T COMING FOR YOUR HOUSE

’ve been late to jump into the debate over potential land-use changes triggered by the proposed Minneapolis 2040 update to the comprehensive plan, now undergoing revision, mainly because of a mind full of mixed feelings. Here’s where I’ve come down. I regard zoning as one of the guarantees the city makes to homeowners when they invest in property. A zoning classification offers relative certainty that an investment won’t be undermined by, say, a rendering plant or an asphalt-mixing facility moving in next door. Zoning predictability promotes neighborhoods where property owners invest in improvements. But the heart of the controversy over the 2040 plan isn’t factories next to houses. It’s multi-unit residences next to houses. And in that context, I keep coming back to the 3900 block of Pleasant Avenue, where we’ve lived for 42 years this month. We bought our house because it had character and we could afford it. When we sit on our open porch, we look across the street at a 1922 brick fourplex. Two doors down, there’s a ten-unit apartment. And several doors beyond that, there’s a duplex. Otherwise, our block, developed largely before the adoption of modern zoning law,

consists of single-family homes. They vary too. One neighbor’s house has an attic big enough to hold a square dance. Another resembles a shotgun-style house. The extra density of our multi-family neighbors means we have 15 more households on our block. That sometimes means we need to park a few houses down the street if our alley parking spot holds the other car. But that’s the only drawback that comes to mind. The landlords of the two apartment buildings on our block manage them well. One even lets me garden in the margins of the backyard. The fourplex provided a playmate for the girl next door. The caretaker of the bigger apartment solicited my landscaping advice. Moreover, inflation has pushed our property to tenfold the price we paid for it. If my rental neighbors are holding down our property values, which I doubt, I’m all for that when I look at our property tax statement. And those apartments are helping to keep my taxes lower. The fourplex pays twice the property tax bill we pay. The 10-unit building pays well over quadruple our bill. I think about that experience when opponents of the 2040 plan hyperventilate about the idea of taller buildings along busier streets or allowing fourplexes into blocks dominated

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those on the blocks adjoining, require that units be stepped to maintain solar access. Those blocks likely already have spillover parking from stores or offices. But can we stop the fear-hyping about bulldozing neighborhoods? No one can bulldoze your home unless you decide to sell it. The same is true of your neighbors’ properties. If you decide to sell, and if maintaining the character of the block is important enough that you’re willing to cut the pool of potential buyers, add a deed restriction that requires that the property remain in singlefamily use. Otherwise, welcome your new neighbors. And don’t forget to invite them to the block party.

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by single-family homes. They could talk to my neighbors who bought a single-family house sitting between the two apartments. Fourplexes may unnerve some people. But so can an unwelcome monster-sized singlefamily house that pops up next door to shade your yard. Or the turnover of the house next door. That happened to us after 25 years; it turned out just fine when a pleasant educator moved in. The single-family six-room rentals that a real estate developer plopped down more than a decade ago in North Minneapolis were far more deleterious for the neighbors than the seven fourplexes on a bus route a block from us. If the goal of increasing density with fourplexes is affordability, an affordability requirement for one or more units could be built into the zoning permission. If it’s simply density, one way to calm the neighbors would be to require an owner-occupant. If there’s fear of six-story housing among

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8 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

News

New city loan program has big plans for small-scale rental housing With naturally occurring affordable rental units at risk, city officials look to expand community ownership of small-scale buildings

By Austen Macalus City officials are optimistic about a new city loan program aimed at preserving small-scale affordable housing, despite some concerns about the program’s impact on low-income residents and communities of color. The efforts are part of the city’s larger plan to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH), or rental units in the private market that are affordable without government subsidies, many of which are at risk of increasing prices. Under the Small and Medium Multifamily Loan Program, the city will partner with local development organizations to acquire and preserve up to 300 units of NOAH in small-scale housing projects, or buildings that have between two and 49 units. City Council members approved $1.9 million for the first year of the three-year pilot program at a Housing and Development Committee meeting on Aug. 22. The recent housing boom — particularly low vacancy rates in Minneapolis — has threatened to price many NOAH units out of affordability. City officials hope the program will not only protect affordable rental units but also increase community control of housing. “We see this as a strategy to support more expanded community ownership opportunities,” said Andrea Brennan, the city’s

director of housing policy and development. She said the city wants to “help develop the capacity of neighborhood residents and smaller organizations to get into the business of operating smaller-scale NOAH responsibility.” NOAH must have at least 20 percent of units affordable to households with incomes below 60 percent of the area median income. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development calculates 60 percent of area median income for the Twin Cities metro as about $56,000 for a family of four. In Minneapolis, over 50 percent of renter households fall under this category, according to a 2018 report by Minnesota Housing Partnership (MHP). With average rent in Minneapolis increasing 17 percent over the past seven years, the report notes, “average rent is moving out of reach for these families” citywide. Developers who buy unsubsidized affordable rental units typically prefer larger buildings because there are more fiscally viable to renovate and operate. However, “the NOAH stock in the city of Minneapolis tends to be in smaller buildings,” Brennan said. The city, working with the Land Bank Twin Cities, will help renovate smaller buildings, making projects more affordable for community-based developers, Brennan

said, or bundling several buildings together to sell to larger companies. The strategy is based in part on the MPH report, Brennan said. The city’s loan program is targeted at older properties, many in need of repair, which make up over 88 percent of NOAH units, according to the report. Despite ambitious goals for the loan program, several council members expressed concerns about its impact on residents, especially low-income residents and communities of color. “We got some pretty pointed criticism from community members,” said Council Member Jeremiah Ellison (Ward 5), at the housing meeting. “If the city is going to have a goal and a principle of supporting communities of color and investing in communities of color, then we should be explicit about that goal.” Ellison directed staff in the Office of Community Planning and Economic Development to engage organizations of color to receive feedback on the program’s implementation and “expand community-based ownerships, particularly among neighborhood residents and community-based organizations led by people of color.” Staff will return to the housing committee next year with recommended changes. Although supportive of the policy in

general, Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins (Ward 8) said she is concerned about the possibility of gentrification and new development that won’t serve local residents. “I want to ensure we are not displacing people who currently live in those communities,” she said. “The improvements that are brought to bear in those communities [should] actually benefit people who have long been challenged in those communities.” Many small family vacant properties — those likely to fit the loan program — are in North Minneapolis and communities of color, Jenkins said. “Our policies, while they are very wellintended, we recognize that sometimes they have some unintended consequences that really do more harm than good in our communities,” Jenkins said in support of the staff direction at the housing committee. Brennan said the staff direction reinforces the program’s goal of increasing community ownership, in whatever form that comes. Although there’s no “silver bullet” solution to preserve affordable housing, Brennan said, “There’s a lot of flexibility in this program to ensure that properties are owned and operated by organizations that care about the community, care about the quality of housing (and) care about the residents that living in the housing.”

