Minneapolis is a leader in trend toward gentrification

[Centropolis]

i'm glad to see minneapolis succeeding, and i love seeing a midwestern city fucking get it done right, and with little help such as the "big-hype" of other warmer places that heretofore never desired urban dreams. it's living proof that hard work and education conquers all.

[fflint]

I'm hoping for more Minneapolis photos--especially of the new light rail line.

[ardecila]

In all fairness, Minneapolis had some help. It didn't have strong rail connections to the South 100 years ago, so it never developed a large black population and the (racist) wholesale abandonment of inner cities that followed in the 1960s/70s. It was a big city 100 years ago as well, so it has tons of great urban bones. It also has the flagship state university, which means generations of smart, talented Minnesotans were forced to come to the city to study, and all that local talent helped preserve a strong diversified economy.

On the other hand, recent choices by leaders have helped as well. The decision by leaders to embrace Hmong and other Asian immigrants (and more recently Mexicans) has brought fresh blood and diversity to neighborhoods. They invested in extensive parks, schools, libraries, museums, entertainment, and other quality of life boosters. They are unafraid to experiment - Minneapolis was one of the first big American cities to have a bikeshare, for example.

[Centropolis]

Originally Posted by ardecila

In all fairness, Minneapolis had some help. It didn't have strong rail connections to the South 100 years ago, so it never developed a large black population and the (racist) wholesale abandonment of inner cities that followed in the 1960s/70s. It was a big city 100 years ago as well, so it has tons of great urban bones. It also has the flagship state university, which means generations of smart, talented Minnesotans were forced to come to the city to study, and all that local talent helped preserve a strong diversified economy.

well, whatever. i'd rather see minneapolis succeed on more (now) hard work than some other fucking southern trendy cities that are closer to me.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by ardecila

In all fairness, Minneapolis had some help. It didn't have strong rail connections to the South 100 years ago, so it never developed a large black population and the (racist) wholesale abandonment of inner cities that followed in the 1960s/70s.

Indeed--the percentage of Minneapolis' population that is black has actually grown quite a bit over the last 60 years--from only 1.3% 1950 to 4.4% in 1970, 13% in 1990, and 18.6% in 2010.

That said, Minneapolis' population dropped precipitously from its 1950 peak of 521,718. The city dipped to 482,872 by 1960, 434,400 by 1970, 370,951 by 1980, and then hit its modern nadir of 368,383 in 1990. The city had a growth spurt to 382,618 people in 2000, but the population did not grow at all during the subsequent decade. It's growing this decade, however, and as of the lastest Census Bureau estimate (2013) the population hit 400,070.

[MNMike]

The 2010 census number was a direct result of the foreclosure crisis. Most neighborhoods in the city grew, but north Minneapolis emptied out.... With thousands of vacant foreclosures. Thankfully they are getting filled again, and growth has really picked up in the rest of the city. Thousands of new housing units are under construction. Apartment development continues at a record pace.

[NorthernDancer]

Originally Posted by MNMike

Do you even read responses? lol.

Yes I do. lol.

And I acknowledged that there's more to gentrification than retail. Retail however is a very large part of it. It would be one thing if these stores were being replaced with other department stores, but they're not. Increased gentrification is usually associated with increased retail, not decreased retail.

I have no doubt that in some ways Minneapolis is gentrifying. But in at least one very large way, it is not.

[mhays]

Not really. The retail issue sounds unrelated. And sometimes gentrification works directly counter to downtown retail.

If downtown retail lives on freeflowing highways and lots of parking, what happens when infill takes parking away and tightens the streets? The several thousand residents you're adding might be negligible from a department store's perspective.

Further, what if gentrification coincides with improvements in the mall constellation, including one nightmare that specifically sucks in a lot of the tourists and cross-metro locals who might otherwise go Downtown?

[Chef]

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

Yes I do. lol.

And I acknowledged that there's more to gentrification than retail. Retail however is a very large part of it. It would be one thing if these stores were being replaced with other department stores, but they're not. Increased gentrification is usually associated with increased retail, not decreased retail.

