(00:00:00) Barbara Flanagan for years a columnist for the Minneapolis Star now the Minneapolis Star and Tribune has been a commentator for a long time but more than that. She has been a folklorist of sorts and I think to generally an observer of events from the minut to the Magnificent and you have Barbara over the past for example reminded us that William delabar for example was an important figure in the history of Minneapolis before the turn of the century that many people probably did not know you reminded us in one of your recent columns that Liberace who's in town once entertained at the old flame room if I recall correctly and you reminded us that Johnny Carson once vacationed in Minnesota, well, these are tidbits of course, but the point is that Barbara Flanagan leaves the reader with the impression that she knows if not everything a lot about what is going on not only in the Twin Cities, but also in Minnesota at well our challenge today, I think Barbara is to see if we can find Some fact minut or magnificent that you do not know after all if we're going to make you sit here for an hour. The least we can do is try to provide you with some grass for some future column. And what we're going to do is invite folks around our region to call with your questions or comments for Barbara Flanagan in the Twin Cities. You can call us at two two seven six thousand two two seven six thousand listeners outside the Twin Cities living with in Minnesota can call toll-free. The toll-free number is 1-866-560-4440 Heroes 0 that's a toll-free number or if you're living in one of our neighboring states or Canada. Just call us at area code six. One two, two two seven six thousand. I guess we have a lot of things to cover here in a short time. You give got to give me a chance to (00:01:56) explain. I'm a trivia collector and I'll be the Did you hear about some new but boy, you know every day in this job of all the years I've done it. What's so exciting is I do pick up new little tidbits of how this person may have been influenced by that famous person. I heard one this week quickly to tell you general Edwin Rolla me Rawlings retired Air Force General who was the chairman of the board of General Mills as a Young Man worked at Dayton's department store looked out the window the day that Charles Lindbergh was paraded down Nicholas Avenue before it was the Nicollet Mall and Minneapolis gave its Minnesota boy after he had returned from flying Atlantic a great welcome. I don't think we had ticker tape but General Rawlings recalls. It was quite a remarkable event and he was so impressed by this this Lone Eagle and of course all young men at that time were fascinated by the air as I think they are now by space and so that led him into signing up to become an Air Cadet and he ended up becoming an Air Force General who later went on into into But it is interesting to me always when I bump into these kind of good stories how how everybody sort of is linked together. You (00:03:09) see you call this trivia, but I don't know that it is trivia. This seems to me to be the stuff that kind of binds a community together. You know, you you pick out these names names great and small and pulling these events out to reminds folks. It seems to me at least that there's been a lot going on and a lot going on right now. Certainly that we don't always observe or are not aware of that really tell us something about the nature of the community. You mentioned the Nicollet Mall and of course that has been the focus of a lot of your commentary in your in your column work and the mall has changed dramatically just this year (00:03:44) Dan, it's this year to me. It almost is in full bloom after all of this time actually opened. I believe in the fall of 67 and you know, everyone was always nervous about it. But do you realize we've changed so many city ordinances to occur? I'm a date the living space. That is the Nicollet Mall in the summertime or to a certain extent in the fall and the spring in the beginning. We could not put things on sidewalks, but they changed and we are now able to have sidewalk cafes were able to have vendors selling food were able to have Street musicians. You just had a lovely piece interviewing some of the musicians who have been out on the street, of course the downtown Council of Minneapolis, which really was the group that instigated them all in a sense all the downtown businesses. They opened up the mall to performances some years back and so all during the summer every day during the weeks. There are all these different performing groups were also out on the stages. We have the art fair there during aquatennial and coming up September 11th. We're going to have an incredible Scandinavian Market every block of the mall is going to be a Scandinavian food fantasy for all of you people who want to eat lutefisk in September or It's soup or you name it it's going to be there plus crafts entertainers from the Scandinavian countries are flying in here. It's going to be a marvelous day. But the point is we are using them all now the way we should be using it. (00:05:13) It's like we're finally figuring out what to do with it. (00:05:15) Exactly and I have only one I only have one thing left. I think I want to fuss about it with it. We still do not have those glorious flower stalls that you do see and say San Francisco and in Amsterdam and Paris and so on and I wouldn't even mind I think book stalls or some some people selling things that are easily sold other than food out on the mall attractively displayed. (00:05:39) We have some callers on the line with questions for Barbara Flanagan Our Guest today the Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist. And if you'd like to call with the question before we get to the first caller will give out the phone number. Once again 