Unfortunately I still have to go through Uptown every morning to work and it is not a pretty sight. It's filthy despite the multiple cleanings I see each week. It had not occurred to me that those living in the bus shelters moved to the parking ramp, I foolishly thought they had started to receive help. The current opioid addiction has a different, more completely gone side effect than I ever remember seeing, so much so that I wonder if these poor souls can ever rejoin society. I spent many years in Uptown so when I say there are early mornings that I do not feel safe, it's not my imagination. The pull for that next high can be so great that absolutely nothing matters. The city needs to accept that leaving these people to waste away in front of everyone on the streets is not humane to them or those around them. Clearly seeing so many struggle so much so often is hardening us, turning us into a less feeling people. Our city leaders need to grow up and be willing to be the bad guy and do what's right, get these people help, not just push them into the next neighborhood or say it's OK because this is their choice. Here is a real cause that needs real help but instead our city leaders choose to vilify business, wealth and Trump. They would rather work against anything and everything instead of for something. If these city leaders were clever they would work with the system to get what they need and want but instead they have decided to destroy everything they don't like or want. It's time to stop the pet projects, maybe stop inviting more people here under the tetm "sanctuary" and actually turn our city back into the wonderful place it was.
The councilmen that have been in office for more than one term without the skills have failed to improve their knowledge. They can't see beyond themselves.
This is one of the best areas of the Twin Cities because of its proximity to the lakes. We have confused “recreational drug use” with hard core, life threatening drug use. Human (and animal) feces are a public safety hazard, as are drug needles, flying trash and litter. There are basic rules of public decorum. You are hoping against hope that very sick, mentally ill people are going to change their behavior. Even with help, the success rate is low. I say this as a mental health professional and a nurse. I’m glad people have good intentions but this is not going to be a strong enough approach to bring business back to uptown.
I'm a longtime Uptown resident and business owner. Here's what I'd love to see to revitalize the area. We need strong, positive anchor tenants that help prop up smaller local businesses Curioso, Mosiac, etc.
We need a compelling, sweetheart deal for established businesses to move in. There's no incentive right now.
Imagine...
-Healthcare training programs like nursing /CNA - think an Uptown location for Century College (remember when there was a dental hygienist school? That brought so many people to the area.)
-A Dunwoody outpost with a few training programs - people coming to the area, learning, doing something positive. Hospitality?
-Something creative like a instrument making, performing space. Look how Twin Town has revitalized Lyndale and 34th.
The old YWCA space is just sitting there. I know there will be some nonprofits moving in but it looks like the project has stalled? Does anyone know what's going on with that?
Thank you Kevin and Terry. I had a work event last Thursday and couldn't attend the meeting. I look forward to meeting you both in the neighborhood.
These are great ideas Lisa. And I applaud your efforts Kevin and Terry. Of course it’s not the whole solution but positive presence often encourages more positive presence and discourages negative presence, aka drug dealing. Eyes and feet on the streets can be helpful. We’ve had a walkers program in Lyndale Neighborhood dating back to the 90s.
Larger systems change need to happen as well but that doesn’t mean neighbors can’t contribute in the meantime.
There are many factors such as drugs and homelessness but it didn’t help when the city took out street parking and shut down traffic through multiple years of construction on Hennepin and Lake Street - that after the years of COVID shut down. And I say that as someone who prefers to bike. A place like Uptown needs pedestrian, bike and car traffic to support businesses.
I love the ideas of incentivizing strong anchor tenants.
In my view, Uptown’s decline began when the city removed on-street parking south of Lake Street on Hennepin, replacing it with 12-foot sidewalks, dedicated bike and bus lanes. That’s when retailers started packing up and leaving. Instead of reconsidering, the City Council doubled down with the “redesign” of Hennepin Avenue north of Lake Street between Lake and Franklin. A good first step might be to remove the underused 12-foot sidewalks and restore free on-street parking to help boost local commerce.
Nobody is saying this alone will bring business back to Uptown. But it will help. Real improvement is going to require participation from a lot more than just residents organizing community walks and writing letters. It will take coordination from the city, public safety, outreach, businesses, and the broader community.
It’s a bit discouraging when efforts from residents who are investing time to make the community better are written off as nothing more than “good intentions.”
Gee, Kevin. I'm sorry if I discouraged you. By all means, build community and go on walks. They do make a difference, as we had been doing them in Seward for years. They originated as a crime prevention tactic. I agree with you that this is a serious, bigger problem, and it is going to require the community deciding what they want in terms of a family friendly, safe environment.
