City Pages - 01 January 2020

88.7 MB·English

by  Star Tribune

JANUARY 1–7, 2020 | CITYPAGES.COM | FREE
COLUMBIA
HEIGHTS WANTS
TO BUILD THE
FIRST CITY HALL
IN A LUXURY
APARTMENT
BUILDING
Al m o s t

U P S C A L E
P R E S E N T S
N O R T H L A N D V I S I O N S
NATIVE AMERICAN ART & GIFTS
2020 VISION:
YOUR LIFE IN FOCUS
LIVE ON TOUR!
SPEND THE DAY WITH OPRAH
AND SPECIAL GUESTS
FEATURING AN INTIMATE INTERVIEW WITH
20
TINA FEY
CELEBRATING OUR YYEEAARR AANNNNIIVVEERRSSEERRYY
NATIVE ARTWORK • JEWELRY • WILD RICE • GIFTS • BEADS • DREAM CATCHERS & MUCH MORE SATURDAY, JANUARY
A NATIVE OWNED BUSINESS
Ournewgalleryandretailspaceistheplacewhereonecanfindtreasuresoftheland,original
itemsmadebyNativepeoplefromtheWoodlandandPlainstribesoftheupperMidwest.
Comeenjoytheartanduniquegiftsofthenorthland.
861EastHennepinAve,Minneapolis,MN55414 •www.northlandvisions.com • HoursM-F10-6:30pm-Sat10-5pm GET TICKETS NOW AT LIVENATION.COM
2 CITYPAGES.COM JANUARY 1–7, 2020
Editorial
MANAGING EDITOR Emily Cassel P R E S E N T S
N O R T H L A N D V I S I O N S Jan 1-7, 2020 WEB EDITOR Jay Boller
NEWS EDITOR Mike Mullen
VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 2039 MUSIC EDITOR Keith Harris
FOOD EDITOR Sarah Brumble
ARTS EDITOR Jessica Armbruster
STAFF WRITERS Susan Du, Hannah Jones
18 COPY CHIEF Bridgette Reinsmoen
NATIVE AMERICAN ART & GIFTS PROOFREADER Bryan Miller
CLUBS EDITOR Erik Thompson
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 
Jerard Fagerberg, Jay Gabler,
Tony Libera, Michael Madden,
Erica Rivera, Sheila Regan
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 
Amy Gee, Alma Guzman,
Lucy Hawthorne,
Samson Melkamu, Shelly Mosman,
Bobby Rogers, Tony Nelson,
Colin Michael Simmons
Art
ART DIRECTOR Emily Utne
LAYOUT EDITOR Shelby Lano
19
Production
DESIGN MANAGER Maria Grzywa
Publisher
Mary Erickson
Advertising
SALES DIRECTOR Leah Parkinson
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES 
Leah Carson, Kevin Lenhart,
Brian Thunberg
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES 
Frankie Ellingson, Ashley Farlow,
Luke Gildemeister, Marie Iannazzo,
Jacob Johnston
SENIOR MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
6 FEATURE Mike Yanke
ALMOST UPSCALE DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER Kibra Paulos
ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Carly Dabroski, Danielle Smith
Columbia Heights wants to build the first
city hall in a luxury apartment building CP Digital
by Susan Du SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Kelly Java
Marketing and Promotions
MARKETING DIRECTOR Holly Hunt
MARKETING COORDINATOR 
4 NEWS 19 THEATER Sarah McAllister
THE SHORTLIST CATS
Business and Administration
Old liquor laws Reactions to the
FINANCE MANAGER Bernadette Botoshe
under scrutiny debacle of a film
STAFF ACCOUNTANT Du Nguyen Ho 2020 VISION:
(again) from the local
BLOTTER theater community City Pages YOUR LIFE IN FOCUS
650 3rd Avenue South, Suite 1300,
Nora McInerny LIVE ON TOUR!