I have no doubt that in some ways Minneapolis is gentrifying. But in at least one very large way, it is not.

On one hand a couple of department stores have left but there has also been a large uptick in street level dining and drinking establishments and also the addition of two grocery stores. The Warehouse District side of downtown has morphed into clubland over the last decade and a half and often has larger crowds on the streets on weekend nights in the summer than you see on the Nicollet Mall during the daytime.

One type of retail is in decline while another is rising. It isn't like downtown is emptying out at street level.

[fflint]

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

I have no doubt that in some ways Minneapolis is gentrifying. But in at least one very large way, it is not.

Is that a bad thing?

"Gentrification" when defined as the renovation of entire districts of Craftsman bungalows in a city like Minneapolis is an objective good. A city's historic (and high quality) urban fabric and housing stock should absolutely be preserved for future generations.

But what about "gentrification" when defined as the current or past presence of multiple elite luxury retailers downtown? What values does that hold for future generations?

[NorthernDancer]

You can try to spin the loss of downtown department stores as a positive, or even as neutral, but I would disagree greatly. It's not like there were a huge number of them to begin with. It's fine that a downtown serves downtown residents, but it should ALSO be a destination for not just dining, theatre, and entertainment, but for shopping as well.

As far as the parking goes, there's still loads of parking in the downtown Minneapolis area. It is not a limiting factor to attracting shoppers.

[MNMike]

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

Yes I do. lol.

And I acknowledged that there's more to gentrification than retail. Retail however is a very large part of it. It would be one thing if these stores were being replaced with other department stores, but they're not. Increased gentrification is usually associated with increased retail, not decreased retail.

I have no doubt that in some ways Minneapolis is gentrifying. But in at least one very large way, it is not.

I don't disagree that downtown retail needs work, and department stores leaving is certainly a disappointment. I do think you are putting way too much stock in two names though, one of which left downtown and the entire market in 2008, as I already mentioned(Saks Fifth Avenue). Nieman's planned their departure from downtown two years ago, before the current boom really took hold. Also worth noting, department stores are sort of a dying breed across the board, and brick and mortar retail in general is struggling. How many chains have disappeared the past year?! You don't really seem to know what is actually going on in Minneapolis...all you focus on is that 2 stores "are leaving". Well they both already left actually, one 6 years ago, so that is really not even relevent to this new trend. Maybe if they would have stuck around a few years longer they could have taken advantage of this new boom/gentrification, but they did not.


A different type of retail is beginning to thrive again downtown...several first in market stores have opened in the past several months.

http://www.journalmpls.com/news-feed...g-retail-scene

As for Off Fifth...they have been operating out of the old Saks location for 6 years...which is about 3 times a normal outlet store size. Makes for odd layouts and an entirely closed off floor. Supposedly they are scouting new locations downtown, we will see.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_2590674...inneapolis-now

A "flagship" Walgreens will take over most of the old Saks space after Off Fifth vacates:
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincitie....html?page=all

[dc_denizen]

How are the commercial strips outside of downtown doing in Minneapolis? This might be a better indicator of gentrifications presence

[MNMike]

Very well...much to the dismay of hipsters, who are being displaced again as their "cool" neighborhoods become "mainstream". That's kind of the way it seems to go...the artsy "cool" neighborhoods are often the next big thing. Luckily, there is always a new "cool" neighborhood.

[Chef]

Much of what is happening is being driven by new housing, especially downtown and in Uptown. Most of the existing housing is still pretty cheap, at least as far as rentals go.

[Unity77]

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

You can try to spin the loss of downtown department stores as a positive, or even as neutral, but I would disagree greatly. It's not like there were a huge number of them to begin with. It's fine that a downtown serves downtown residents, but it should ALSO be a destination for not just dining, theatre, and entertainment, but for shopping as well.

Originally Posted by NorthernDancer

Yes I do. lol.

And I acknowledged that there's more to gentrification than retail. Retail however is a very large part of it. It would be one thing if these stores were being replaced with other department stores, but they're not. Increased gentrification is usually associated with increased retail, not decreased retail.

