inside Django Jazz Fest .................................... 4 CARAG Report ......................................... 6 Election .................................................. 9–15 Wine at Lyn-Lake ....................................17 ECCO Report .......................................... 19 Photo left: Mural at Bryant and Lake Dunn Bros. Covering the Neighborhoods of CARAG and ECCO in the Uptown Area October 2006 • Volume 2, Number 10 Bryant Avenue Bikeway Community Attorney Lisa Godon Builds Creating a Motorist/Cyclist Utopia Ties in Fifth Precinct By Jacqueline Varriano BIKEWAY By Meggan Ellingboe “Share the road!” is a statement KICK-OFF EVENT heard loud and clear in the After stints in Washington, Uptown area by motorists and D.C., and a private law firm, cyclists alike. Thanks to some Saturday, Oct. 7 attorney Lisa Godon now finds careful planning and hard work 1 to 3 p.m. herself making a difference on by the CARAG Transportation BRyant SQUARE PARK a local level. Godon is the Com- Committee and the Minneapo- (31ST AND BRyant) munity Attorney for the Fifth lis Bicycle Advisory Committee, Precinct in a community pros- Bryant Avenue is now home to 1 to 2 p.m. ecution program sponsored by a bikeway. the “share the road” concept is Bicycle Safety Clinic the Minneapolis City Attorney’s to communicate just that. With- For Kids 8 to 14 Office. The program started Different from a bike lane, the out a designated bike lane or sig- Free bike helmets four years ago in an effort to Bikeway promotes a “share the nage, both motorists and cyclists build cooperation and under- Photo by David Peterson road” concept which refers to have previously been unsure of standing between the police, Fifth Precinct Community Attorney 2 to 2:30 p.m. Lisa Godon. a “chevron” pavement mark- where the cycles belong, leav- Art Bike Parade courts and community. All five ing that conveys the message ing both parties questioning the Bring your decorated precincts now have an attorney. to both motorists and cyclists rules of the road. The Bryant bike, and join the ride Nicollet four days a week. to share the same driving lane. Avenue Bikeway just may be the to the new Loring Park Godon came to the Fifth Pre- The pavement markings will right solution for this problem. Bridge. cinct just over a year ago and The Fifth Precinct most com- appear at every intersection acts as the liaison between the monly faces livability crimes approach and the Bikeway will The plan for the Bikeway was 2:30 p.m. courts, the police and the com- such as assaults, drug offenses, extend from the River-Lake first conceived in the 2000 munity. “[The Minneapolis City prostitution or disorderly con- th Loring Bike Bridge Trail (40 Street Greenway) to CARAG Master Plan. Fund- & Park Celebration Attorney] had this initiative duct. While Godon says she the Midtown Greenway, ending ing was allocated through the as a priority…but had to pri- never has a “typical day on the at the Loring Park Bridge just Neighborhood Revitalization Free “Share the Road” oritize which precinct received job,” she lists working with north of Franklin. Program. In 2003, CARAG T-shirts an attorney first according police and neighborhoods to began working with an urban to crime rates,” said Godon. focus on chronic offenders as a In addition to the pavement planning firm to research logis- “The two highest-crime pre- large part of her role as Com- stamps, the Bikeway will also tics and create a design concept cincts, the Fourth Precinct on munity Attorney. When one feature bike route and direc- and settled on Bryant Avenue. it’s not as busy as a Lyndale or the North side and the Third of the offenders is arrested, she tional signs to help bikers find “There were a lot of factors that a Hennepin and it serves as a Precinct on the South side, handles the case by charging their way. The parking lane went into the decision to have constant connection from the were staffed first” followed by the offender with the appro- stripe encourages motorists to Bryant Avenue as the host of southwest to downtown.” Godon’s eventual placement in priate crime. She then works park closer to the curb, keeping the Bikeway,” said Scott Engel, the Fifth Precinct. She can be with a neighborhood organizer the road wide and cutting down CARAG Community Coor- found surrounded by stacks of on accidents involving cyclists dinator. “Bryant is wider than BIKEWAY papers in her small office inside LISA GODON and car doors. The premise of most streets, it is a two way, continued on page 8 the police station on 31st and continued on page 8 Classy Lake Street Urban Chess Garden to Be Building Saved for Now By Gary Farland and has had extensive renewal Established