Minneapolis, MN 55488
leaves Mpls.St.Paul 21 MUSIC PHONE [phone] FAX [phone]
Magazine FORWARD MERCH E-MAIL [email protected]
Your cool band CITY PAGES ONLINE www.citypages.com SPEND THE DAY WITH OPRAH
OFFICE HOURS Monday-Friday
13 FOOD T-shirt is more 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. AND SPECIAL GUESTS
THE YEAR IN FOOD important than
Thoughts on food ever
ISSN 0744-0456. City Pages is published week-
halls, suburan ly by Star Tribune Media Company, LLC. City FEATURING AN INTIMATE INTERVIEW WITH
20 dining, Uptown’s 22 CRITICS’ PICKS PMaingnees aips olloisc,a tMedN a5t 5645808 . 3rCdi tyA vPe.a gSe., sS ties . a13v0ai0l-,
CELEBRATING OUR YYEEAARR AANNNNIIVVEERRSSEERRYY perpetual death, able free of charge, limited to one copy per TINA FEY
and more 23 FREE WILL rmeaayd ebr.e Apdudrcithioanseadl caotp tihese Cofit yt hPea gceusr reonffti cies sfuoer
ASTROLOGY $1, payable in advance. No person may, without
prior written permission of City Pages, take
NATIVE ARTWORK • JEWELRY • WILD RICE • GIFTS • BEADS • DREAM CATCHERS & MUCH MORE 15 A-LIST CROSSWORD missouree. tShuabns ocrniep tcioonpsy aorfe e aavcahi lCabitlye Pfaogr e$s1 0w0e epkelyr SATURDAY, JANUARY
WINTERTIME
year. Subscription orders must include check
SAUNA SESSIONS 24 CLASSIFIEDS or money order payable to City Pages, and
should be mailed to City Pages Subscriptions,
A NATIVE OWNED BUSINESS 612 Sauna Society SAVAGE LOVE 650 3rd Ave. S., Ste. 1300, Minneapolis, MN
keeps us warm this 55488. Periodicals postage paid at Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Postmaster: Send address chang-
Ournewgalleryandretailspaceistheplacewhereonecanfindtreasuresoftheland,original January es to City Pages, 650 3rd Ave. S., Ste. 1300,
Minneapolis, MN 55488.
itemsmadebyNativepeoplefromtheWoodlandandPlainstribesoftheupperMidwest. No part of this publication may be repro-
18 FILM cover credit duced without written permission. Copyright
Comeenjoytheartanduniquegiftsofthenorthland. 20 FOR ’20 Photo by Zoe 2tr0a1d9e mCaitryk oPfa Sgteasr. TrCibituyn eP aMgeedsi a iCs oam preagnyis, tLeLreCd.
Movies to look Prinds-Flash
861EastHennepinAve,Minneapolis,MN55414 •www.northlandvisions.com • HoursM-F10-6:30pm-Sat10-5pm forward to in the GET TICKETS NOW AT LIVENATION.COM
new year
JANUARY 1–7, 2020 CITYPAGES.COM 3
THE SHORTLIST
Meet Your
Enjoy video evidence
Neighborhood
of how insanely icy it
was last weekend
Experts! citypages.com
NEIL D. MARRIOTT
Brady Fritz THE STAT SHEET
Kroll Kroll
357 11th
612.770.7230 612.347.8088
Car crashes in MN between Drunken driving charge facing
5 and 10 a.m. Saturday as the Wisconsin’s Bruce Henningfield
state became a skating rink after a December 25 crash
250+
$0
“Complete count communities” Cost of bus rides to court and county
in the state working to include services available in a six-month
Dolly Susan Matt Juley everyone in the 2020 census Dakota County pilot program
Langer Lindstrom Spector Speed
612.280.8898 612.807.6141 612.730.6288 612.347.8000
“Guy probably never finds
gift shop key chains with
his name on them.”
Reader Dylan Lewis responds to “Man
Lynn Karie Sarah Chris named ‘pooG DaBleed DevilDrugChrist-
Morgan Curnow Fischer Friend Lord’ arrested in St. Cloud hit and run” at POPULAR STORIES
612.703.1088 612.226.3644 Johnson 612.827.5847 citypages.com. AT CITYPAGES.COM
Broker/Manager
612.940.9645 3.2 HULLABALLOO
Columnist leaves Mpls.
MINNESOTA IS OFFICIALLY the last state St.Paul Magazine over issue
When you’re ready to make your next move, left with 3.2 beer. That’s annoying for craft featuring GARRISON KEILLOR
we’d love to put our knowledge to work for you! beer drinkers and—according to legislators Remember that time the
like State Sen. Karin Housley (R-St. Mary’s Twin Cities were in DIFFERENT
Real estate is our passion, call us anytime! Point)—leading to losses for grocery stores. TIME ZONES for two weeks?