It may also require that people understand these are problems that will not be "solved" unless the people who are ill want to receive help and then work really, really, really hard to manage their health and their lives better, with a lot of support. Long term studies show it is not realistic to expect that.
While I respect Kevin's intentions, neighborhood walks aren't enough for the scale of the crisis in Uptown, or my Loring Park neighborhood dealing with the same crisis. What’s the end game—just pushing the market to the next block?
As a Downtown neighbor, at this point in time I support the model currently being proposed in Seattle by the 'Recover Seattle' initiative: mandatory arrests for public drug crimes with a clear choice between long-term treatment or jail. Opponents say you can't force recovery, but the data from 'voluntary' programs shows that without consequences, almost no one follows through.
Right now, our 'hands-off' approach is effectively a 'kill themselves in the streets' approach. Again, any intervention is positive, however, if we want our neighborhoods back, we need a strategy with real teeth, not just smiling faces on a stroll.
I don’t think anyone believes neighborhood walks alone solve a crisis of this scale. Just like community engagement alone can’t solve it, policing alone can’t solve it either.
A lot of residents are tired of waiting around for a big policy solution and are ready to roll up our sleeves and do something. We’re not pretending we can fix Uptown with “smiling faces on a stroll,” (maybe that should be our tagline) but we do believe neighbors showing up together can make a difference.
At the very least, it’s better than just posting about the problem.
i applaud your efforts but ya lost me when you say basically your alright if those "problems" keep to themselves or move on. your young i get it.
i am in that age group that's spends money and is old , my wife and friends would not even consider uptown anymore . why? jump in the car and go shop /eat in eden prairie or the likes and not have to deal with these problems at all. the city destroyed parking and that was not helpful at all. now you have to park in a ramp ya just described as a homeless center. McDonalds locking their doors comes to mind as where uptown is .
what's the solution ? i don't know short of locking up problems and forcing treatments. the city council has no appetite for that at all.
maybe next election your walkers can be door knockers and help pass the message that the city council needs to a lot less progressive. otherwise my rentals and your neighborhood will continue to drip towards the dark side.
i grew up par taking in uptown , back around 1979 thru middle 80s .watched uptown cycle a few times, but at 66 years now its not user friendly from my point. sad, really sad.
if i could say in closing there's not a suburban mom or even local mom who would be happy that their kid was going off to hang in uptown. when the girls quit coming , the boys go else where and lets be honest that money does drive economies . it was true back in my day . now sure the neighborhood will support but they cant provide all the income. thats why u did see big box come in at one time. they looked at where the money is coming from. i saw it in our rentals . now the vacancy rate is crazy. sorry for the long rant . but i do care for mpls as a whole but it has become a blank show.
I should clarify -- I don't believe folks should persist in their addictions that are causing self-harm or harm to others. Allowing lethal drug addiction and homelessness to persist isn’t compassion.
Uptown United isn't trying to solve homelessness and addiction. There are people way more qualified that are working on those issues.
The goal with Uptown United is simple: try to make Uptown a more welcoming place again. We do this by being present, picking up trash, supporting local business, and making it less hospitable for drug dealing and illegal activity that harms everyone.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in the interview, but I do not believe that neighborhood walks are going to be the one thing that saves Uptown. But, they have made a difference in other communities and enough people think it's worth trying here too.
kevin, if you want to change neighborhood u must change the political landscape . your own council member is one of the big problems for mpls . nothing and i mean nothing will change with her in office.
My frequent experience in Uptown is I've learned to report, report, report witnessing incidences of open drug use. Call 911 or 311. The city and/or the park board will send out their teams to address issues. And even if they don't respond, we need the numbers to talk.
The SUPERMAJORITY PLAN TO IMPEACH TRUMP and HIS ADMINISTRATION
It will take 292 house and 67 senate votes to obtain a supermajority vote. This is the key to accomplishing anything in the house or senate. The house and senate will be able to impeach Trump and his administration for their crimes and corruption.
The Democrats are the only ones that will stand against Trump. We have to vote out as many republicans as possible.
EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE NOVEMBER 3RD MIDTERM ELECTIONS TO MAKE THIS WORK
Make sure you share this with everyone you know without social media. People without social media are unaware how corrupt and detrimental Trump’s administration really is for our country. The media outlets do not post anything negative about Trump. Some people don’t even know what the midterm elections are or how important they are.
TRUMP, HIS ADMINISTRATION, HIS BILLIONAIRE PEDOPHILE NETWORK , AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE WORKING CLASS TO SURVIVE.