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities 2276 thousand with a question great or small or a comment. You like and those of you listening outside the Twin Cities with in Minnesota area. It's a toll-free call one 800 695 to 9700 652 9700. Let's go to the first question or good afternoon. We're (00:06:14) listening. Hello. I'm calling from Minneapolis. And I've got two more questions one is why isn't it finished on at the End by the Hyatt Regency and there's still a structure. The second is is the young Quinlan building going to survive some of these plans to change them all between 8th and 10th (00:06:37) to marvelous questions. The first one I cannot answer I've seen that construction. She had in fact looked at it only yesterday afternoon and said to myself what is happening here? Why is this not been removed but you know there could very well be some finishing touches were not aware of I also think that we ought to start considering extending them all all the way to Franklin. I really feel that that Could be a great bit to perk up that part of town as for young Quinlan. I will fight to save it throwing myself in front of the shop Windows because as you know, it is indeed one of the buildings that has been singled out by just a recent study to become one of our historic sites and Elizabeth Quinlan the incredible woman retailer who created that building and who was so far ahead of so many other retailers in her merchandising ideas. For example, she did in store boutiques back in the early 30s before too many other people were doing it and I mean by that Saks Fifth Avenue Bergdorf the stores in New York the Neiman Marcus and so on and it is a lovely building and so I guess as far as I know the study that's going on really has to do with the space between the Nicollet Mall and LaSalle, so it's on the other side of the street. I don't think to my knowledge that they're really looking at the Young Quinlan building to destroy it. Thank you. (00:07:57) All right. Thank you for your call. We have another call. Around the line and we'll take that question right now. Good afternoon. Barbara Flanagan is listening. (00:08:03) Hi Barbara. I have a couple questions for you. First of all, I don't know if you're a sports fan at all. Do you like the New Stadium downtown and second of all, what do you think it's done for the downtown (00:08:15) community? I think it's too soon to tell what it's done for the downtown community. But I think that just the fact that every restaurant downtown has specials for tonight's opening game and all the other events there the fact that the Scandinavia today's national opening will be there on Saturday morning September 10th. I think it's going to be not just for many apples, but it's going to really be a great new focal point for the Twin Cities and I do think Twin Cities. I spent a lot of time in st. Paul marching around looking at all the Wonders that the Saint Paul Business community and mayor George Latimer has a created that your new market to for example downtown as one of the true wonders of the of the modern world. It's a lovely place. And so but getting back I do think that the the Dome is a grand addition to downtown. I like it. I have only been in it twice for events. I do plan to see a football game. Now that the season is starting and I of course will be on hand for that Scandinavian rally on the (00:09:16) 10th. Okay. Thank you for the (00:09:18) 11th. Excuse me. Well, (00:09:19) we've created a few more questions here Barbara that we're going to have to have you answer in short order order one is the question created by the young Quinlan building and why that building is you think valuable in its architecture perhaps as opposed to some of the new department stores and also ideas that I think you have solicited for trying to spruce up the Dome a little bit, but we'll get to those issues in just a moment because we have another caller waiting with the question good afternoon, Barbara Flanagan is (00:09:45) listening to you know, are there any plans for better bus shelters on the mall, they seemed to offer little or no protection. (00:09:55) They have you know, it's interesting once in a while. You'll pick a marvelous architect and suppose that they'll know what to do in this particular case. I think that the architect who was a San Franciscan never knew what it's like to have the Winds of Winter here flap around your ankles. I don't think that the bus shelters will change as you've noticed the ones that have gone up since then at the MTC and then the private company to put them up they all seem to be sort of the same general kind of thing and I'm afraid our Winters are such that perhaps we couldn't afford to do much more than that, but you're right it isn't easy and I think what we ought to do is try to figure out a way to bring the MTC back to Snuff so that they have mint money better bus schedule. So there are more buses so we don't have to stand so long and wait, I think that probably would be the total answer to that. Thank you. (00:10:47) Thank you. We're talking with Barbara Flanagan columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune who has joined us in the Twin Cities Live for the next 45 minutes. Circe own will be taking your questions. If you'd like to ask a question call us at two to seven six thousand in the Twin Cities 2276 thousand listeners outside. The Twin Cities can call toll-free one 800 695 297006529700 an observer looked at the new Donaldson store downtown and as we were walking by one day and he called it an example of Fortress style architecture and you on the other hand are a staunch defender of the young Quinlan building and it's obvious that the two are very different and I think you should explain why (00:11:37) well, I was appalled by The Fortress that has become City Centre