“Forty-five other states allow for strong beer
The 10 DUMBEST UNTRUE THINGS
in grocery stores,” she tells MPR, which is
we had to prove were dumb and
why she’s working on legislation to make
untrue in 2019
Minnesota one of them. “It’s time to update
our Prohibition-era laws to reflect 2019.” As Man named ‘POOG DABLEED
for whether that update will happen in 2020, DEVILDRUGCHRISTLORD’ arrested
well... Rep. Laurie Halverson (DFL-Eagan), in St. Cloud hit and run
chair of the House commerce committee,
Minnesota MOM’S PETITION
226 Washington Ave. N., Minneapolis, MN 55401 said that though she’s likely to take up a
against Target plastic bags gets
liquor policy bill next year, it’ll probably
612.347.8000 | DowntownNeighbor.com 450,000 signatures
address things like distillery regulations
and growler sales.
4 CITYPAGES.COM JANUARY 1–7, 2020
BLOTTER
they feel harassed or unfairly treated. With
BE GONE
a platform and financial security like hers,
she can, so she is. There are, she said, other
places she can write.
Columnist Nora McInerny leaves Mpls.St.Paul McInerny wasn’t available for comment,
but Jayne Haugen Olson, the magazine’s
Magazine over issue featuring Garrison Keillor
editor in chief, says the commentary hasn’t
changed the magazine’s feelings on decid-
Y
ou might know Nora McIn- her and apologized after she “recoiled.” ing to run Keillor on the cover.
erny of Minneapolis for her An investigation by MPR, however, uncov- “Nora resigned on a call with me and
books; her extremely popular ered a “years-long pattern” of allegations our executive editor on November 26 after
podcast, Terrible, Thanks for against Keillor—women being paid for their we contacted her alerting her to Keillor
Asking; or for her nonprofit, silence, becoming the subjects of ribald, un- being in the issue,” Olson said via email. She
Still Kickin, which provides financial sup- charming limericks, and enduring “habitual” said after the call, they followed up with an
port for “awesome people going through bullying and humiliation. email letting her know they’d “heard her”
awful things.” Now, like many of the men brought down COURTESY OF STILL KICKIN and thought the readers would also benefit
But one place you won’t see her byline temporarily by the #MeToo movement, from hearing from her, and asked if she’d
anymore is Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, where Keillor has begun to creep back into the analyzing, than the impact of his actions.” like to file a new column for January with
she was, until very recently, a columnist. spotlight. McInerny called his reappear- In her Twitter thread, McInerny said a “three-day deadline.”
On December 23, McInerny took to Twit- ance on the cover of Mpls.St.Paul Maga- she was given “24 hours” to contribute her McInerny declined.
ter to announce she’d no longer be working zine—glancing soulfully downward and “point of view” on the story in a sort of Olson said ultimately “subscribers and
with the Twin Cities lifestyle magazine. The removing his glasses, as if in a moment of “roundup” addendum—all without being newsstand buyers” will decide if the piece is
reason, she said, was its January 2020 cover weary honesty with the viewer—a “privilege given access to the piece itself. She said she “compelling or relevant,” and that “change
story: a feature called “Hindsight 20/20,” afforded to a certain kind of man.” encouraged editorial staff to “think of the comes from understanding topics from
centering on former A Prairie Home Com- “And when we prioritize the documen- impact” focusing on Keillor would have many perspectives so we can learn.”
panion host Garrison Keillor. tation of a powerful man because of his on survivors of harassment and assault. McInerny isn’t convinced Keillor has
Minnesota Public Radio cut ties with art or his culture impact or or or—we tell “I’m so sorry my words did nothing,” earned her forgiveness—or anyone else’s.
Keillor after he was accused of “inappropri- survivors everywhere a powerful message,” she said. “Redemption includes contrition and
ate behavior” with a colleague. He claimed she wrote. “We confirm that HE is more As McInerny pointed out, it’s not always action,” she wrote. “Happy Holidays!”
he’d only put a hand on her back to console interesting, more worth documenting and possible for women to leave a job where —HANNAH JONES
JANUARY 1–7, 2020 CITYPAGES.COM 5
Columbia Heights
wants to build the
first city hall in a
Al m o s t

luxury apartment
building
ABy SUSAN DU U P S C A L E
t the end of September, in
a meagerly attended City
Council meeting, the blue-
collar suburb of Columbia
Heights decided to build a
new city hall in the doorway
of a luxury apartment building.
Such a marriage had never been
attempted before, as far as city staff could
tell, anywhere else in America.
Mixed-use properties—shiny flats with
rooftop pools balanced atop breweries and
boutiques—are the Twin Cities’ current
development obsession. Members of Min-
nesota’s congressional delegation rent local
constituent offices in private office buildings.