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10 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

News By Eric Best ebest@journalmpls.com @ericthebest

Nokomis festival sends monarchs oﬀ on 2,300-mile journey For 10 years, a festival at Lake Nokomis has been the starting point for many monarch butterflies as they fly thousands of miles on a Mexican migration each summer and fall. The Monarch Festival, or Festival de la Monarca, is an annual celebration of the monarchs, which connect the Twin Cities to

Michoacán, Mexico, their final destination more than 2,300 miles away. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board partners with the Mexican Consulate, U.S. Forest Service, the University of Minnesota Monarch Lab and other groups to put on the day of parades, puppets and insects.

Butterﬂy-inspired printmaking is among the activities at the Monarch Festival. Photo courtesy Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board

The Sept. 8 festival features an all-day stage with live performances from Aztec dance troupe Kalpulli Ketzal Coatlicue (“Precious Mother Earth”), Ballet Folklorico Mexico Azteca and more. The free event will have face painting, puppet shows put on by local puppet theaters and cuisine from a variety of Minnesotan and Latin food vendors. The University of Minnesota Monarch Lab will bring butterflies, including adults with identification tags on their wings, to the festival for up-close learning. Groups like the U.S. Forest Service and Mexican Consulate will be on hand to discuss their work to support the butterflies and their migration, as well as its cultural significance to Mexico. The monarch population continues to decrease, a trend that has been going on for decades, according to numbers released this year by the Center for Biological Diversity. Over the past 20 years, monarchs have declined by 80 percent, the report said.

Festival organizers invite kids ages 0–12 to wear monarch-themed costumes for a parade led by Chicks on Sticks. Participants should line up at 10:50 a.m. prior to the 11 a.m. parade. The festival takes places at Lake Nokomis near the Nokomis Naturescape, a four-acre garden with native plants for insects. On-site vendors will have beneficial native plants, such as milkweeds, asters and goldenrods, available for purchase.

MINNEAPOLIS MONARCH FESTIVAL (FESTIVAL DE LA MONARCA) Where: Lake Nokomis, 49th & Woodlawn When: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 Cost: Free Info: monarchfestival.org

Search for next park superintendent moves to next steps The application period for what Park Board President Brad Bourn calls the “best job in the country” closed at the end of August. That position would be the next superintendent of the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, a post the board would like to fill this fall when interim Superintendent Mary Merrill’s contract is up. Bourn, who is leading the search with consultant kpCompanies, said they’ve seen qualified applicants. “For a parks and rec professional or for anybody that has comparable experience who wants to enter this profession, it’s the best job in the country,” he said. The job description — a combination of what’s spelled out in the city charter, institutional memory and recent board practices — is rather unique. The next superintendent will have to lead an approximately $110 million organization

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with more than 500 full-time employees, its own police department and control of 15 percent of the city’s land mass. Before she resigned in February, former Superintendent Jayne Miller helped broker a deal with the City Council to better fund neighborhood parks over the next two decades. Implementing the 20-Year Neighborhood Park Plan is a high priority for the nine-member board, whose six new members are still settling into their positions. The minimum qualifications of the job call for 8–10 years of executive management or community organization experience and a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation, public administration or program management. A master’s degree is preferred. Bourn said the next superintendent doesn’t necessarily have to be a current head of a parks department or similar organization.

8/15/18 10:58 AM

The board extended the application period until Aug. 31 to give its consultant and park staff time to host a listening tour throughout the city. Interaction Traction, a sister company of the board’s consultant, held meetings based around different demographics, such as LGBTQ or East African meetings. Bourn said this style of community outreach means the board can have “culturally competent conversations” across the city. Feedback from the meetings will help commissioners understand the “skillsets, values and needs” that the community wants to see in the new superintendent. “We wanted to make sure that we’re hearing from a robust cross section of the community, too,” he said. The added public engagement will allow the next parks executive to focus more externally instead of being focused on the board’s

internal operations, as previous superintendents have done, Bourn said. “I think it will help the next superintendent, whoever she or he may be, be proactive … instead of reactive,” he said. The board’s consultant has started screening candidates and is expected to begin first-round interviews in September. After a second round of in-depth screenings, the top three candidates will travel to Minneapolis for in-person interviews. The public will have a chance to meet with candidates, according to a timeline set by the board. Despite the deadline extension, the Park Board is still on track to replace Merrill at the end of October, though Bourn said she’s agreed to be flexible with her replacement. More information about the position and how to apply is available at mprbsupersearch.com.

journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 11

News

City leaders, residents push for community solar garden By Austen Macalus Residents in Northeast Minneapolis are exploring options for a new community solar garden, efforts that align with the city’s ambitious clean energy goals. Community members, city officials and solar developers met last month to discuss financing a community solar garden and the ways the city can help decrease economic barriers to those projects. “We’ve had communities that really embrace environment as the next frontier,” said Council Member Kevin Reich (Ward 1) who hosted the forum. “This community has really stepped up and said we want to be a part of that conversation and ultimately participate in actualizing [a solar garden].” Community solar gardens allow residents, businesses and local governments to subscribe to a fixed share of power every month. Several entities essentially pool

together to receive power from large-scale solar arrays, instead of setting up individual rooftop solar systems. The program, created by the state Legislature in 2013, is administered by Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, although most arrays are built by third-party developers. There are currently 118 community solar gardens throughout Minnesota, including seven projects in Hennepin County, according to Dan Thiede of the Clean Energy Resource Team. They create enough energy to power 115,000 average homes per year. A typical installation costs around $2 million to build and powers more than 200 homes per year, said Andy Stahlman, a sales executive with IPS Solar, a Roseville-based solar developer. Solar gardens, said Stahlman, save households between 5 and 10 percent on their energy costs annually.

Mark Ruff, the city’s chief financial officer, addressed Northeast residents during a forum last month. Photo by Austen Macalus The city, which currently subscribes to several projects, plans to expand its investment in community solar gardens in its efforts to move to 100 percent renewable electricity for municipal operations by 2022 and citywide by 2030. In four years, over 30 percent of the city’s energy is expected to come from

community solar gardens, according to Mark Ruff, the city’s chief financial officer. “All of these things are aligned toward similar goals,” he said. Despite the benefits of community solar, there are significant financial challenges for individual residents. Because households sign up for a 25-year subscription, residents are required to have a high credit score, preventing many from buying into a solar garden. This has lead developers to favor subscriptions from larger entities, such as the University of Minnesota or the city, which are not likely to discontinue payments, Stahlman said. “It takes a unique situation for us to be able to do community solar for a neighborhood,” he said. “There haven’t been many opportunities with residents at this point.” SEE GARDEN / PAGE 14

12 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

News

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Smith Lot apts Saint Paul Development Corp. is planning to build micro apartments in a new building that would complete the downtown block home to Sexton Lofts, House of Charity and Portland Tower. The Twin Cities-based developer submitted a preliminary proposal to the Planning Commission’s Committee of the Whole for a six-story apartment building with 175 micro apartments of 425–600 square feet, a mezzanine level with office space and a ground-ﬂoor restaurant. The project calls for a below-grade residential parking ramp with 63 stalls and 25 short-term parking stalls for visitors and restaurant patrons. The building would be built on the Smith Parking Lot at 5th & 7th.