Unfortunately I still have to go through Uptown every morning to work and it is not a pretty sight. It's filthy despite the multiple cleanings I see each week. It had not occurred to me that those living in the bus shelters moved to the parking ramp, I foolishly thought they had started to receive help. The current opioid addiction has a different, more completely gone side effect than I ever remember seeing, so much so that I wonder if these poor souls can ever rejoin society. I spent many years in Uptown so when I say there are early mornings that I do not feel safe, it's not my imagination. The pull for that next high can be so great that absolutely nothing matters. The city needs to accept that leaving these people to waste away in front of everyone on the streets is not humane to them or those around them. Clearly seeing so many struggle so much so often is hardening us, turning us into a less feeling people. Our city leaders need to grow up and be willing to be the bad guy and do what's right, get these people help, not just push them into the next neighborhood or say it's OK because this is their choice. Here is a real cause that needs real help but instead our city leaders choose to vilify business, wealth and Trump. They would rather work against anything and everything instead of for something. If these city leaders were clever they would work with the system to get what they need and want but instead they have decided to destroy everything they don't like or want. It's time to stop the pet projects, maybe stop inviting more people here under the tetm "sanctuary" and actually turn our city back into the wonderful place it was.
I think it’s going to take a concerted effort to elect mature, pragmatic people to office.
The councilmen that have been in office for more than one term without the skills have failed to improve their knowledge. They can't see beyond themselves.
This is one of the best areas of the Twin Cities because of its proximity to the lakes. We have confused “recreational drug use” with hard core, life threatening drug use. Human (and animal) feces are a public safety hazard, as are drug needles, flying trash and litter. There are basic rules of public decorum. You are hoping against hope that very sick, mentally ill people are going to change their behavior. Even with help, the success rate is low. I say this as a mental health professional and a nurse. I’m glad people have good intentions but this is not going to be a strong enough approach to bring business back to uptown.
"What I'd like to see in Uptown"...
I'm a longtime Uptown resident and business owner. Here's what I'd love to see to revitalize the area. We need strong, positive anchor tenants that help prop up smaller local businesses Curioso, Mosiac, etc.
We need a compelling, sweetheart deal for established businesses to move in. There's no incentive right now.
Imagine...
-Healthcare training programs like nursing /CNA - think an Uptown location for Century College (remember when there was a dental hygienist school? That brought so many people to the area.)
-A Dunwoody outpost with a few training programs - people coming to the area, learning, doing something positive. Hospitality?
-Something creative like a instrument making, performing space. Look how Twin Town has revitalized Lyndale and 34th.
The old YWCA space is just sitting there. I know there will be some nonprofits moving in but it looks like the project has stalled? Does anyone know what's going on with that?
Thank you Kevin and Terry. I had a work event last Thursday and couldn't attend the meeting. I look forward to meeting you both in the neighborhood.
The stalled YWCA project was mentioned at the event. These are good ideas.
These are great ideas Lisa. And I applaud your efforts Kevin and Terry. Of course it’s not the whole solution but positive presence often encourages more positive presence and discourages negative presence, aka drug dealing. Eyes and feet on the streets can be helpful. We’ve had a walkers program in Lyndale Neighborhood dating back to the 90s.
Larger systems change need to happen as well but that doesn’t mean neighbors can’t contribute in the meantime.
There are many factors such as drugs and homelessness but it didn’t help when the city took out street parking and shut down traffic through multiple years of construction on Hennepin and Lake Street - that after the years of COVID shut down. And I say that as someone who prefers to bike. A place like Uptown needs pedestrian, bike and car traffic to support businesses.
I love the ideas of incentivizing strong anchor tenants.
In my view, Uptown’s decline began when the city removed on-street parking south of Lake Street on Hennepin, replacing it with 12-foot sidewalks, dedicated bike and bus lanes. That’s when retailers started packing up and leaving. Instead of reconsidering, the City Council doubled down with the “redesign” of Hennepin Avenue north of Lake Street between Lake and Franklin. A good first step might be to remove the underused 12-foot sidewalks and restore free on-street parking to help boost local commerce.
Nobody is saying this alone will bring business back to Uptown. But it will help. Real improvement is going to require participation from a lot more than just residents organizing community walks and writing letters. It will take coordination from the city, public safety, outreach, businesses, and the broader community.
It’s a bit discouraging when efforts from residents who are investing time to make the community better are written off as nothing more than “good intentions.”
Gee, Kevin. I'm sorry if I discouraged you. By all means, build community and go on walks. They do make a difference, as we had been doing them in Seward for years. They originated as a crime prevention tactic. I agree with you that this is a serious, bigger problem, and it is going to require the community deciding what they want in terms of a family friendly, safe environment.
