Weather Holds up Landslide Repairs Back the Project’S Completion
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Jobless benefits Property brokers extended for some see stocks fall on Iron Range as sales cool Page 2 Page 3 PERIODICALS POSTAGE | $1.50 Tuesday | August 25, 2015 FINANCE-COMMERCE.COM VOL. 128, NO. 166 Weather holds up landslide repairs back the project’s completion. It West River Parkway was unclear whether the groups adjusted their timetable, but Bar- closed since June 2014 tels said before the meeting that BY KARLEE WEINMANN the Oct. 31 target for wrapping up Staff Writer repairs “looks ambitious.” “We’re at least two weeks be- Efforts to repair a swath of West hind. I think it might be three River Parkway covered in a land- weeks behind now, technically,” she slide last year could extend beyond said. Oct. 31, the deadline previously set Before the landslide dumped an for the project’s completion. estimated 4,000 cubic yards of soil, Uncooperative weather and vegetation and debris over them, other environmental factors sty- roughly 6,900 vehicles and 1,000 bi- mied crews that dug cycles crossed the park- into the site July 6, more way and trails each day. than a year after heavy Cleanup and reconstruc- rain sent soil and debris 1.6 tion is expected to cost from a 100-foot stretch of $1.16 million, according MILLION hillside tumbling into the to plans firmed up after Mississippi River below Estimated cost a lengthy evaluation and the University of Minne- of cleanup and approval process. sota Medical Center-Fair- reconstruction Engineers previously view hospital in Minneap- of hillside advised against winter olis. construction, ramping The landslide hit in up the pressure to get June 19, 2014, forcing the closure the five walls and footings anchor- of the parkway and trails at the ing the project built before the base of a bluff near Fourth Street ground freezes. First, they need to South. Wetter conditions have pre- get the bench in place and fortify vented workers from stabilizing an one part of the slope where water area mid-slope enough to build out is seeping out, Bartels said. a “bench” – a level stretch that es- “People out there are working sentially serves as a foundation for every day,” she said. “Just maybe reinforcing the slope. not as intensely as we would like. “The last several years, we’ve It’s not because they’re slacking off. had very wet springs and it’ll dry It’s just that they can’t work until up in June and we won’t have any that [steep slope] is repaired.” rain for months,” said Deborah The setbacks also likely derailed Bartels, the Minneapolis Park and efforts to re-seed vegetation wiped Recreation Board project manager out in the landslide. Initial plans overseeing the project. “This year, called for finishing the process by it didn’t happen that way.” Sept. 15, but the focus has turned STAFF PHOTO: BILL KLOTZ Park Board representatives met to a different process that’s more Crews work Monday to repair a section of West River Parkway below Fourth Street South that was privately with engineers on Mon- effective when the ground freezes, covered in a landslide in June 2014. The project likely won’t wrap up before its Oct. 31 deadline day to discuss potentially pushing Bartels said. mainly because of unfavorable weather conditions this summer. Is Midway the next North Loop? Developer Peter Remes sees potential as he rehabs complex BY EMILY KAISER be so painful.” and marketing agencies. Lake Special to Finance & Commerce Even so, the nearly $10 mil- Monster Brewing is planning lion rehab of the Vandalia Tow- to open there in October. When Twin Cities devel- er complex, which spans 5.5 “The balm is seeing the oper Peter Remes of First & acres and 206,000 square feet progress and seeing the ex- First LLC decided to tackle a at 550 Vandalia St., is expected citement of the people coming rehab of the former King Koil to be complete in spring 2016. in, signing leases and wanting mattress factory in St. Paul’s Remes said he’s all about to occupy here,” Remes said. Midway area, he didn’t quite getting into developing areas “I really believe it’s going to realize what he was getting early and taking risks. He’s be an amazing project when himself into. betting the area could be turn- it’s finished.” “The whole place was just ing into the next North Loop When talking about a busi- kind of falling down,” he said or Northeast across the river, ness owner recently deciding of his decision in 2012. “It was places where he has been ac- to expand in Minneapolis’ STAFF PHOTO: BILL KLOTZ “The next generation of entrepreneurs want to occupy interesting really a mess. You go in there tive. Tenants are already mov- North Loop, he said that move buildings,” says developer Peter Remes of First & First LLC, which is and you go, ‘Oh my God, this ing into the seven-building is too obvious and years be- rehabbing the seven-building complex at 550 Vandalia St. in St. Paul’s is going to be really difficult.’ complex, including Indepen- hind development. Midway area. Neon artwork lights up some of the first-floor hallways of Then you get into it and you dent Filmmaker Project Min- Vandalia Tower. don’t even realize how it could nesota, TicketKing, artists MIDWAY to page 32 2 Finance & Commerce finance-commerce.com Tuesday | August 25, 2015 730 2nd Ave. S., Ste. 100 | Minneapolis, MN 55402 730 2nd Ave. S., Ste. 100 | Minneapolis, MN 55402 Phone 612-333-4244 | Fax 612-333-3243 Phone 612-333-4244 | Fax 612-333-3243 www.finance-commerce.com www.finance-commerce.com Publisher – Michael Rifanburg Publisher – Michael Rifanburg 612-584-1537 | [email protected] 612-584-1537 | [email protected] EDITORIAL EDITORIAL Editor – Casey Selix Editor – Casey Selix 612-584-1556 | [email protected] 612-584-1556 | [email protected] Associate Editor – Jeff Sjerven Associate Editor – Jeff Sjerven 612-584-1575 | [email protected] 612-584-1575 | [email protected] Copy Editor – David Bohlander Copy Editor – David Bohlander 612-584-1527 | [email protected] 612-584-1527 | [email protected] Web Coordinator – Art Hughes Web Coordinator – Art Hughes 612-584-1549 | [email protected] 612-584-1549 | [email protected] Staff Photographer – Bill Klotz Staff Photographer – Bill Klotz 612-584-1562 | [email protected] 612-584-1562 | [email protected] Staff Writers: Staff Writers: Construction – Brian Johnson Construction – Brian Johnson 612-584-1525 | [email protected] 612-584-1525 | [email protected] Economic Development – Karlee Weinmann Economic Development – Karlee Weinmann 612-584-1553 | [email protected] 612-584-1553 | [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ADVERTISING SALES Advertising Supervisor – Kaila Broad Advertising Supervisor – Kaila Broad 612-584-1539 | [email protected] 612-584-1539 | [email protected] Advertising Account Executive – David Seawell Advertising Account Executive – David Seawell 612-584-1545 | [email protected] 612-584-1545 | [email protected] Advertising Account Executive – Sheila Bennett Advertising Account Executive – Sheila Bennett 612-584-1544 | [email protected] 612-584-1544 | [email protected] Event Manager – Amanda Dorn Event Manager – Amanda Dorn 612-584-1534 | [email protected] PHOTO: STAR TRIBUNE, GLEN STUBBE 612-584-1534 | [email protected] This photo taken Aug. 26, 2014, shows the Minntac taconite mine plant in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. While Minntac workers PUBLIC NOTICE PUBLIC NOTICE are back on the job, the U.S. Department of Labor has stretched out job-training and other services to still-idled Iron Range 612-584-1563 | [email protected] 612-584-1563 | [email protected] workers. CIRCULATION CIRCULATION Audience Development Manager – Disa Mcclellan Audience Development Manager – Disa Mcclellan Unemployment benefits612-659-7392 | [email protected] 612-659-7392 | [email protected] NEWS RELEASES are welcome; please send to: NEWS RELEASES are welcome; please send to: for some Iron Range [email protected] [email protected] BY KARLEE WEINMANN Staff Writer “This is very good news for Range families who need immediate help to make it through this Hundreds of Iron Range steelwork- ers laid off this year will get extended downturn. They needSubscription and deserve Rates it.” Subscription Rates unemployment benefits after federal Daily Newspaper (Tuesday – Saturday) Daily Newspaper (Tuesday – Saturday) 1 Year $249.00 1 Year $249.00 officials lobbied for additional relief — U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minnesota Subscription Services Subscription Services for workers in the region hard-hit by 800-451-9998 | Fax 800-329-8478 800-451-9998 | Fax 800-329-8478 slumping commodity prices. months left more than 1,000 workers [email protected] as “dumping” that has erupted [email protected] The U.S. Department of Labor on jobless at least temporarily. Some plant into a lightning rod political issue. Friday stretched out job-training and owners have yet to say how long they PublishedMinnesota’s every morning except Sunday,congressional Monday and holidays, delega- Published every morning except Sunday, Monday and holidays, other services to work- expect work stoppages to last, guid- by tionFINANCE has AND COMMERCE,pushed INC., for 730 reforms Second Avenue that South, would by FINANCE AND COMMERCE, INC., 730 Second Avenue South, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55402. Telephone: 612-333-4244 Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55402. Telephone: 612-333-4244 ers at the idled Mesabi ance that could spur additional calls for or shore800-397-4348.