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A 168-unit hotel will open this month on the Elliot Park block home to the new Kraus-Anderson headquarters, the 17-story HQ apartment building and the Finnegan’s microbrewery. The eight-story Elliot Park Hotel is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection. It features a lounge, event space, fitness center and meeting rooms. Tavola, an Italian restaurant with a pizza, pasta and steak menu, is located on the ground ﬂoor. Kraus-Anderson built the project, Coury Hospitality will operate the hotel and Wilkinson Corp. developed it.

1301 MARSHALL ST. NE ROERS COS.

N&E* Twin Cities-based Roers Cos. plans to break ground this month on N&E, a five-story apartment building at 13th & Marshall in

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Northeast’s Sheridan neighborhood. The market-rate building will bring 93 apartments to a former used car lot. A 3,500-square-foot commercial space will provide room for a retail tenant on the ground ﬂoor. Roers plans to complete construction next summer. Rents for N&E will range from $1,275 for the building’s eight studios and $1,300–$1,400 for the 32 alcoves to up to $1,850–$2,485 for the 13 two-bedroom units. Nearly half of the building will be comprised of roughly 800-square-foot one-bedroom apartments with rents from $1,400–$1,725. N&E will have 53 parking spaces, a fitness center, a bike lounge and green roof.

1331 MARSHALL ST. NE ROERS COS.

Mezzo* In addition to N&E, Roers Cos. is building Mezzo, another market-rate apartment building along Marshall Street between 13th and 14th avenues. Mezzo, or “middle” in Spanish, is expected to open this November in a former vacant lot next to Dusty’s Bar. The 110-unit building will have about 1,000 square feet of retail space on the ground ﬂoor. CPM Development, now called North Bay Cos., led the entitlement process for both buildings and still owns the properties, according to Hennepin County property records.

1330 INDUSTRIAL BLVD. NE DELTA HOTELS

Delta Hotels NE* The former Ramada Plaza in the Mid-City Industrial neighborhood has gone through a $14 million renovation and is now under the Marriot Delta Hotels brand. Delta Hotels Minneapolis Northeast opened this year with 246 guestrooms geared toward a “streamliner” guest, or a frequent, tech-savvy traveler. The hotel features a 24/7 fitness center, the Twin Cities 400 Tavern on site and more than 10,000 square feet of ﬂexible event

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A proposal for a new apartment building in the Nicollet Island-East Bank from developer Curt Gunsbury of Solhem Cos. has received approval from the City Planning Commission via its consent agenda. Gunsbury is planning a 159-unit apartment building of seven stories to replace a used car dealership on Central Avenue Northeast. The market-rate building would have two levels of underground parking for residents and no commercial space. The Minneapolis-based developer plans to break ground this fall and complete construction in the spring of 2020. The plan required a conditional use permit to allow for seven-story height and a variance for a higher ﬂoor-area ratio.

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and meeting space with bookings starting this October. Minnesota-based Scalzo Hospitality has owned the hotel since 2009. Delta Hotels is a four-star brand that was acquired by Marriott International in 2015.

625 4TH AVE. S. HENNEPIN COUNTY

Thrivent building Thrivent Financial has officially sold its 17-story office building to Hennepin County for a purchase price of $55 million, said Michael Noonan, county real estate manager. The sale, which the Hennepin County Board approved last year, was finalized in late August. Nothing will happen to the building until Thrivent finishes construction on its new corporate headquarters on the block immediately to the east of its current building. The non-profit firm broke ground on the new building in July. The county plans to consolidate offices scattered across several buildings into the new facility, freeing up buildings like the current Family Justice Center for the private market, possibly redevelopment. Along with the office tower, the county has purchased parking spaces in a mixed-use apartment building and parking ramp that’s under construction on a vacant part of the block.

Crown Hydro The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission voted to pull funds from an Xcel Energy grant to Crown Hydro LLC, which has been planning a hydroelectric power project on the downtown Minneapolis riverfront for decades. The firm had spent $1.5 million of the $5 million grant, which fell under the jurisdiction of the commission. Crown Hydro’s attorney Richard Savelkoul told commissioners that the project will not be “feasible financially” if the grant is terminated. One reason for the action was the company’s lack of control over the site, a piece of riverfront property owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. Government entities like the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and local groups like Friends of the Lock and Dam say the hydroelectric project would preclude other uses of the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam infrastructure.

240 Park Garden Communities, a real estate company associated with the owners of the Minnesota Vikings, is planning a 17-story apartment building at Park & Washington. Chris Palkowitsch, a senior project architect with Minneapolis-based BKV Group, which is designing the project, said the nearly 188-foot building would have 204 units and 4,000 square feet of retail space. The proposal would replace a surface parking lot, completing the block home to People Serving People American Trio Lofts and a condo

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Wyndris* Catholic Eldercare is slated to open a five-story independent living community for seniors in Northeast Minneapolis this fall. The 62-unit Wyndris building is under construction along Broadway Street Northeast between 2nd Street and University Avenue in the St. Anthony West neighborhood. The senior housing and care nonprofit announced, as of Aug. 29, that 36, or about 52 percent, of the one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments have been pre-leased. Amenities in Wyndris include an on-site café, a wellness center, an indoor dog run and a rooftop patio.

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specialist in state and local housing policy at Grounded Solutions Network. Because they make new development more expensive, inclusionary zoning policies also come with some risk for the cities that choose to adopt them. An inclusionary zoning policy can limit new development, constraining the housing supply and making a housing crunch — like the one Minneapolis is currently experiencing — even worse. Or it might encourage developers to skip emerging markets that need new affordable housing to focus on more expensive projects in the established markets that can demand the highest rents. “Any inclusionary zoning policy involves some risk that projects that are feasible to build without the inclusionary zoning requirements … may become not feasible with the combination of affordable requirements and incentives offered in your program,” Reyes cautioned. Curt Gunsbury of Solhem Companies, which has developed residential properties in Uptown, LynLake, Northeast and the North Loop, described himself as “agnostic” on the policy. Gunsbury said “the intentions are wonderful,” but he’s wary of unintended consequences. “Minneapolis needs housing, right? So, taking away potential future supply may not be a good match for increasing affordability,” he said.

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subsidy, although that remained an open question. The proposal expands on an existing inclusionary housing policy that has been on the books in Minneapolis for 15 years. It at first applied only to developments of 10 or more units that received financial assistance from the city, but the definition of financial assistance was expanded to include pass-through funding. The policy was expanded again to apply to any project of 10 or more units built on city-owned land. It may take another year to work out the details of the new inclusionary zoning ordinance — and a lot is expected to change in that time with the adoption of a new comprehensive plan. Members of the Policy and Housing Development Committee directed city staff to develop an interim ordinance that would require an affordable component from any project that seeks to go significantly bigger or denser than is allowed by right.

Learning from mistakes Bender said some cities struggled with managing the period between when an inclusionary zoning policy is adopted and when it goes into effect. She noted that Portland saw a surge of applications for new development after that city adopted inclusionary zoning but before the new rules came into play. That was followed by a slowdown in new applications, similar the scenario that played out after Chicago adopted its version of the policy in 2016. With the interim ordinance, Minneapolis elected officials hope to avoid a similar situation. “We have the benefit of learning from the experience of so many cities who have done this before us,” Bender said. Gunsbury predicted the interim ordinance would have an immediate effect on most new residential developments. It could, he said, encourage developers like him to shift their work to St. Paul or the suburbs, at least for a while. Minn warned that even the interim policy would “have the immediate effect of curtailing any project that is not closed and funded.” In addition to an inclusionary development investment fund, Building Minneapolis Together is recommending that the city identify lower-cost publicly owned land for affordable housing developments. The group also suggests reducing fees and expanding the tax credits available to affordable housing developers.

