Whistleblower » Blog Archive » Eyesore on the corner of 26th and Lyndale

Eyesore on the corner of 26th and Lyndale

Posted on April 23rd, 2008 – 11:49 AM
By James Shiffer

From our online reporter, Tim Harlow

It was a sad day for Tracy Jones when Rex’s Hardware shut its doors and the building sold two years ago. Tough as it was for him to see the south Minneapolis store go out of business, it’s even tougher for him to look out his back window these days and see the shop where “you could ask for a thingamajig and they would know what you wanted” in such a dilapidated state.

Some windows are boarded up with thin plywood. Others are broken or covered with graffiti. Rubbish and old tires have collected behind the once vibrant hardware store that had been a fixture at the corner of 26th Street and Lyndale Avenue S. for more than 75 years.

Jones and other residents who live nearby are upset and want the “eyesore” cleaned up before more blight rears its head in the well-kept Whittier neighborhood.

The city of Minneapolis said it has done one small thing. On April 15, it sent a letter to the property owners - Hopkins-based SMJ Investments - informing them that they have until Friday to clean up the unwanted art, or that the city’s public works department will do it for them and send them a bill.

That’s not exactly music to Jones’ ears, because “they come, they clean it up and two days later it comes back,” he said.

There are ambitious plans for the vacant storefront and an adjacent vacant house; tear them down and turn it into posh condos that will go for $223,900 to $439,000. But it’s unclear if the Whittier Green of Uptown will be built. The Minneapolis Planning Commission approved the 16-unit condo project last year. But so far, nothing has taken place at 2601 and 2607 Lyndale Av. S., and the empty buildings remain.

Construction was supposed to start at the end of April and continue through the end of the year. But that’s all on hold now, said Steve Courtney of Courtney Real Estate Group, which represents the project. He said a “financing conundrum” is to blame for the delay and that might even mean the project will be scrapped.

Courtney said he had already reservations for four of the units, and stopped taking any more when he learned of the brewing trouble.

Meanwhile the desecrated building and house still stand, and with no tenants to keep an eye on them, the taggers keep coming, even though SMJ has been out to clean up.

“It’s like being in a war,” Courtney said. “I’m at the mercy of the graffiti guys and the finances. If it were up to me, I’d sneak over there with a crane in the middle of the night and knock it down myself.”

That would be just fine with Jones.

“It’s frustrating to look at that beat up old building,” Jones said. “It’s the first thing you see everyday.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 am and is filed under Neighborhood nuisances, Property problems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

17 Responses to “Eyesore on the corner of 26th and Lyndale”

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Dan Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 12:53 pm
“It’s like being in a war,” Courtney said. “I’m at the mercy of the graffiti guys and the finances.” For some reason that doesn’t really sound like what it’s like being in a war. Or is it just me who doesn’t get it?
Ryno Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I don’t know what’s worse - dealing with the eyesore of the bad graffiti, or seeing another ugly, crappy Yuppie high-rise go up in my neighborhood. Rex’s hardware was a landmark in the neighborhood. Those hand-painted signs were the work of a master. It should have been put on the historic registry and preserved. The last thing Minneapolis needs is another quasi-modern “posh” condo insult.
Jeff L. Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:15 pm
To everyone who is upset that Rex’s is gone from the neighborhood: Do you shop at Lowes, Home Depot, or Menards? If your answer is yes, think about Rex’s the next time you want to save a little bit of money. While I am not sure the exact reason why they closed their doors, I know that many of the independent hardware stores in the Twin Cities have closed their doors because they cannot compete with these giants and this is exactly what happens. You don’t want another yuppie condo? Then make sure your commerce choices support local businesses!
T.r. Kielikello Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Ryno- Agreed. I cannot stand the idea that this block will be taken over by “quasi-modern ‘posh’ condo insults.” Then again, the owner of the French Meadow is (was) involved so it seems that is exactly what we’ll get.
Reality Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:19 pm
“Jones and other residents who live nearby are upset and want the “eyesore” cleaned up before more blight rears its head in the well-kept Whittier neighborhood.”
Yeah, right. The Whittier neighborhood as a whole is an eyesore. It’s like 75 percent rental properties and shows it.
And it _is_ sad to have seen Rex pushed out of business for a cookie-cutter condo filled with young professionals- an anachronism amongst all the grungy young hipsters. But as long as the gentrification process continues, all the old businesses and homes will keep disappearing as they get into further disrepair. In the last five years, we’ve lost dozens of buildings in the uptown area along Lake, Hennepin and Lyndale for new development.
The worst was when they tore down the old apartment building at calhoun parkway and lake, replacing it with that horrendous overpriced Philip Johnson inspired lake-view monstrosity.
All in the name of the almighty property tax dollar.
CMc Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:23 pm
It’s not a shock that a condo developer from Burnsville would prefer to just raze the building. It’s also not surprising that he swooped in to build some “edgy” condos with “high end” appliances, and then the market figured out the whole area is saturated with cookie cutter condos. I bet he has quite the financing conundrum - the backers know condos aren’t selling anymore. The neighborhood is left with a shell of a building that, when functioning as a hardware store, provided a service for the neighborhood.
James Shiffer Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:24 pm
For the record, we understand the French Meadow Bakery had some interest in the retail space that would be created by the development, but has no control over the property or when it might be developed.
malachy Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
i just hope the condos have a skyway to french meadow. that would be neat-o.
neckyeskia Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 2:40 pm
It seems condo projects such as the above mentioned are blowing up in the faces of developers all around the area. The Edgewater (Johnsonesque condo project on Calhoun and Lake) can’t fill, probably because of the price tag. The Mosaic (Hennepin and Lake) hasn’t broken ground. The alleged hotel that was supposed to be located in the current Campiello spot has yet to progress and the proposed development next to the Calhoun Beach Club has been scrapped completely.

So be it; I myself find comfort in the fact that these guys have lost thousands and thousands of dollars on these projects. Maybe all the vacant condos will go MPHA and some poor shlub will get a million dollar view, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. Could happen, just ask Ralph Rapson.
Dave Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I think Jeff L. had a very valid point. That said, the vacant building might be an eyesore, but if that is one of the bigger problems facing Whittier, you’ve got what I’d call good problems. I used to live in Whittier and my biggest problem was the buses never seemed to run late enough at night to be useful. Relative to other neighborhoods, I’d say those are good problems to have.