at Lake Calhoun in recent years. Long the site of Developers had their tape mea- Giorgio’s and the Urban Retreat, sures out this summer and fall these businesses left and were wondering if the site of the replaced by Amore Victoria ornate Mediterranean style and the 1608 Spa (which is the building at the southwest corner address of the spa). Now the spa of Lake and Irving could be a will be changing hands again. site for yet another condo build- ing. As it turns out, according According to Philip, the poten- to owner Philip Banford of the tial developers thought the East Isles neighborhood, the building and its parking lot were building has been sold to an too small to build on, unless the unidentified buyer who plans house next door was also pur- to preserve the present build- chased for about a million dol- ing. Yet, all is not over, since the lars. Also, he says that it is in transaction has not yet closed. the Shoreland Overlay District, But the new owner is in the pro- so many zoning changes and Photos by Courtney Cushing Kiernat cess of renting out the vacant conditional use permits needed (l to r) Quinn Kiernat moves his queen across the giant chess board, while Lucy Kiernat gets close to her king. This spa part of the building and so to be had. Perhaps the building chess board at Lake Calhoun was provided by the Minneapolis Chess Garden (www.minneapolischessgarden.com) The goal of this project is to establish a permanent urban chess garden. A chess garden is a permanent pavilion area things seem to be on track. incorporating a giant chess board and nearby chess tables. Most giant chess boards are between eight and fifteen feet AMORE BUILDING per side. Bring the family and check it out. The building was built in 1928 continued on page 5 • UPtown nEiGhBORhOOD news OCtOBER 2006 GRECO Lyn-Lake Project Redesigned and Rejected AfterBar Remains By Aaron Rubenstein Griepentrog said the LHENA desire to see a streetcar operat- board also found that any ing in the greenway, they have Controversial The board of the Lowry Hill building taller than six stories received (political) support to East Neighborhood Association should be set back at least 120 reduce building height along By Aaron Rubenstein lated flyers, calling for a take- (LHENA) voted 6-2 on Sep- feet from any public roadway. the greenway and increase it over of the CARAG board, tember 20 to reject GRECO’s This standard is based on the mid-block. Architect Jack Boar- It’s not clear when the contro- just prior to CARAG’s annual latest plan for Lyn-Lake area ten-story MoZaic/Lagoon proj- man, of the BKV Group, said versial AfterBar restaurant meeting on September 19 at redevelopment. The plan calls ect model, which is also located the ten-story building would liquor license request will be which board members were for two buildings on the west within LHENA and which break up the building mass and forwarded to the Minneapolis elected. The flyer states that the side of Aldrich between 29th LHENA supported. add architectural interest. The City Council. It was expected CARAG board members “have and Lake Street with retail committee voted 5-0 to support to be on the agenda for the two made it their life goal to RUIN space along Lake Street and 282 The plan rejected by LHENA the project that the board later Public Safety and Regulatory life for residents of Uptown” market-rate rental apartments. is the fourth that GRECO Real rejected, with conditions of a Services Committee meetings and “they will never stop until The south building would be Estate Development has pre- maximum height of eight sto- in September but it was not. they get every single bar and five and six stories. The north sented in the past year for their ries and the developer looking City Liquor Inspector Philip restaurant to close at 11 PM.” building would be four sto- Lyn-Lake properties. The first at moving the tallest building Schliesman said AfterBar’s ries adjacent to the Midtown two called for a larger project closer to Lake Street. “file is being reviewed by staff” A good number of people Greenway, six stories, and ten that included the Aarcee Rental and he doesn’t know when the appearing to be AfterBar sup- stories mid-block. All parking and VFW sites. GRECO found GRECO project manager license application will be sent porters attended the CARAG would be underground. The out in July that the city would Brent Rogers said GRECO is to the committee. meeting but they made no project is called Aldrich Ave- not support $10 million in tax taking the LHENA board’s board nominations during the nue Apartments. increment financing (which comments into consideration The restaurant, planned for first round of nominations.