N UThe proposal O S E D O . N T R E Minneapolis G E E R is attempting to strike a R S Y N Y P S I R G L T . balance, requiringSsome affordable housing D P T L L . N I with O every project, S G O but keeping E the requireU U O U S B L L ments low enough that the policy won’t N F S T P Q S I . drive awayT developers. B . E E N Y O A I R H E L The H inclusionary zoning ordinance D P being D . A T Y L G O written by city staff is expected U to copy T I R L R G B G B Ethe model proposed O Solu- P L H T O by Grounded A N N . R U F G W I E Network. It recommended a citywide D P I U F G . tions H R R E U program that offers developers two alternaIN A O . T T O Y O D A W tives:. 10 percent of a multi-familyR residential S G L F G E R . R G project’s priced at a rate affordable to L S unitsI N F N G P P T G . T U D E A households earning 60 percent of the area N P U . L median income I I F P N or 20 percent E . S of the units O U N . U P TR O G S I S R 50 S pricedTaffordable toOhouseholds earning S Q N E A T IP TH E I G percent of area median income, L with a city E L L P Y U G . . R N subsidy available on an as-needed U B basis. T R U D T . Q N O Y S S D A financing H a tax-increment E E O O Bender said L T P S E E G D . L R B districtI G was the likely source of theU city P R O Y N R Y T U G . I S O P L . E D O F S I N T N R LL H I F I O . T W L U G P T G F U N A B . H U N Q U F G A / PAGE 11 . I O . R S G E LE FROM GARDEN D I O . N T N T E . G B I H E renewable energy from other sources, E E R R S Y N Y A P A T P S I R City trying to change Connect G that. The L such as Xcel. Energy’s Renewable W T officials are B D solar DE U P G S T L . N . I city is increasing efforts to make community L program, Mills sees community TR R O O N S G O U U U S Reich said,Fby gardens solar gardensO more accessible, as a better option. D B E L OYOURR Nmuch P S T P Q S I E F R serving as “an anchor investor” for projects. “It’s more.locally and community G . E T E Y Otypically subscribes F P T . ST O U I N Mills H R Minneapolis, which owned,” said. “We prefer Hthat to giant E E L A P D S B . I T Y G toO 20 percent of a solar garden’s L energy, will A utility-created solar and wind even G . R T 20 percentBof subscrip- R though weGdo really wantI cleanprojects, L P U N G take up to another energy.” G B E L H S T I U Q A Nare also concerns . N . tions if some residents stop their subscripThere U G N W about space for I E E O D P I LT F S . tions, Ruff said. aR project. O N H R E U U I . S T T Y “We to put the solar,” O this inOmore neigh- S T “We need somewhere S D A W will be undertaking L O E G F Y E E R borhoods,” Ruff said. “Any efforts we can bring Stahlman said. . R L L L Frenewable intoGhouseholds is P N P typically need at least 50,000 D R T U to bring more Projects B D E A T P . U O . F I A P feet, Stahlman said, on a flat rooftop E going to have . long-term [positive] effect.” R H B O with square G P D U T G TheSmove covers the risk of residents orUparcel of land. A community solar G . R I S Qgarden for Northeast residents needs to be R O N acts as a “guarantee T credit. TheIcity IP IN lower of G E E H L O R P U N that would. want to partic- close by, either in Hennepin County or an local communities T F IN W U G U Q O Yon adjacent county. F G but might have A . S barriers based S ipate in this • . E O L T A S E N Reich said. At the forum, Reich said a new solarL D R G . E R the“Sotraditional requirements,” O Y Y people in certain economic U situations friendly development on 27th Avenue NorthE G N L . D L S I F P . aren’t left out,” he said. east and University Avenue Northeast could TR L T O N . T P G L S I Michelle Shaw, a member of the Waite be a potential spot. S U B H Association, O N E U S F U I Park Neighborhood said she But in the end, the success of the project . P T G L S . I O Q N was concerned aboutB the lack of affordability may come down to community engagement. I Y E H E E E A gardens. A T with community solar “The challenge at this point is figuring out RBook aD FREET LConsult L W Online! D R G . O Y She attended the forum to see if solar if there’s interest,” Stahlman said. . B H T R N B A gardens have become more affordable. Shaw Reich said he’s encouraged by the converG G LL D said she was E O encouraged by the city’s plan. . I P D sations he’s had with community members. E F R IN E U R H P T TheFefforts were also supported by Marcus The forum showed a “grassroots interest” for N O W T O I A P S Mills, an activist with Community Power, community solar power that matches the I . R F G A . P U F a local group advocating for “clean, local, city’s efforts, he added. G N R DMULTIPLE LOCATIONS S equitable affordable, and reliable energy.” U A Q . T E “It’s a citizen’s way to push us to do what E T . E O R L P Although individuals can purchase we said we’re going to do,” he said. G RMinneapolis T Downtown S & South U N West IP Y S G I T S L U L . N E L U Q R O S U S E T . F S E A

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journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 15

News

GREEN DIGEST

By Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com @NateGotlieb

Dockless bike sharing coming to Minneapolis this month The operator of the Nice Ride Minnesota bike-share system will roll out a fleet of 1,500 dockless bike-share bikes this month in Minneapolis. Brooklyn-based Motivate will place the new blue bikes in designated parking zones on streets, plazas, sidewalks and parking lots around Minneapolis. Users will be able to unlock the bikes using the Nice Ride Minnesota smartphone app and return them to any open spot in the designated parking areas. The rollout of the new system will come about two months after Motivate took over operation of Nice Ride from its namesake nonprofit. Nice Ride Minnesota had operated the Nice Ride system for eight years before seeking a private company to transition the system from a dock-based model to a dockless one. It chose Motivate this past winter after a competitive bid process. Under Motivate, the new Nice Ride system will include a mix of traditional docking stations and dockless bikes. Motivate hopes to install as many as 200 designated parking areas this year, according to its master plan. It plans to add an additional 1,500 dockless bikes to the Minneapolis fleet in 2019 and another 1,500 in the years 2020 and 2021, if usage targets are met. Bill Dossett, executive director of Nice Ride Minnesota, said the new dockless bikes are designed for 10,000 trips, adding that they are the same bikes used in systems in

New York City and San Francisco. Each bike will be returned to a permitted spot, he said, noting that Motivate will paint new spots starting the first week of September.