But for a city to buy a 20,000-square-foot
condo, almost the entire ground floor of
a high-end apartment building, and call it
the official seat of government? Columbia
Heights would be the first.
Luxury housing developer Alatus, which
recently canceled long-suffering plans to
build a 40-story condo in the St. Anthony
Falls Historic District, would be responsible
for the new six-story building at 40th and
Central, where an obsolete business cen-
ter, the former home of Northeast Bank,
now stands.
If Columbia Heights ever wanted to cre-
ate a destination downtown, with places to
dine, shop, and enjoy nightlife, this prime
parcel would be its nexus.
Its high potential for commercial devel-
opment was what qualified it for lucra-
tive federal tax breaks handed out by the
Republican Congress of 2017.
In addition, Alatus requested financial aid
from Columbia Heights—up to $43 million
worth of subsidies that would otherwise
go to schools and roads. The city taking it
upon itself to purchase space would further
insure Alatus’ success.
Council members spoke of the proposi-
tion as if it were too good to refuse.
They reasoned that purchasing a piece
of someone else’s development would be
a cheaper way to get a new city hall than
constructing fresh. The city and the building
could share maintenance costs and parking.
When the roof needed replacing, they’d
split that burden too.
Unanimously, they voted to both subsi-
dize Alatus and buy into its building.
Their decision came just three business
days after the city hosted its first and only
H
public engagement meeting introducing S
A
L
the concept. S-F
The most heated critique of the vote ND
RI
and its undebated, long-term costs came E P
O
from resident Sean Broom. Z
6 CITYPAGES.COM JANUARY 1–7, 2020
A progressive who ran unsuccessfully
for the council in 2016, Broom was visibly
red in the face as he delivered a fuming
denunciation of the choice of a city hall
that was cheaper “only in the most fac-
ile and short-sighted sense of the term,”
made with “barely a sneeze of community
involvement.”
“You guys are shoveling money into
Alatus’ pockets,” Broom said. “At the end
of the year, when a bunch of developers
get together and have drinks for whoever
got the best deal, Bob Lux is getting drinks
bought for him because he just got a great
deal from the city of Columbia Heights.”
II.
Holding out
for a hero
N
orth of northeast Minneapolis,
the hustle of Central Avenue
slows to a provincial pace as it
wends through a smattering of
auto shops, small restaurants, and neigh-
borhoods composed of aging houses built
after World War II.
At 40th and Central Avenue Northeast is
the library, which was recently renovated
after 15 years of decay, and only follow-
ing a divisive referendum in which some
residents felt its upkeep was less important
ZOE PRINDS-FLASH
than a tax increase of $40 a year.
A few blocks down, there’s a conspicuous Columbia Heights has been trying to In practice, economists soon found, Columbia Heights’ main drag is a
cavity where Rainbow Foods used to be. Its forge a path into the future for a long time. opportunity zones had only minimal incen- procession of strip malls and auto shops.
closure five years ago left the city without Replacing its city hall—a 60-year-old patch- tive to accomplish a public service.
a full-service grocery store. Hy-Vee once work of quick fixes with water seeping in They were created in an industrial center for three years, crumbling and occasion-
flirted with taking its place, but allowed through the walls—is part of a long-range in Nevada that housed a Tesla factory, a ally burglarized.
its application to lapse while focusing on plan to redeem its reputation of neglect prison in Florida, and at the Philadelphia A few developers were interested.
openings elsewhere in the metro. and blight. Zoo, according to a 2018 study by Brookings Alatus rose to the top of the heap with
Nearly one-fourth of Columbia Heights Then came President Donald Trump Institution economist Adam Looney. These a flashy vision of first-class, amenity-rich
residents live in poverty—the highest rate in to the rescue. locations only loosely fit the definition of apartments to lure downsizing seniors
Anoka County. Young professionals, those “low-income” because they weren’t places and young professionals priced out of
most likely to pay a premium to live in apart- III. where people actually lived. northeast Minneapolis. It proposed a
ments with hot tubs and spin rooms, aren’t Unlike other placemaking programs product nearly identical to the Ironwood
Cutting-edge
flooding to the Heights. Where the popula- intended to uplift the least fortunate, like Apartments, a “luxury community” Alatus
tax breaks
tion has grown, it’s done so among immi- the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for built in New Hope when Chirpich was the
grant families seeking affordable housing. affordable housing, developers could community development director there.
