Reopening Nicollet at Lake Street
MPLS Mirror parses the minutes from a spring meeting of the Whittier Alliance (pdf). Sounds like there’s a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the reorganization of the K-Mart lot and restoring continuous traffic flow up and down Nicollet Ave between 29th St and Lake St. Also sounds like all the various parties involved are in agreement that it’s possible and necessary.
One particularly interesting item:
Special speaker Elizabeth Trumble asked about how the light rail project relates to the K-Mart issue. Lilligren said the LRT has yet to come to make a decision. For street cars, though the City [is] down to 6-7 corridors in the running and Nicollet is a top contender. Nicollet must be reopened in order to make a street car a reality.
Since streetcars are the leading transit proposition that is not LRT (expensive) or bus (not shiny and different), it’s interesting to see that they are this far in the consideration process. I didn’t have the sense that the city was that close to actually making it happen, but it’s nice to see the planning is moving along.
Related posts:
Can’t the tracks just run through the kmart? THat place is such disorganized mess on the inside, I don’t think peopel would mind.
I was surprised to read that that particular location is reasonably profitable. Certainly not pretty, though.
*shrug*
Dr. Bruner: Do you feel more relaxed in your favorite K-mart clothes?
Charlie Babbitt: Tell him, Ray.
Raymond Babbitt: K-mart sucks.
Dr. Bruner: I see.
My wife and I live a few blocks south of Big K in the Way, and we are hoping, hoping, hoping something comes of this.
It should also be noted that since the Kmart/Sears meld, Kmart doesn’t suck as much as the Kmart of my youth. (Craftsman tools!) My wife especially enjoys the Martha Stewart crap.
I will confess to having a set of Martha Stewart towels that I do enjoy.