Other cities have instituted dockless bike-share programs, but Minneapolis will be the first to take a permitted approach, Dossett said. The new system will cost

Brooklyn-based Motivate will add 1,500 dockless bikes to the streets of Minneapolis this month. Photo courtesy Nice Ride Minnesota

less to operate than the system of docked bikes, he added. Motivate is also conducting a pilot of 150 e-bikes, Dossett said, though he didn’t know the exact timeline for that project. He highlighted the partnership between Nice Ride Minnesota, the City of Minneapolis and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, which will continue to act as the title sponsor of the system. Also in the past month, Nice Ride launched a new smartphone app, which automatically updated for users who already had the old Nice Ride app on their phones. The app allows users to map out rides to any destination in the Twin Cities, and it shows the closest docking station to their destination. It contains upgrades such as a plan-a-ride feature that will deliver bike directions directly within the app. It also allows users to create a personal rider profile, access their ride history and sync the app with Apple Health. Nice Ride has also lowered the pride of single rides to $2 from $3 when purchased at a kiosk and to $1 when purchased through the app. The system has also lowered usage fees to $2 per half hour. Nice Ride is accepting suggestions for new parking zones for the dockless bikes. Visit niceride-newparkingzonesplanning.org/ request-a-location.html to suggest a spot.

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16 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

Schools

SCHOOLS NOTEBOOK By Nate Gotlieb ngotlieb@journalmpls.com / @NateGotlieb

Minneapolis welcomes students back to school Tens of thousands of Minneapolis Public Schools students returned to class on Monday, Aug. 27. The district expected to welcome about 36,000 students back to class, a spokesman said. Most had already registered, but the district’s placement offices reported placing a total of about 200 students each day during the two weeks before classes started. Classes began Aug. 27 for most students in grades 1–12 and on Aug. 29 for kindergarten, pre-K and preschool students. Classes for ninth-graders at Southwest High School began Aug. 27 and on Aug. 28 for students in grades 10–12. The start of the year came with new bell times at 20 schools. The district changed the times to streamline its busing, a change it says can save up to $2 million. Sixteen of the 20 schools had belltime changes that were within an hour of previous start and end times. But four schools had changes of up to 70 minutes, including Barton and Bryn Mawr schools in Southwest Minneapolis. Barton’s start time went from 7:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., and its end time went from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. Bryn Mawr’s went from 7:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., and its end time also went from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. Other Southwest schools that saw significant start-time changes included Anthony (8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.) and Justice Page (8:50 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.). Schools across the district had their first days under new leadership. Washburn High School, for example, welcomed new principal Emily Lilja Palmer, an educator with over 25 years of experience who had spent the previous five years as principal of Sanford Middle School. Southwest High welcomed new principal Michael Favor, another education professional with 25 years of experience, who spent last school year as interim superintendent of the Monticello Public School District. The

Minneapolis Public Schools Superintendent Ed Graff (left) meets a second-grade class at Bryn Mawr Elementary School on Aug. 27. Photo by Nate Gotlieb school welcomed a new athletic director, Kim Royston, and a new assistant principal, Camille Erickson, who spent the past three years as a dean of students at Columbia Heights Public Schools. Minneapolis Superintendent Ed Graff spent much of his week visiting schools, starting with a stop at Jenny Lind Elementary School on Aug. 27. Later in the day, Graff took a tour of Bryn Mawr with new principal Laura Cavender and saw several of the new science classrooms at Washburn in a tour with Palmer, among other stops. Washburn has been undergoing a major renovation and expansion this summer, an effort that’s included the renovation of existing music and science classrooms and the addition of five new classrooms on the second floor. The district expects the secondfloor addition to be ready for students beginning the week of Sept. 10. The district’s Board of Education was scheduled to host its second business meeting of the school year on Sept. 4, followed by a discussion meeting on Sept. 8 to discuss the comprehensive districtwide assessment. The district is scheduled to hold its seventh-annual “farm-to-school” community barbecue from 4:30 p.m.–7 p.m. on Sept. 12 at its culinary center, 812 Plymouth Ave. N. Visit nutritionservices.mpls.k12. mn.us/f2s_community_bbq to learn more about the event.

Fed hosts ‘Hamilton’ contest for students The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis is holding a student contest in honor of the musical “Hamilton” coming to town, with the prize being two tickets to a performance of the show. The bank is asking interested high school and college students to submit short posts containing their best ideas for improving the economy through Sept. 25. The winner will receive two tickets to the Oct. 4 show of “Hamilton” and will be offered a paid bank internship. “Hamilton” tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, a close aide to George Washington who eventually became America’s first treasury secretary. Hamilton championed a strong central government, creating a national bank that was the precursor to today’s Federal Reserve System. He died in an 1804 dual with Vice President Aaron Burr. “The Minneapolis Fed is a direct product of Hamilton’s vision,” Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said in a statement. “While it isn’t show biz, the work we do here is in service to our community.” The contest is part of a campaign by the Minneapolis Fed to educate students and MidwestOne Bank DTJ 090618 V3.indd 1

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the public about Hamilton’s contributions to the U.S. financial system. The bank is also expanding its free public tour program to include a limited-run exhibit showcasing Hamilton’s contributions to the system. It also has created a website where people can learn more about Hamilton’s life and impact. The student contest is open to high school and college students in the Federal Reserve’s Ninth District, which includes Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, northwestern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. To enter, students should follow @MinneapolisFed on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and create a public post in 200 words or less with ideas for improving the economy (posts can include photos and videos less than 60 seconds long). Students should tag @MinneapolisFed and #Hamilton4All in their posts. Visit minneapolisfed.org/publications/ special-studies/hamilton to learn more. “Hamilton” is showing at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis now through Oct. 7. Visit hennepintheatretrust. org to learn more.

journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 17

Voices

Moments in Minneapolis By Cedar Imboden Phillips

THE TOP OF THE TREE

ogging was an integral part of life in Minneapolis during the 19th century. This photograph was taken near 34th Avenue North on the west bank of the Mississippi River, looking toward the east bank. The Republic Elevator can be seen in the distance. By the 1870s, Minneapolis had become a major logging center thanks to its proximity to white pine forests, rail connections and the river. The lumber industry worked year-round. Heated “hot ponds” kept the water and logs from freezing and enabled the frenetic pace of converting logs into lumber to continue unabated. The lumber shown here is being sorted. By the turn of the century, Minneapolis was the world’s biggest lumber market. By the 1920s, however, Minnesota’s forests had been largely depleted, and the sawmills of North and Northeast Minneapolis had closed their doors for good.

Cedar Imboden Phillips serves as executive director for the Hennepin History Museum. Learn more about the museum and its offerings at hennepinhistory.org or 870-1329. Image from the Hennepin History Museum’s collection.