I
Columbia Heights’ 2040 comprehen- n 2017, Congress passed Trump’s build almost anything in an opportu- Later, when Alatus learned of Colum-
sive plan urged the city to understand the tax bill, a transformative package of nity zone. As a result, lavish condos bia Heights’ desire for a new city hall,
needs of its lower-income residents, and sweeping cuts, which, in the nonpar- and high-end hotels are cropping up it drew up plans incorporating council
prescribed building 133 affordable housing tisan Congressional Budget Office’s in neighborhoods whose longtime resi- chambers and staff offices, suggesting
units over the next decade. conservative estimation, would add $2.3 dents are now at risk of displacement the city buy space onsite.
But shifting demographics have brought trillion to the national debt over 10 years. despite their plight being the basis for Staff came to believe that city hall made
occasional cultural collisions. One provision of that bill established the program’s existence. sense as an anchor tenant.
In 2015, school board member Grant “opportunity zones” in the poorest census “There was an impression that the pro- “We bring activity to that corner, and
Nichols resigned after comments accusing tracts across America. The governors of each cess was opaque, was influenced by local we have a stable presence,” Chirpich says.
Muslims of unsanitary bathroom habits state got to choose them, so in Minnesota, developers rather than being based on “So if there’s going to be some commer-
surfaced on his Facebook. counties nominated places that were sup- the needs of low-income residents,” says cial or retail on the first floor, in their
And when the affordable housing devel- posed to be both low-income and ripe for Looney. “The whole thing is an amazing estimation, why not have a very solid
oper Dominion attempted to build apart- development. Real estate investors who piece of work, to get the law passed. It’s partner in somebody that can stay there
ments on an old Kmart site, the prospect built there could avoid paying capital gains a boondoggle.” for 50 years, instead of a revolving door
of new renters earning 60 percent of area taxes as long as they held on to their build- Columbia Heights’ downtown commer- of marginalized retail enterprises?”
median income caused an incendiary row ings for 10 years. cial corridor was designated an opportunity But Alatus drove a harder bargain still.
at city hall in which some members of a These domestic tax shelters were zone in the spring of 2018. Aaron Chirpich, Simply building luxury apartments in
local condo association, demanding the designed to funnel private capital held by the city’s community development director, an opportunity zone wasn’t profitable
city spurn rentals, conflated density with the richest Americans into the nation’s most promptly held a developer roundtable to enough. Alatus could demand higher rents
transients sowing “disarray and neglect,” impoverished communities. A win-win, advertise the former business center at in downtown Minneapolis, says Chirpich,
“noise and traffic,” and “gun wars.” in theory. 40th and Central, which had been vacant so it would have to have financial aid in
JANUARY 1–7, 2020 CITYPAGES.COM 7
Advertorial
ZOE PRINDS-FLASH
HowCBDcanhelpyouthrough
the form of tax increment financing (TIF) Slow-paced and neighborly, Columbia theholidays
to build in Columbia Heights. Heights is seeing its population grow
TIF, simply put, would freeze prop- among immigrant families seeking TheChristmasandChanukahseasonsare
affordable housing. uponus,andastheyearbringsfamilies
erty taxes on the business center site. andlovedonesclosertooneanother,italso
Additional taxes generated as a result bringsthemclosertostressandanxiety.
Theendoftheyearishardonpeople.Money
of development would be set aside and The TIF probably won’t be $43 million
problems,cross-countrytravelandpersonal
reinvested in the apartment building and when in its final form. Costs could go issueswithfamilycansometimesbring
immediate surroundings. Normally, those down depending on the ultimate number stressandworrytopeopleandsignsof
taxes would feed the city’s general needs, of apartments and size of a small coffee anxietylikesuicideratestendtobehigher
aroundtheholidays.
county roads, and the local school dis- shop planned for the ground floor. But
Amidtheseworryingaspectsofa
trict, but by forgoing its future income, in any case, the city plans to use TIF to traditionallycheerytimeofyear,there’sno
Columbia Heights could subsidize Alatus reimburse Alatus for all eligible expenses wonderwhypeoplemightseekout-of-the-
even though it didn’t have the ability to under state law, says city manager Kelli boxsolutions,buttherearealsolessweighty
concerns:Whattothinkupforthathard-to-
do so upfront. Bourgeois.
buy-forfamilymember,forinstance.
According to a TIF plan representing Which includes land. This means that Oneavenuethousandswillbetakingthisyearisthenewly-mintedmarketforCBD
the maximum potential of the project, although Columbia Heights bought the products,freshfromayearlonginnovationstreakafterthesubstancewasfederally
Columbia Heights would give up to $43 business center building in July for $2.9 legalizedwith2018’sFarmBill.