It may also require that people understand these are problems that will not be "solved" unless the people who are ill want to receive help and then work really, really, really hard to manage their health and their lives better, with a lot of support. Long term studies show it is not realistic to expect that.
While I respect Kevin's intentions, neighborhood walks aren't enough for the scale of the crisis in Uptown, or my Loring Park neighborhood dealing with the same crisis. What’s the end game—just pushing the market to the next block?
As a Downtown neighbor, at this point in time I support the model currently being proposed in Seattle by the 'Recover Seattle' initiative: mandatory arrests for public drug crimes with a clear choice between long-term treatment or jail. Opponents say you can't force recovery, but the data from 'voluntary' programs shows that without consequences, almost no one follows through.
Right now, our 'hands-off' approach is effectively a 'kill themselves in the streets' approach. Again, any intervention is positive, however, if we want our neighborhoods back, we need a strategy with real teeth, not just smiling faces on a stroll.
I don’t think anyone believes neighborhood walks alone solve a crisis of this scale. Just like community engagement alone can’t solve it, policing alone can’t solve it either.
A lot of residents are tired of waiting around for a big policy solution and are ready to roll up our sleeves and do something. We’re not pretending we can fix Uptown with “smiling faces on a stroll,” (maybe that should be our tagline) but we do believe neighbors showing up together can make a difference.
At the very least, it’s better than just posting about the problem.
i applaud your efforts but ya lost me when you say basically your alright if those "problems" keep to themselves or move on. your young i get it.
i am in that age group that's spends money and is old , my wife and friends would not even consider uptown anymore . why? jump in the car and go shop /eat in eden prairie or the likes and not have to deal with these problems at all. the city destroyed parking and that was not helpful at all. now you have to park in a ramp ya just described as a homeless center. McDonalds locking their doors comes to mind as where uptown is .
what's the solution ? i don't know short of locking up problems and forcing treatments. the city council has no appetite for that at all.
maybe next election your walkers can be door knockers and help pass the message that the city council needs to a lot less progressive. otherwise my rentals and your neighborhood will continue to drip towards the dark side.
i grew up par taking in uptown , back around 1979 thru middle 80s .watched uptown cycle a few times, but at 66 years now its not user friendly from my point. sad, really sad.
if i could say in closing there's not a suburban mom or even local mom who would be happy that their kid was going off to hang in uptown. when the girls quit coming , the boys go else where and lets be honest that money does drive economies . it was true back in my day . now sure the neighborhood will support but they cant provide all the income. thats why u did see big box come in at one time. they looked at where the money is coming from. i saw it in our rentals . now the vacancy rate is crazy. sorry for the long rant . but i do care for mpls as a whole but it has become a blank show.
I should clarify -- I don't believe folks should persist in their addictions that are causing self-harm or harm to others. Allowing lethal drug addiction and homelessness to persist isn’t compassion.
Uptown United isn't trying to solve homelessness and addiction. There are people way more qualified that are working on those issues.
The goal with Uptown United is simple: try to make Uptown a more welcoming place again. We do this by being present, picking up trash, supporting local business, and making it less hospitable for drug dealing and illegal activity that harms everyone.
Perhaps I wasn't clear enough in the interview, but I do not believe that neighborhood walks are going to be the one thing that saves Uptown. But, they have made a difference in other communities and enough people think it's worth trying here too.
kevin, if you want to change neighborhood u must change the political landscape . your own council member is one of the big problems for mpls . nothing and i mean nothing will change with her in office.
My frequent experience in Uptown is I've learned to report, report, report witnessing incidences of open drug use. Call 911 or 311. The city and/or the park board will send out their teams to address issues. And even if they don't respond, we need the numbers to talk.
The SUPERMAJORITY PLAN TO IMPEACH TRUMP and HIS ADMINISTRATION
It will take 292 house and 67 senate votes to obtain a supermajority vote. This is the key to accomplishing anything in the house or senate. The house and senate will be able to impeach Trump and his administration for their crimes and corruption.
The Democrats are the only ones that will stand against Trump. We have to vote out as many republicans as possible.
EVERYONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS IN THE NOVEMBER 3RD MIDTERM ELECTIONS TO MAKE THIS WORK
Make sure you share this with everyone you know without social media. People without social media are unaware how corrupt and detrimental Trump’s administration really is for our country. The media outlets do not post anything negative about Trump. Some people don’t even know what the midterm elections are or how important they are.
TRUMP, HIS ADMINISTRATION, HIS BILLIONAIRE PEDOPHILE NETWORK , AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE WORKING CLASS TO SURVIVE.
WE HAVE TO STOP THEM FROM DESTROYING THE COUNTRY