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n Sunday, Sept. 9, the historic Mill City Farmers Market train shed will transform from a bustling grocery destination to an elegant benefit dinner. This annual fundraiser, the Harvest Social, takes place 4:30 p.m.–7 p.m. and is an opportunity for the market to raise money for its charitable fund. Founded in 2017, the Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that offers a robust grant program for local farmers and food makers, free public cooking classes and wellness programs and supports food access and community development throughout the region. The Harvest Social is not only a chance to contribute to the market’s programs and mission of “supporting a healthier community” but also a chance to celebrate the fall harvest. Market chefs Jenny Breen, Nettie Colón of Red Hen Gastrolab and Beth Jones of the University of Minnesota Campus Club will be preparing an abundant dinner using seasonal produce and pasture-raised meat donated from the Mill City Farmers Market’s farmers. Highlights from this year’s menu include a trendy smashed cucumber appetizer, a signature Bootlegger Cocktail from

Twin Spirits Distillery, an heirloom tomato and farmstead cheese platter, roasted turkey with North African piri piri sauce (recipe below) and desserts from James Beard Awardnominated market vendor Salty Tart Bakery. Guests will also enjoy a panel discussion from recipients of the Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund’s Next Stage Grant program, which has granted over $90,000 and 50 grants to local farmers and food makers who are improving sustainable farming and business practices or growing toward the next stage of their local food businesses. The panel will include Laura Frerichs of Loon Organics Farm, Joe Silberschmidt of You Betcha Kimchi, Mhonpaj and May Lee of Mhonpaj’s Garden and Emily Hanson of Whetson Farm. The night also includes live jazz music from Orange Mighty Trio and silent and live auctions featuring truly unique items such as dinner with former Vice President Walter Mondale, an artisan noodle making class with the owners of Dumpling & Strand and a year’s worth of market breakfasts! Tickets for the Harvest Social on Sunday, Sept. 9 are $125. They can be purchased at the Saturday, Sept. 8 market or online at millcityfarmersmarket.org/support/benefit.

Nettie Colón’s North African piri piri sauce Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Aleppo chili ﬂakes 1 Tablespoon cumin seed 1 Tablespoon coriander 1 Tablespoon smoked sweet paprika 11⁄2 Tablespoons kosher salt 2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped 3 garlic cloves 1⁄3 cup lemon juice (about 2-3 lemons) 1⁄4 cup red wine vinegar *1 cup fresh cilantro

Method For the sauce, mix chili ﬂakes, cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, salt, sugar, red pepper and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping the sides of the bowl. Combine lemon juice and vinegar together in a pouring cup and drizzle into the food processor while the machine is still running. The sauce is ready when all the ingredients combine together into a sauce. Keep sauce refrigerated for up to one week. When ready to use just take out of refrigerator a half-hour before using. *Save the cilantro for later to sprinkle atop the piri piri sauce when ready to serve. Piri piri sauce is excellent on roasted turkey or chicken with grilled seasonal vegetables.

Submitted photo

journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 19

LOCAL

FLAVOR

Chef Jose Alarcon’s menu features a rotating dish with a seasonal fish. Photos by Kevin Kramer

Love at first bite

By Carla Waldemar How do you say hallelujah in Spanish? Bienvenidos will have to do. I’m thrilled (to put it mildly) that the debut of Northeast’s Popol Vuh was worth the wait. It’s not only the best Mexican restaurant in the metro, it’s a top contender for best of this year’s arrivals overall. It’s the fine-dining partner of its newly opened next door cousin, the casual Centro — sharing a warehouse-type building’s exposed brick, cement floor, industrial beams and a mingled respect for Mexico’s illustrious culinary heritage with a chef-driven spirit of invention — here celebrating open-flame grilling in sight of patrons sitting at the bar. This is the kind of food you expect in a hoity-toity, white-tablecloth setting, but with none of the above. Dinner consists of a fourcourse tasting menu ($45), with road maps of ingredients detailed by well-versed servers, an engaged and engaging crew indeed. You pay for four generous courses, but wait: The kitchen can’t be held to that constraint. The minute you’re seated, a complimentary drink arrives, like nothing I’ve tasted before but delivering a compelling flavor I won’t forget. Called a Salty Sangrita, it’s green and herbal, building from an initial wallop of salt that fades into a burn from chilies that mellows out into pure enjoyment. Think tomatillos, poblanos, cilantro, celery and — um — fish sauce. Then a bread basket appears with twin butters, one from Hope Creamery and the other a spread rich with huitlacoche, that fungus that grows on cobs of corn. Deeply delicious. Next, an addictive scoop of elote. This takeoff based on Mexican street food involves roasted corn kernels mingling with chewy wheat berries and guajillo peppers, bound by mayo and dusted with white cheese. I could eat it forever. Finally, time for the menu’s first course: a salad of juicy jicama and beet (red and yellow) matchsticks tossed with shallots, pepitas for their savory, seed-y crunch and strands of pickled onions. They’re melded by a house-made goat ricotta, smooth as cream

and accented with a touch of honey. Course two: sope de salpicon. In this case, the salpicon — tiny bits of stuff — is raw, tender, flavorful Angus beef tossed with heirloom tomatoes, tomatillos, purple radish fans, lime and a whole lot more. The third course calls on that flaming grill to sauté a fillet of sea bass, joined on the plate by what our server called “arroz cremosa,” which surely must translate to “dining heaven.” The mélange stars rich, savory wild mushrooms punctuated by corn and melded with a creamy foam. Grill time again. This round, it sears a sweet and juicy slice of lamb loin accompanied by a trio of beans — haricots verts, gigante and fava — along with mizuna and red shio (I had to ask: a leafy green) and mole de caderas. There’s an ambitious cocktail menu, too (plus wine and beer, natch). I sipped a bourbon-based Morelos Sour finished off with worm salt — just because I could — while my companion summoned the pisco-based Chicha Morada garnished with popcorn and pineapple. Turn over that list and you’ll discover a trio of desserts ($8–$9): Mexican mousse (chiles added), arroz con leches with coconut rice and more, and our choice, corn and honey panna cotta. Its (too) solid custardy base is weak on flavor and textural interest. Count on the strawberries and spears of cornhusk for that. Or don’t bother with dessert, because here’s a tip: As you summon your bill, some tasty little pecan muffins appear, sided with a limpid dollop of crème fraiche and a pansy blossom. Will I be back? How about, like, tomorrow?

POPOL VUH 1414 Quincy St. NE 345-5527 popolvuhmpls.com

20 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

GET

OUT

GUIDE

By Sheila Regan

‘Of Milk and Mirrors’ and ‘The Journalist’s Creed’ Local playwright Jessica Huang puts her life on stage with two one-act plays. The first, “Of Milk and Mirrors,” features Huang’s reallife marriage to local actor Ricardo Vasquez — in a fashion. In the play, her husband is transformed into seven different characters — including writer Jorge Luis Borges and philosopher Alexius Meinong. The second one-act, “The Journalist’s Creed: (Actual) Emails from a (Brief) Career in News,” is made up entirely of emails Huang sent and received during journalism school and as an early career journalist. When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7 & Saturday, Sept. 8; 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 Where: The Phoenix, 2606 Hennepin Ave. Cost: $10–$12 Info: phoenixtheatermpls.org

10th-annual Minneapolis Monarch Festival Celebrate the Minnesota-Mexico connection with this day of butterﬂy-themed music and art. Aztec dancers and Salsa del Soul headline the entertainment. Learn all about the monarchs’ annual journey with lots of kid-friendly activities and educational opportunities. Little ones are encouraged to dress up in monarch-themed costumes for a costume parade. When: 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 Cost: Free

Where: Northeast corner of Lake Nokomis near 49th & Woodlawn Info: monarchfestival.org