for a number of reasons. I think that I understand why it was done the idea that we are for many months of winter City And so there's a an inward-looking thing but when spring comes Was just as in the Scandinavian cities of the north just as in Germany and so on we do want to rush out into the world. And so to me they made a grave error in not opening up the building the entitle block not just Donaldson's interestingly enough. They were not even going to have store windows. I understand and Donaldson's when they first did it and it was the downtown Council stepped in said look you don't face our mall without the store windows, but it seems to me that when you have a building that is going to sell lovely apparel and and very nice kitchenware and all sorts of accessories and so on that it should be a building that wants to lure you into me. It looks not just like a fortress but a little bit like an Egyptian tomb and I have said this in print so, you know as opposed to up the block about a block and a half away two blocks away. Is this perfectly lovely building that sort of exudes Elegance that says, Is a place to go in and Shop it is done of course was done around 1927. Perhaps you could not duplicate the young quillin building today, but when you walk inside and you see the wrought iron and you see the beautiful tiles, you see the bronze work, you see the ceilings the chandeliers everything is done with great elegance and taste now, the interior of Donaldson's is a very attractive new store. There's no question about it. I think the Saint Paul Donaldson's is a very attractive new store that the one in Minneapolis maybe even a little bit more elegant, but the st. Paul Donaldson's at least has the benefit of marvelous Town Square now that is in itself a fortress and I think the Donaldson's and st. Paul should have display windows. I think that was a great mistake to shut off the street to shut off the pedestrian, but when you get inside, at least you can look up up up to this marvelously enclosed interior Park fine and dandy in a sense. Minneapolis will have not a park but a great Central Plaza Shop similar to lots of places in other cities. There's nothing new about it. There's nothing unique about it. And I guess that since we have led the way for a lot of other cities with the mall with the skyways with the ideas Crystal Court with so many other things this should have been a little bit more imaginative. If you want to need have a place that is inwardly looking in the wintertime the what are you going to do about the nice weather when we're all out on the Nicollet Mall? This is where we want to be. So my great suggestion was as long as you had a third-story roof. I thought perhaps The Next Step would be for Oxford development who did this to build a great block long porch similar to the one that's on that Grand hotel on Mackinac Island. It was rocking chairs suitably, you know spread out so we could go up there would be a free access spot and in Winter it would have the, you know, the glass windows so we could sit behind and watch out and then in the summer would be screened and would have plenty of hanging ferns in a few either end on Six and seven, so you said I think swings attached by change, you know, thus the kind we all grew up with let us offer the world the biggest middle western porch overlooking downtown. Now this to me would at least open up this to people because I do think people to some extent are intimidated by The Fortress Thailand actually looking at Donaldson's now, you know, you could say well they have retrieved it but then you walk down the block to the Hennepin Avenue side where the deer lovable traditional man can another great landmark of ours the cafe. The Chinese Cafe is and they did not allow the Nanking by they I mean the Oxford to put up their fabulous Art Deco sign is probably one. It's a work of art dating from 1927 should have been attached to the building and then you have the facade on Hennepin which is dull dull dull and it what it needs their one of my readers and I wish I could retrieve the name out of my hand at this moment, but he wrote and he said well what it really needs is long as we did. We can't do it Kirk my chesky. Marvel signs such as the one you have here at ksjn. I would Adorn a news electric news sign going across the facade of the Hennepin side of city center, but then my friend wrote in and said and let's put a couple of Ferris wheels on the roof. Well, why (00:16:10) all right plenty of ideas for the development and Redevelopment of City Center in Minneapolis that we have callers waiting with their questions and comments now so we'll get to the next one. Good afternoon. Barbara Flanagan is (00:16:21) listening every day. Yes, and it's such a nice little building. Yes know anything about it. Do you know anything about it? (00:16:37) I don't know a great deal about it. I have been in it. I know that the people who are in it love it the IV Tower and the security life insurance company building up both of them up at that end of Second Avenue or two of my favorite sort of unusual little buildings in town. Along with the Foshay Tower. I mean their number like that with the we have in Minneapolis as they do in downtown st. Paul and I think that I should poke around a bit. I have read about the Ivory Tower, but right now you stop me. I cannot off the top of my head tell you who built it and why it seems to me it might have been built by an insurance benefit organization years ago. I'm not just certain. I'm (00:17:20) sorry. It is an odd little piece in the sense that it sits there quite Pleasant looking covered with some IV and chuckle a stucco business Bill. Yes usual and all around it glass and steel and whatnot. Well, we have other callers waiting with questions. Good afternoon. Barbara is