Hennepin County Explores Train Museum Concept on the Greenway
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Volume 2, Issue Three December 2002 Laying the tracks Hennepin County explores Train Museum concept on the Greenway The Train Museum n its former life, the would reconnect the Midtown Greenway was a Sears site to the Ibustling railroad corridor Greenway and its that connected south railroad history, creating Minneapolis to regional com- a renewed relationship merce. For a hundred years, between neighborhood the trains were the main mode residents, trains, and for commercial transporta- regional commerce. tion. Conflict between the trains and neighboring resi- dents led to the excavation of the railroad trench in the early 20th century, but the trains continued to serve commercial and industrial shipping cus- Kodet Architectural Group, Ltd.’s rendering of the proposed tomers for decades thereafter. Hennepin County Train Museum. One of the largest commercial the County recently commis- borhoods along the shippers in the corridor was sioned a feasibility study from Greenway.” says McLaughlin. Sears Roebuck. Kodet Architectural Group on “And a future Metro Transit Sears closed its Chicago the idea. As Hennepin County hub at Chicago and Lake will and Lake location in Commissioner Peter be just steps away from the December 1994, and as local McLaughlin points out, the proposed train museum site.” officials work to redevelop the location stands at the junction McLaughlin also believes that INSIDE giant complex, reconnecting of past and future transporta- a train museum could serve the site to the Greenway and Inebretsen’s Scandinavian tion use, which helped to other important purposes. Food & Gifts its railroad history has sur- inspire the idea of building a “The museum would create a Page 2 faced as a means of creating a train museum there. “The destination attraction in the Saddle up and head west: renewed relationship between train shed is immediately adja- area,” he says, “and be a great Construction begins on neighborhood residents, cent to the Greenway, with its supporting use for a re-devel- trail between Greenway trains, and regional com- and the Southwest history as a former major rail- oped Sears complex.” merce. Hennepin County is road corridor, its present-day Corridor Open spaces Page 4 exploring the possibility of service as a pedestrian and of a bygone era building a train museum in the bicycle route, and its future The architect’s proposal, Sears train shed. While the role as a corridor for mass which was finalized late this proposal is still in its infancy, transit that will serve neigh- 1 Train Museum, continued page 3 Ingebretsen’s Scandinavian Food & Gifts Immigrant business brings vitality to Lake Street— for over eighty years. sk anyone what they love about A Lake Street, and they will immediately men- tion the vibrant immigrant MCW Partnership businesses that create a rich Hennepin County Commissioners tapestry of diverse cultures Commissioner Mike Opat, Chair and ethnic foods and wares. Commissioner Peter McLaughlin Commissioner Gail Dorfman Lake Street is a commercial Mayor of Minneapolis corridor that spans the City Mayor R.T. Rybak east to west, and is loaded Minneapolis City with new, energetic, busi- Council Members Council Member Robert Lilligren ness owners pursuing their Council Member Dan Niziolek dreams. And while these Council Member Dean Zimmerman Council Member Gary Schiff businesses open nearly Mpls. Park & Recreation Board every month on Lake Street, Commissioner Marie Hauser it is not a new story. You Metropolitan Council Ingebretsen’s Scandinavian Gifts & Foods, 16th Avenue and Lake Street. Ted Mondale, Chair can find establishments on connection to Old World traditions notwith- Abbott Northwestern Hospital Lake that claim a history of continuous opera- Denny DeNarvaez, CEO tion stretching back to the street’s heyday of standing, the store very much exists in the Target Corporation bustling streetcar traffic. One such fixture is present, and Julie Ingebretsen has taken an Nate Garvis, Vice President active role in meeting the challenges of oper- Government Affairs Ingebretsen’s Scandinavian Food & Gifts, ating a business along Lake Street. In addition LISC which has presided over the corner of 16th & Paul Williams, Senior Program Director Lake Street for over 80 years. to serving as president of the Lake Street Midtown Greenway Coalition Ingebretsen’s began as The Model Meat Council, she is co-chair of the Bloomington- Bob Corrick, President Market in 1921, and expanded to include Cedar-Lake Commercial Association. Wells Fargo Bank Jim Campbell, Chair and CEO gifts and other imported Scandinavian items “Bloomington-Lake’s worst period probably Xcel Energy in 1974. The store prides itself on offering followed First Bank’s departure about 10 Dan Pfeiffer, Manager, imported Scandinavian foods, needlework years ago,” she says. “But as bad as the situa- Community and Local Government Relations supplies, and beautifully-crafted gifts, as well tion seemed at the