Mary Shelley and ‘Frankenstein’ mini exhibition

Mark Mallman with Jillian Rae and Tabah Mark Mallman can always be counted on to put on a lively, dance-able and entertaining show. No matter what kind of mood you’re in, you’ll end up on your feet with a smile on your face. Mallman and his band are joined by singersongwriter and violin player Jillian Rae and Tabah. When: 9 p.m.–1 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14 Where: Uptown VFW, 2916 Lyndale Ave. S. Cost: $8 in advance, $10 at the door Info: uptownvfw.org

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s genre-creating novel, “Frankenstein,” which is something to celebrate. You can get your creature fix at Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a mini-exhibition of “Frankenstein”-related artwork from around the world, thanks to collector David Barnhill and curator Stephen Rueff of SuperMonsterCity! It’s part of this year’s Faculty Biennale at MCAD. When: 6 p.m.–9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7 Where: Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2501 Stevens Ave. Cost: Free Info: supermonstercity.com

‘Curie Me Away’ From the creators of “Calculus: The Musical,” which took the Fringe Festival by storm back in 2006, comes a new musical based on the life of everyone’s favorite radioactivity researcher, Marie Curie. The show has been performed at the Smithsonian’s National Atomic Testing Museum and won “Best of Fest” at the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival. A nearly sold-out show was cancelled last April due to a blizzard, so they’re back, better than ever. When: 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 & Sunday, Sept. 16 Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl, 810 W. Lake St. Cost: $12 in advance, $14 at the door Info: bryantlakebowl.com

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journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 21

FESTIVALS FROM

AROUND THE WORLD If you have an itch to travel right now but don’t have the means to escape Minnesota, never fear. A whole slew of cultural festivals highlighting the vibrant global cultures right here in the Twin Cities are taking place this month.

Mexican Independence Day Forget Cinco de Mayo. The real Mexican Independence Day happens in September, and the place to be for the festivities is on Lake Street. When: Noon–7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 Where: Lake & 2nd Cost: Free Info: facebook.com/FestivalenlaLake/

Ukrainian Heritage Festival You know you want a beautifully embroidered vyshyvanka shirt, which you can purchase at this festival while watching traditional Ukrainian dance and musical groups. When: 1 p.m.—11:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 15 Where: Ukrainian American Community Center, 301 Main St. NE Cost: Free Info: uaccmn.org/festival/

Lebanese Festival Taste the delights of traditional Lebanese food and get a snapshot of Lebanese culture through dance, music and art. When: 1 p.m.—6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15 & Sunday, Sept. 16 Where: St. Maron’s Catholic Church, 602 University Ave. NE Cost: Free Info: stmaron.com

Minneapolis Greek Festival | Taste of Greece Blustering Baklava this is a great event. Make sure you catch a tour of the gorgeous iconography inside the historic St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church. When: Noon—10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 7 & Saturday, Sept. 8; noon—6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9 Where: St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, 3450 Irving Ave. S. Cost: Free Info: mplsgreekfest.org

Taste of Liberia Liberian culture takes hold of the Food Building with Liberian and Afrobeat music and mouth-watering cuisine. Proceeds benefit sickle cell research.

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When: 2 p.m.—9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8 Where: The Food Building, 1401 Marshall St. NE Cost: Free Info: tasteoﬂiberia.com

10:00 AM

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACROSS 1 Biting menace 10 One may be strapless 13 Put on board 14 Girl Sebastian is referring to in the song “Kiss the Girl” 15 Poke 16 Walks caused by walks, perhaps? 19 Snatches 20 Always there 21 Aware of 22 “Battle of the Sexes” co-star 24 Dealer’s order 26 Small grove 27 Close one 28 Fowl pole

60 King, e.g.

10 Mars in music

30 Graham who cofounded The Hollies

61 “Hamilton” Tony winner Leslie __ Jr.

11 Journalist Farrow

37 Some NBA periods

34 11th-century navigator

12 Puzzle

38 Red wine substance

62 Cantina condiment

15 Presage

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17 Rubs clean

44 Hairy Genesis son

18 Private meal?

45 “Being and Nothingness” author

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40 App with pics, familiarly

DOWN

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42 Light color

1 Baja’s opposite

43 Cozumel coins

2 Creamy pasta dish

25 Shih-__: mixed breed

46 Impatient

3 “That was a fact!”

48 Rests

4 Appoint as a posse member, say

52 Oct. 2017 DodgersCubs matchup 53 Mine carriers 54 “Did it start already?” 57 Lose it

5 Drudge online 6 Cropped up “21” 8 Monstrous creatures

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23 Mic holders

29 Introductory French course 31 Holdings for many seniors 32 Aid in changing a light bulb 33 Lamarr of “Boom Town” 35 One side of New England’s Bourne

Bridge

47 Overly 48 Forum wardrobe 49 South American cornmeal cake 50 __ One: vodka brand 51 Harness race horse 55 1981 TV groom 56 Ticklish doll locale: Abbr. Crossword answers on page 22

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22 journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018

BEST

Disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder will play a DJ set at First Avenue’s mainroom on Thursday, Sept. 20. Photo by Sebastian Kim

PICKS

MUSIC / FOOD / DRINKS / ART OUTDOORS / ENTERTAINMENT SOCIAL / SHOPPING WHAT TO DO DOWNTOWN AFTER WORK BY ERIC BEST

MUSIC

Moroder mania

Jake Rudh has been spinning tunes for Twin Cities audiences each week for years, but his next gig has him feeling like “a kid in a candy store.” “It’s about as good as it gets for a DJ, that’s for sure,” he said. Rudh is one of a few locals opening for Giovanni “Giorgio” Moroder, an Italian music producer, not to mention performer in his own right, who has inspired some of the world’s most popular artists for decades. Chances are you’ve heard the work of Moroder, considered the founder of disco and a forerunner of electronic music, if you’ve seen “Scarface,” “Top Gun” or “Flashdance” or listened to any Donna Summer song from the 1970s. He’s worked with David Bowie, Cher, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Barbra Streisand and more. Moroder mega fans Daft Punk even have a song named after him. The Sept. 20 concert at First Avenue’s mainroom has Moroder headlining with a rare DJ set, while Rudh, Dark Energy’s Grant Mayland and Dirty McKenzie will start off the night. It’s not every day that Rudh gets to share the bill with other DJs. Typically, he’s paired with some of his favorite bands and songwriters, his “heroes” from the 1980s music scene to today. “I love to be able to build an energy and atmosphere leading to showtime, and I don’t see this as any different, just with a fellow DJ,” he said. Rudh remembers when he first heard Moroder’s work. It was, naturally, The Human League singer Philip Oakey’s 1985 collaboration with Moroder. “I literally was introduced to Giorgio’s work by watching MTV growing up in the ’80s,” he said. “I saw the MTV video and literally went out and bought the cassette.” Growing up in the 1980s and ’90s, Rudh said, he was exposed to Moroder’s work with soundtracks like with “The

NeverEnding Story,” or songs like “Take My Breath Away” from Berlin. Though Moroder is more aligned these days with the electronic dance music scene, Rudh said the producer’s work has inspired much of the music he’s known for playing, from ’60s psychedelic and ’70s disco to ’80s new wave, a gene of rock and pop music that blended the disco and electronic stylings that Moroder is famous for producing. “He was the blueprint of some of my favorite tunes,” he said. Performing before Moroder takes a lot of preparation, something that Rudh doesn’t typically do for the request-focused Transmission where each set is new and different. This show has been in the back of his mind for weeks, though. Rudh said he expects to spin an electronic-heavy set with plenty of artists who Moroder inspired. Asked whether he’ll give Moroder a welcome to Minnesota music, Rudh said he’s considering playing a little Prince or even “Funkytown.” “There’s no doubt Lipps Inc. were inspired by Giorgio,” he said. Rounding out the night will be Mayland of Dark Energy, a music collective known for bringing Vampire’s Ball to First Avenue. Dark Energy takes inﬂuences from new wave, industrial, electronic and goth music.