Scientificconclusionsarefarfromevident,butearlystudieshaveshownconnections
million over the course of 26 years to million with the intention of selling it
betweenCBDandthebody’sendocannabinoidsystem,orECS,toregulatebodily
reimburse Alatus for the cost of land, to Alatus, the developer will ultimately functions.There’sevenaprescriptionepilepsydrugbasedonCBD.
site improvements, utilities, and a raft of reimburse itself with taxes that would Meanwhile,ordinarypeoplehavefoundmanyusesforCBDoils,flowerandother
products.TestimonialsshowtheyloveCBDfortheiranxiety,insomnia,chronicpain
other development expenses. The loss to otherwise go to the city.
problems,inflammationandothercommonissues.
Anoka County and local schools would “This is exactly how TIF works,” insists
WhatanynewcomertotheCBDmarket,especiallythistimeofyear,willnoticeisthatit
be $1.6 million each. Chirpich. canbehardtotellqualityCBDproductsfromjunk.Withthesurgeinthemarketthereare
Residential developments are the least Cities are not obligated to reimburse somanynewcomersandgas-stationcannabisexpertsthatyou’dalmostthinktrustisa
four-letterword.
sensible use of TIF schemes, according developers for all related costs, and are
Luckily,NothingButHemphasmadeanameinMinnesotaandaroundthecountryforits
to University of Illinois-Chicago Prof. free to negotiate the breakdown of finan- educationalcapabilitiesandhigh-quality,lab-testedproducts.
David Merriman, whose research has cial aid versus how much the developer Becauseofhowvariablehempproductsandtheirmanufacturecanbe,theNothingBut
called for more careful use of this com- must contribute, according to Jason Nord, Hempteamkeepskeepmonitoringonallthebrandsandproductlinesitkeepsonits
shelves,hand-selectingthebestintheindustryanddroppingproductsthatdon’tkeepup
mon public financing tool. an assistant state auditor who special-
withtheirstandards.
More housing means more families, and izes in TIF. WithbrandslikeCharlotte’sWebCBD,PlantDivaCBDbathbombsandWyldCBDvaping
educating those children increases the The finding that development wouldn’t products,there’ssomethingatNothingButHempforjustabouteveryone.
burden on local schools—which would, occur without TIF is also highly subjec- HousebrandSiskiyouSungrownCBDisanOregon-basedfarm-to-tablebrandthathas
repeatedlyproventoproducesomeofthehighestqualityorganic,non-additiveCBDoils.
by design, lose property tax revenue as tive, he says.
MinnyGrownCBDalsoshowsNothingButHemp’scommitmenttolocalgrowersand
a result of TIF. “Maybe a development that big business.WithfineCBDisolatesandfull-spectrumoils,MinnyGrown’sflavorsinclude
Bankrolling luxury housing, which wouldn’t have happened, but a smaller pumpkinpie,spearmintandlemonlime.
NothingButHemphaslocationsinMinneapolis’UptownneighborhoodonLakeStreet
creates almost no jobs, is particularly development would have. Or maybe the
andLyndaleAvenueandinSt.PaulonGrandAvenue.YoucanalsofindNothingButHemp
hard to justify, Merriman says. development wouldn’t have happened in
shopsinWhiteBearLake,ForestLake,CloquetandMaplewood,Minnesota.
“Big cities will have a better chance the very near term, but one might have StopbyaNothingButHemplocationsoonforallyourholidaywellnessandgift-giving
of negotiating with a developer to get a come down eventually.” needs!
better deal because they do it all the time,
whereas they have more time and more IV. LOCATIONS
sophistication,” he says. “Small cities, Pitching MAPLEWOODMALL FORESTLAKE SAINTPAUL
it’s very easy for the developer to have 3001WhiteBearAve 143LakeStN 844GrandAve
the people
their way.” Maplewood,MN55109 ForestLake,MN55025 SaintPaul,MN55105
Columbia Heights staff believe giving UPTOWN CLOQUET WHITEBEARLAKE
O
Alatus tens of millions in financial aid is n September 18, the city held its 617WLakeSt 6N14thSt 4762BanningAve,
www.seedcafempls.com
justified. In their opinion, the business only public engagementmeeting Minneapolis,MN55408 Cloquet,MN55720 WhiteBearLake,MN55110
minneapolis.modoyoga.com center building couldn’t develop without about Alatus’ city hall proposal.