time, it had the positive Reliant Energy Minnegasco as items made locally by Scandinavian arti- effect of galvanizing the local business com- Gary Cerny, President and COO sans. According to current owner Julie munity to organize itself. Ingebretsen—the third generation of “Our commercial association was born of MCW Chair those organizing efforts, and we have had Jim Campbell Ingebretsens to operate her family’s business at the corner—the interior of the building good success in implementing positive Counsel looks much the same as it did in 1930. She changes at our commercial node. We con- Louis N. Smith attributes the store’s success to its many loyal, vinced another bank to move in to the First 808 Colwell Building committed customers from both within and Bank site; we supported the establishment of 123 North Third Street Minneapolis, MN 55401 outside the neighborhood. the Mercado; and we have helped several new businesses make a go of things at the north- 612.344.1400 Organizing for positive change fax 612.344.1550 east corner, a location once occupied by a www.midtowncommunityworks.org Its deep roots in the community and its [email protected] menacing, fortress-like gun shop.” 2 Train Museum continued from page 1 Investing in street improvements summer, highlights the train shed’s which operates the Lake Harriet Despite the positive changes at the many attributes that would support Trolley and the Jackson Street Cedar-Bloomington-Lake commercial this creative reuse and redevelop- Roundhouse in St. Paul. MTM has node, room for improvement remains. ment. The shed’s large open spaces been involved in the preparation the “Although we are seeing more and suggest the cavernous train stations preliminary feasibility studies, and more traffic along Lake Street in the of a bygone era, while the existing has expressed interest in overseeing last few years, access continues to be a loading dock along the tracks would the museum’s operations. According problem,” she notes. “We are really render display cars more accessible to to MTM executive director Don overdue for repaving, and that detracts the public. The shed also has suffi- Meyer, “We have identified three from the efforts to revitalize Lake cient space for classrooms, archives, wooden passenger cars that would be Street as a vibrant commercial corri- and workrooms. The building ideal candidates for exhibition in the dor.” Ingebretsen’s desire to help foster already has skylights, as well as other museum, should the project go for- Lake Street’s revitalization prompted features that would allow for the ward. Each is different in its heritage her participation in the Project ready addition of more natural light- and design, and represents a different Advisory Committee for the Lake ing. A series of bricked-in arches railway that once had operations in Street repaving project. The PAC will could convert to windows, and the the Twin Cities. We would welcome serve an important advisory role as existing openings at the either end of an opportunity to display these cars, plans proceed for the repavement and the tracks could also become win- which are too fragile to operate, but streetscaping to be undertaken along dows to give the appearance that the which are truly some of the gems of Lake Street by Hennepin County in tracks continue to the outside. The our collection.” 2004. proposal also calls for street level Peter McLaughlin describes the “Our commercial association has access via an elevator, and includes a proposal as promising, but empha- learned to actively engage in the issues coffee shop or snack bar with rest- sizes that the train museum plans are that affect Bloomington and Lake,” rooms on the Greenway level, so that very much in the preliminary phase. explains Ingebretsen. “With the the Museum could also operate as a “We have not come to an agreement streetscaping project, we are eager to “comfort station” for the Greenway’s that a train museum would be the take part in the planning so that we can bicyclists and pedestrians. highest and best use for the train help ensure that the improvements The lobby would resemble the shed, much less allocated funding for along Lake Street retain the distinctive main waiting room of an old train the project,” he notes. “But the pro- flavor of the individual commercial depot, while the display area would posal does illustrate the type of his- nodes. For instance, we have many replicate a depot’s loading platform. torically meaningful, high-quality artists living in the Bloomington-Lake The existing 300 feet of track inside amenity that could be included in the area, so we would love to see a strong the shed would provide an ample re-development of the Sears complex. public art focus at the intersection.” expanse for the placement of the his- Even as we move forward with plans “Of course, no business owner toric train cars, which might include to reinvent the role of transportation enjoys the disruption of street re- a sleeper car, a first class coach, and a along the Greenway, we are commit- paving,” says Ingebretsen.