FOLEY EXTERIORS

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Come for the furniture, stay for the drinks

I think I found my favorite furniture store. For $12, that ottoman was a steal. It’s all a front, however, for Al’s Place, the speakeasy bar and Italian restaurant that opened late last year above Stanley’s Northeast at Lowry & University. I recently went back with a guest from out of town. I may be breaking a rule telling you about the bar. It has its own rules, not to mention after-dinner chocolates that remind you that “you were never here.” The 1920s-themed establishment was even more committed to the old-school atmosphere than ever. Mia Dorr, a boa-wrapped lounge singer in a ﬂapper dress, was cooing elegantly in the corner,

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a fog machine and dim lighting kept the bar feeling intimate and a dress code — more of a suggestion — made sure guests don’t burst the Roaring ’20s bubble. The “furniture” on the menu is a reference to the front businesses of the Al Capone days. There’s no real racket here, unless you’re talking about the Racquet Summer Badminton, which at $11 is a fair price. Americano wine and a little seltzer give the gin drink a nice body and some cucumber and lime cordial keep it easy to drink. The Barstool Between the Sheets ($12) with special-order rum from Northeast-based Tattersall Distilling Co. was also great with a nice smokiness. Be sure to grab reservations here unless you don’t mind waiting at the bar, but with a little live jazz singing and a drink, that’s not so bad. The bar is open 5 p.m.– 7 p.m. Thursday through Sunday for a cocktail hour — think of this as its happy hour — with $3 off house cocktails and $10 off drinks from the Captain’s List.

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The 18-plus show begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 20. “I think the whole night is going to be unique, that’s what’s going to make it fun,” Rudh said.

Minneapolis-based Dirty McKenzie, a Lebanon-born DJ who was recently added to the lineup, grew up in Berlin in the late ’70s and early ’80s, right when Moroder’s work would have been all over clubs and movies.

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journalmpls.com / September 6–19, 2018 23

News

Exhibition humanizes those ‘Forced From Home’ An immersive experience from Doctors Without Borders comes to the Commons Sept. 9–16 By Eric Best / ebest@journalmpls.com A Doctors Without Borders exhibition headed to Minneapolis seeks to shed light on the experience of the planet’s growing population of refugees, what organizers describe as a global crisis. Using a mix of virtual reality technology, live demonstrations with volunteers and a 10,000-square-foot installation, “Forced From Home” is designed as an immersion into the lives of displaced people across the globe. The nationally touring installation from Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), will take over a block of downtown’s Commons park near U.S. Bank Stadium Sept. 9–16. More than a decade ago, the international medical humanitarian organization put on a similar exhibition when the world’s displaced population totaled 33 million. Since then, that number has risen to 68.5 million, including 25.4 million refugees, but MSF organizers say statistics alone don’t tell the complete story. “We hear the statistics almost ad nauseum,” Communications Director Michael Goldfarb said. “We really felt like it was imperative to put faces to these numbers, to draw emotional connections — a relatable connection — between visitor and refugee.” MSF volunteers, including many who have worked with refugees, walk participants through what they’ve witnessed out in the field. Participants get to experience the living conditions and transportation of displaced people. Some pieces are taken directly from the field.

A Doctors Without Borders volunteer walks participants through a 2016 installation of “Forced From Home” in New York. Submitted photo Assisted by virtual reality headsets, viewers watch several 360-degree videos inside a dome structure that detail people’s journeys from Honduras, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Tanzania and Bangladesh. Participants get their own identification card and have just a few minutes to choose what items to take with them in order to simulate their own displacement. The experience is free and takes about an hour. Joseph Keenan, a lung and intensive care doctor with the University of Minnesota Medical Center, has been on several Doctors Without Borders tours, which have brought him to South Sudan and Ethiopia where Sudanese refugees are escaping conflict in their home country. Keenan said while the exhibition isn’t

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meant to recreate the experiences of refugees, it will immerse people in the kinds of choices and lack of control that many displaced people face. “There’s a lot there that makes me pretty impressed, (and that will) give people their own personal sense of it. It certainly doesn’t just sound like a poster in a movie,” he said. This is the third year MSF has toured “Forced From Home” in metro areas across the country, but it’s the first opportunity Twin Cities residents have had to participate in the exhibition. Goldfarb said it is especially timely considering the growing polarization around immigration, especially refugees. Though organizers say “Forced From Home” isn’t a lobbying effort for certain policies, MSF USA Executive Director Jason Cone said in a statement that leaders in the United States and European countries have “abandoned their moral and humanitarian responsibilities” with policies that criminalize asylum seekers and those seeking safety. “This is not a black and white issue. It is shades of gray and it involves people just like us: fathers, mothers, school children, grandparents — many people with lives similar to us. That’s the impact we’re trying to make,” Goldfarb said. MSF then connects participants with resources on how to get involved in their own communities in order to support refugees. “Forced From Home” will wind through the smaller west block of the Commons. Amanda

2/10/16 10:39 AM

St. Olaf Catholic Church presents

Wigen, the park’s director of programming and events, said some of the issues raised by the exhibit will overlap with “Carry On Homes,” a pavilion and art piece that features documentary photography of immigrants in Minnesota. The piece, the winner of this year’s Creative City Challenge, has been on display in the park since the spring. “I think, too, that the (‘Forced From Home’) content is very special and something we’re glad to highlight and we’re glad they’re bringing to the area,” she said. “We’re excited to have that pairing on the west block.” Keenan said the centrally located site and its exposure to the elements are ideal for “Forced From Home.” “It’s a lot more meaningful when it’s outdoors because it takes some of that control away,” he said. Organizers say at the heart of the exhibition is a mission to bring humanity back into the conversation on refugees and immigration. “This is a unique opportunity to gain a more granular, nuanced understanding of what refugees go through,” Goldfarb said.

IF YOU GO “Forced From Home” Where: The Commons, 425 Portland Ave. S. When: Sept. 9–16; 9 a.m.–1 p.m. and 4 p.m.– 8 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m.–6 p.m. weekends Cost: Free Info: forcedfromhome.com

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Toni Braxton encourages you to learn the signs of autism at autismspeaks.org Early diagnosis can make a lifetime of difference. © 2010 Autism Speaks Inc. “Autism Speaks” and “It’s time to listen” & design are trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved. Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment.

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