it, the market value of the property would About 15 people attended. FindusonFacebook /nothingbuthemp
never increase, and none of the foregone Chirpich, the economic development
www.nothingbuthemp.net
tax revenues would exist but for Alatus. director, put a small chart on a large easel
8 CITYPAGES.COM JANUARY 1–7, 2020
Advertorial
HowCBDcanhelpyouthrough
theholidays
AARON LAVINSKY/STAR TRIBUNE
TheChristmasandChanukahseasonsare
uponus,andastheyearbringsfamilies
comparing the costs associated with buy- The Heights Theater marks an andlovedonesclosertooneanother,italso
ing a condo versus building a standalone underdeveloped downtown intersection. bringsthemclosertostressandanxiety.
Theendoftheyearishardonpeople.Money
city hall. Sure enough, it looked as though
problems,cross-countrytravelandpersonal
taxpayers would save $5.5 million by going issueswithfamilycansometimesbring
with Alatus. Buesgens’ colleagues were far more stressandworrytopeopleandsignsof
Part of the savings required the city to enthusiastic. anxietylikesuicideratestendtobehigher
aroundtheholidays.
give Alatus the municipal parking ramp next John Murzyn Jr., son of a longtime park
Amidtheseworryingaspectsofa
door to the business center building, which superintendent after whom the commu- traditionallycheerytimeofyear,there’sno
served area businesses, a local church with nity center Murzyn Hall was named, said wonderwhypeoplemightseekout-of-the-
an aging population, and other residents in he would support any option that could boxsolutions,buttherearealsolessweighty
concerns:Whattothinkupforthathard-to-
the winter months when overnight street avoid raising taxes on Columbia Heights
buy-forfamilymember,forinstance.
parking was not allowed. In return, Alatus residents. Oneavenuethousandswillbetakingthisyearisthenewly-mintedmarketforCBD
would credit Columbia Heights $2 million, Bobby Williams, co-owner of Bobby and products,freshfromayearlonginnovationstreakafterthesubstancewasfederally
which would be spent building a portion Steve’s Auto World, added, “As a matter of legalizedwith2018’sFarmBill.
Scientificconclusionsarefarfromevident,butearlystudieshaveshownconnections
of the city’s condo. fact, the developer told me personally—we
betweenCBDandthebody’sendocannabinoidsystem,orECS,toregulatebodily
The cost of the TIF didn’t come up for haven’t seen the numbers yet—but it looks functions.There’sevenaprescriptionepilepsydrugbasedonCBD.
discussion. Neither did yearly condo dues. like city hall may not cost us anything. Meanwhile,ordinarypeoplehavefoundmanyusesforCBDoils,flowerandother
products.TestimonialsshowtheyloveCBDfortheiranxiety,insomnia,chronicpain
Emails obtained from a data practices That’s what he told me.”
problems,inflammationandothercommonissues.
request show Alatus wants Columbia City staff stepped in to inform Williams
WhatanynewcomertotheCBDmarket,especiallythistimeofyear,willnoticeisthatit
Heights to pay $20,000 for common area that, regardless of what Alatus might have canbehardtotellqualityCBDproductsfromjunk.Withthesurgeinthemarketthereare
maintenance and $15,000 for 30 parking said, building out the new condo would somanynewcomersandgas-stationcannabisexpertsthatyou’dalmostthinktrustisa
four-letterword.
stalls annually. The total would be four still cost Columbia Heights an estimated
Luckily,NothingButHemphasmadeanameinMinnesotaandaroundthecountryforits
times the city’s revenues from adding its $2.7 million. educationalcapabilitiesandhigh-quality,lab-testedproducts.
parking ramp back to the tax rolls, and Nevertheless, Columbia Heights Mayor Becauseofhowvariablehempproductsandtheirmanufacturecanbe,theNothingBut
doesn’t include utilities, cleaning services, Donna Schmitt, who once announced on Hempteamkeepskeepmonitoringonallthebrandsandproductlinesitkeepsonits
shelves,hand-selectingthebestintheindustryanddroppingproductsthatdon’tkeepup
or a reserve fund for major repairs. Twitter that “gentrification is a myth,”
withtheirstandards.
