MPR's Brandt Williams reports on dirt finally being turned on the long underdeveloped parcel of land in downtown Minneapolis known as Block E.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Minneapolis city officials voiced their approval of the $134 million dollar hotel, entertainment and retail development. They also breathed a sigh of relief as, for now, a rocky chapter in Minneapolis history is coming to a close. Others are sharing concerns on how urban development will effect local residents, especially in the Black community.
Transcripts
text | pdf |
SHARON SAYLES BELTON: This celebration today has been a long time coming.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: Despite the chill of the October morning air, Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton beamed as she expressed relief that the city's quest to fill the conspicuously empty patch of prime real estate is moving forward.
SHARON SAYLES BELTON: It's been 15 years that city leaders have been trying to figure out what to do about Block E. We always knew that it was kind of the epicenter of the entertainment activities of downtown. But for many years, it was just this entertainment wasteland.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: 20 years ago, Block E was the center for a kind of entertainment that often resulted in police intervention. The block, which housed the notorious bar Moby Dick's, was often the site of drug deals, public drunkenness, and prostitution. But the city's headaches didn't end with the demolition.
Since 1985, the city has been entertaining proposals from private developers and sometimes engaging in internal squabbling among the city council. The final proposal by McCaffery Interests was accepted by the Council on June 5. Dan McCaffery is the principal of McCaffery Interests. He says downtown Minneapolis is a prime spot for the 200,000 square foot entertainment, hotel, and retail complex.
DAN MCCAFFERY: People that live in the city, like Minneapolis, forget that other downtowns are absolutely dead at night. And they basically commit their whole downtown to their financial district, and then people leave. Well, Minneapolis has a lovely mix of the financial district with a sense of community in the downtown.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: McCaffery is from Chicago, where some nightspots are open until 4:00 AM. However, McCaffery said Minneapolis 1:00 AM bar closing deadline won't negatively affect the Block E complex.
DAN MCCAFFERY: 1:00 is fine. Movies are over at 11:30, 12:00. And someone has a nightcap or a dessert in a restaurant, I think 1:00 is fine. But it's not to say that a few 4:00 licenses don't help in some cities. But that's really not what this project is about.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: The new entertainment complex has won praise for being inclusive of families by making space for Gameworks, a giant video arcade created by Steven Spielberg. And with video arcades, movies, and retail shopping, come young people. Attorney Keith Ellison says he's concerned that Black youth may be unwelcome in the new facility.
KEITH ELLISON: Anytime people want to do urban sort of retailing, it seems that one of the things that go along with that is that a lot of the retailers and politicians see young Black people as somehow being a barrier to retail success.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: City Center, which sits on the other side of Hennepin Avenue from Block E, has been the site of several altercations between Black youth and security guards. Ellison says the city and the entertainment complex management need to establish a smooth working relationship with members of the Black community, to make sure similar situations don't develop in the new facility.
State legislator Gregory Gray says he's also concerned about the treatment of African-American and other patrons of color. However, Gray says the new complex will have to be welcoming of diverse patronage, in order to be successful.
GREGORY GRAY: And I'm confident that the development here in Block E, since it is part of my district, part of the African-American community, is going to have to be accepting of African-American people and have to be welcoming of African-American people. And if it's not, they're certainly going to hear from me. And they're certainly going to hear from several other elected officials.
BRANDT WILLIAMS: Out of the $134 million price tag for the development, $38 million will come from city taxpayers. The new facility is expected to be completed in September of 2002. It is also expected that the Block E entertainment complex will create 1,200 new jobs. I'm Brandt Williams, Minnesota Public Radio.