April 4th; Minneapolis: The Northeast Community Development Corporation has issued a plea for public support toward the demolition of several blighted properties in the Logan Park neighborhood.
ACTION ON JACKSON ALERT
NE CDC is a community nonprofit with a local board of directors. Our mission is economic development. We are the outfit that bought the blighted Surma duplexes on Jackson and 18 ½ Avenue NE. We will be building a condo ownership cooperative for artists on that site--complete with a large arts production studio and an artist in residence program. (Rendering of new building below)
WE NEED YOUR HELP…
#1 To get the blighted duplexes demolished ASAP.
We’ve had the money to demo since last August and have warned the City repeatedly about how dangerous those buildings are. We have the demo company hired and have pulled several dumpsters of crap out of those units already.
There are things the City can do to help us demo. Specifically; they own two of the properties on the building site. We have repeatedly requested that they sell those to us and that we would then demo everything. Without the added value of those properties, we don’t have enough collateral for the bank, which is bound by federal law, to OK demo. All we need is for the City to sell us what they know we are going to build on, or to make a guarantee to the bank. It is an additional commitment of around $100,000 out of a $12 Million dollar project!!!! To be fair, we should add that the City is already doing quite a bit, but we need their help to get over the demo hump.
#2 To make sure that the City and County support the project.
We have multiple funding applications into the City, County, State, and even the feds! Their contributions are what will make this building affordable. Advisory committees of government staff will be meeting in the next few weeks to pick projects. The City is #1, but the County is almost as important. Our elected officials need to hear from the community that this is a priority, so they can communicate that to staff. It’s up to us to make sure our elected reps know what we want.
Call AND email:
Ward 1 City Councilmember Paul Ostrow
612-673-2201 or paul.ostrow@ci.minneapolis.mn.us
Mayor Rybak
612-673-2100 or rt@minneapolis.org
Commissioner Mark Stenglein
612-348-7882 or commissioner.stenglein@county.hennepin.mn.us
Tell them that we need to get that site demolished now and that the City and County needs to support the Jackson Street Artist Housing Project, so we can start construction this fall!
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