I have no doubt that in some ways Minneapolis is gentrifying. But in at least one very large way, it is not.

You're trying really hard to paint a dire picture for downtown Minneapolis retail. The fact is that the retail scene in downtown Minneapolis is evolving - downtown shoppers want something different. Hence the reason for all the new local stores / boutiques opening.

Here are just a few stores that have open recently:

Filson - outdoor-goods supplier
Shinola - watches and urban gear like bicycles,
Arrow - upscale women's and men's boutique offering clothing and accessories
The Foundry - home goods emphasizes fair-trade, organic and eco-friendly finds
Askov Finlayson - men's fashion
MartinPatrick3 - men's apparel
ID Inside Design - home goods, which carries high-end furniture and accessories
Statement Boutique - women's clothes, purses and jewelry
C'est Chic Boutique - upscale brands from France, Czech Republic, Turkey and Japan

As far as Saks and Neiman Marcus are concerned, it's only a matter of time before one or both open at the Mall of America or one of the ...dales. Downtown Minneapolis really can't compete with the MOA and should not try by landing / keeping department stores.

[Ch.G, Ch.G]

Originally Posted by ardecila

In all fairness, Minneapolis had some help. It didn't have strong rail connections to the South 100 years ago, so it never developed a large black population and the (racist) wholesale abandonment of inner cities that followed in the 1960s/70s. It was a big city 100 years ago as well, so it has tons of great urban bones. It also has the flagship state university, which means generations of smart, talented Minnesotans were forced to come to the city to study, and all that local talent helped preserve a strong diversified economy.

On the other hand, recent choices by leaders have helped as well. The decision by leaders to embrace Hmong and other Asian immigrants (and more recently Mexicans) has brought fresh blood and diversity to neighborhoods. They invested in extensive parks, schools, libraries, museums, entertainment, and other quality of life boosters. They are unafraid to experiment - Minneapolis was one of the first big American cities to have a bikeshare, for example.

Don't forget Somalis!

[llamaorama]

It's not a department store, but it's nice they have an urban Target store...though then again the corporate headquarters is in downtown.

[creamcityleo79]

Originally Posted by Unity77

You're trying really hard to paint a dire picture for downtown Minneapolis retail. The fact is that the retail scene in downtown Minneapolis is evolving - downtown shoppers want something different. Hence the reason for all the new local stores / boutiques opening.

Here are just a few stores that have open recently:

Filson - outdoor-goods supplier
Shinola - watches and urban gear like bicycles,
Arrow - upscale women's and men's boutique offering clothing and accessories
The Foundry - home goods emphasizes fair-trade, organic and eco-friendly finds
Askov Finlayson - men's fashion
MartinPatrick3 - men's apparel
ID Inside Design - home goods, which carries high-end furniture and accessories
Statement Boutique - women's clothes, purses and jewelry
C'est Chic Boutique - upscale brands from France, Czech Republic, Turkey and Japan

As far as Saks and Neiman Marcus are concerned, it's only a matter of time before one or both open at the Mall of America or one of the ...dales. Downtown Minneapolis really can't compete with the MOA and should not try by landing / keeping department stores.

I wonder if Northern Dancer has been to Downtown Minneapolis in the past 5 years!?! There is a VERY big city feel in much of downtown and IT'S GROWING!!! There is retail everywhere here...and PEOPLE..there are PEOPLE EVERYWHERE!!! There are theaters, concert venues, a baseball stadium, a football stadium, and plenty of places to live, work, shop, eat, EVERYTHING! You ABSOLUTELY cannot judge a downtown by it's upscale retail options. This is not NYC...and we're glad for it...we're doing our own thing!!!

[relnahe]

I think Minny (and St Paul) is a big secret among Americans. The Twin Cities (minus the weather) probably has the best quality of life of any large metro area in America. Outside of Chicago, the Twin Cities are by FAR the most urban/walkable/vibrant place in the mid west. Everytime I come back I see way more people out walking.