At the end of the night, Chirpich urged fellow council members to be brave WithbrandslikeCharlotte’sWebCBD,PlantDivaCBDbathbombsandWyldCBDvaping
announced he would ask the City Council and lead other cities by example. products,there’ssomethingatNothingButHempforjustabouteveryone.
to make a “significant decision” at its full “Everyone will be looking to us,” she HousebrandSiskiyouSungrownCBDisanOregon-basedfarm-to-tablebrandthathas
repeatedlyproventoproducesomeofthehighestqualityorganic,non-additiveCBDoils.
meeting on September 23. reasoned. “It’s also creating a unique and
MinnyGrownCBDalsoshowsNothingButHemp’scommitmenttolocalgrowersand
That decision turned out to be the cre- marketable identity for our city. It has been business.WithfineCBDisolatesandfull-spectrumoils,MinnyGrown’sflavorsinclude
ation of the TIF district and a commitment mentioned, this has not happened before.” pumpkinpie,spearmintandlemonlime.
to buy into Alatus’ project. Ultimately the council voted unani- NothingButHemphaslocationsinMinneapolis’UptownneighborhoodonLakeStreet
andLyndaleAvenueandinSt.PaulonGrandAvenue.YoucanalsofindNothingButHemp
Connie Buesgens, an affordable housing mously to approve financial aid for the
shopsinWhiteBearLake,ForestLake,CloquetandMaplewood,Minnesota.
proponent, was the only council member Alatus project and become its first resident. StopbyaNothingButHemplocationsoonforallyourholidaywellnessandgift-giving
to express concern. Placing city hall—a Some residents were taken aback, needs!
fundamentally dull bureaucracy shop unaware that this city hall concept had
closed nights and weekends—on Columbia been under consideration. LOCATIONS
Heights’ main drag might be a lost oppor- Amada Simula, president of the com- MAPLEWOODMALL FORESTLAKE SAINTPAUL
tunity to pump life into an otherwise fully munity building nonprofit HeightsNEXT, 3001WhiteBearAve 143LakeStN 844GrandAve
built city, she pointed out. wishes the city had tried as hard to involve Maplewood,MN55109 ForestLake,MN55025 SaintPaul,MN55105
And what happens when a contentious the public in the creation of city hall as UPTOWN CLOQUET WHITEBEARLAKE
issue appears on the council’s agenda and it had for Columbia Heights’ 100th anni- 617WLakeSt 6N14thSt 4762BanningAve,
www.seedcafempls.com
irate residents crowd the chambers and the versary bash, coming up in 2021, and for Minneapolis,MN55408 Cloquet,MN55720 WhiteBearLake,MN55110
minneapolis.modoyoga.com hallway, making noise, per their constitu- which the staff have been gathering feed-
tional right? How would the city contain back for months. FindusonFacebook /nothingbuthemp
a protest with 500 roommates living on Mary Tholkes, a Columbia Heights
www.nothingbuthemp.net
the floors above? resident of 40 years, says that while the
JANUARY 1–7, 2020 CITYPAGES.COM 9
BEST PHO IN TOWN!
Bahn Mi - Bubble Tea - French Crepes
Gluten Free & Vegan
Options Available!
In the East Street
2718NicolletAveS
Ste.101B,Minneapolis Neighborhood.
[phone]
Free Parking!
[phone]
M i c r o b l a d i n g N o w A v a i l a b l e $350 FULLSETOFBROWS
& TOUCH UP
LADIES JANUARY2020
NIGHT E O RIGI
H N
T A
L
W H O -DUNNITDINNE
Y R
D T
E H
612-875-6717 M E
A
2211LYNDALEAVESOUTH|MINNEAPOLIS O T
C E
MPLSTATTOOSHOP.COM
WED, JAN 22• 7:00 PM R
HYDROPONICS
LARGEST INVENTORY
NEWEST TECHNOLOGY
INCLUDES TWO (2) COMPLIMENTARY DRINK TICKETS,
A WINE AND WHISKEY TASTING, AND A REWARDS
$20 HOCKEY LODGE GIFT CARD
THE TWIN CITIES PROGRAM Keeping your
INDOOR & OUTDOOR
WILD.COM/LADIESNIGHT
GARDEN PRO SHOP
Spend $500 Receive $50 weekends fresh.
800TRANSFERROAD November23-February14 December13-January18
in Store Credit
DOCKS#7and#8
MajesticOaksGolfClub ManitouGrill,WhiteBearLake
Free to sign up!
ST. PAUL,MN @CityPagesstreet @CityPages #CityPages
O U R S TAT E . O U R T E A M . O U R I C E .
ECOGARDENSUPPLY.COM MOREINFOATWWW.THEMYSTERYCAFE.COM
10 CITYPAGES.COM JANUARY 1–7, 2020