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Bjorn Awel

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Commenter for
24 weeks 3 days

Recent Comments

Posted on 04/21/13 at 02:57 pm in response to Counting on the arts as economic drivers is a dicey proposition

This column is really a downer and coming from the totally wrong frame of mind. I'm sorry - did I miss something, are the arts THE focus of all economic development in the Twin Cities? I don't think so, and I don't think the folks promoting it as one strategy for economic development are touting it that way. We have an entire state agency devoted to workforce and economic development. There is also a similar agency for the city of Minneapolis. These are not agencies devoted only to the Arts...

Posted on 01/05/13 at 12:45 pm in response to Macy’s abandons St. Paul: Another doomed dinosaur departs

The real opportunity here is to reopen 7th Street as a Pedestrian Street that would extend from St. Peter all the way to Sibley. There's immense development potential along this stretch, and it would dramatically increase quality of public space in downtown. Here's what the city should do:
-subsidize the owners of the World Trade Center or Macy's bldg as well as the Twin Tower Town Center (or whatever it is called) to reconstruct the enclosed mall, setting them to allow for 7th Street...

Posted on 11/30/12 at 10:17 am in response to Gateway Park: When will Minneapolis get a signature downtown park?

There is absolutely a need for this park. Downtown does not have a central signature gathering place, and this will create it. Other cities are doing this or have them historically yet Minneapolis is leaving itself behind. Now is the time to do this while there are available parcels. The Nicollet site is just fine for this -- it is situated on the Nicollet Mall, adjacent to the coming Whole Foods and residential developments, at the junction of three great Minneapolis streets - Nicollet,...