listening. (00:17:40) Guard for the pedestrians downtown for years all of a sudden now. She sort of has let her guard down in her inner column and a column is writing his change them as one of your she was going to get back to our the bicycles things in town. They're pretty amazing hair rock with (00:17:54) this. No, I haven't given up because I am first and foremost a pedestrian you see I don't drive and I do still ride my bike, but I haven't given up on the idea, you know in 1902 Minneapolis had the it was recognized as the greatest sort of city for bicycle paths that had the greatest network of bicycle paths. You can go all across Lake Street. You could go downtown you can go over the university and these were wide path some of the kind that they do have along roads. Let's say in the Netherlands and the fact that we did have those paths in 1902. I think points to the fact that we still do need them and it's interesting that we've had such a fight to get. Thumb and finally, it was Robert rui as superintendent of parks who brought them back around the Parkways and then they have we've had all the problems with who was going to use them. Next we have had roller skaters, and we've had Walkers who certainly the pedestrians need their path and the people on Wheels, I guess need there's and I keep worrying that someone will come along and pogo sticks and want their place but I do still believe in The Pedestrian and I certainly have not given up on them. And as I say, I have only recently been railing again against the idea of you know, these people in connection with a dome who simple where are we going to park and I keep saying well Downtown Minneapolis has more places to park than the old Metro Stadium did and they're all as close to the Dome as the farthest reaches of the Mets parking lot was and this is going to give everybody a chance to either walk and good weather or ride the shuttle buses. And this is the way we should get people around downtown, but I still Strongly and beefing up our public transit and I'm sorry that the MTC seems to be on such hard days and I still think that about 25 or 30 years ago. Somebody should have said well, we're going to have an experimental Light Rail Transit line or not have given up the street cars because it was the streetcars who drove out the bicycle paths. By the way, those everybody started writing the great Tom Lowery's great transit system which in its Heyday around 1920 ran all the way to still water all the way to Hastings all the way to Anoka and all the way out be on Lake Minnetonka with the streetcar boats, and we don't have that great public transit Network now and I think we ought to work somehow I'm bringing that back and getting people back into public transit. So we wouldn't have to worry about parking downtown at the mall. I must say though, it's easier to get to the downtown Dome than it is to get to the old met Stadium. You can get to the downtown Dome on foot on bike on public transit and so on which was not it was not easily done at the Bloomington. I'd thank you. Thank (00:20:41) you. Thanks for calling we have other callers with questions and we're going to get to the next one right now. Good afternoon. Barbara Flanagan is listening. (00:20:48) I Barbara hi, I think the planetarium Dome is an attractive feature of our mall and incidentally the skyline of the in the planetarium shows visitors the ideas building and the associate our in the city centre in the Metrodome. And I was just wondering if there if you had any ideas on how the planetarium Dome and Minneapolis Public Library could be more of a feature of them all seems like everything stops at the corner of 4th Street. (00:21:14) Yes, you're right and I have High Hopes however as more and more people do move into upcoming places to live down at the at the what I call the top of the Nicollet Mall the Washington Avenue end of the mall. I think that you will see uses made of it interestingly enough. I also keep hoping that someone will come along to rehabilitate the Nicholas Hotel. Has been a landmark on that site now since 1954, excuse me, eighteen fifty five or six or something like that. And this is the second building only on that site that bore the name Nicholas and you know, you're right. We do have that lovely planetarium at the moment that I believe it's (00:21:56) closed. (00:21:58) They have reopened (00:21:59) it. There are featuring Stars over Minneapolis. And that great. (00:22:02) Well, I'm delighted that I was not aware of that and usually they let me (00:22:05) know keep going and looks pretty good that it will be saved. (00:22:10) Oh good because well, it has been something that I think everybody has done at least once and usually at Christmas time more than once a year after year. It could become an absolute family event. And so I'm delighted to hear that the planetarium shows her on again at the Minneapolis Public Library downtown. I'll come back. Thank you. (00:22:30) Thanks for calling we have other callers now waiting with their questions for columnist Barbara Flanagan. Good afternoon. We're (00:22:35) listening. Hello. Do you know I have to Short? My students do you know of any for sure plans for downtown Hennepin Avenue? And the other one is can you tell me a little bit about the new sale of munsingwear? (00:22:52) Yes, I can tell you what what little I know a starting with munsingwear. This is I think going to be very exciting for certainly the design industry here. As you know, Harmon Court started and I did write about it a few years back two three four years ago a group of Partners put together this place where you can go with your interior decorator and you know, if and find wallpaper and furniture and whatever but there was such a demand among the suppliers to the interior design business, they needed more room and so with munsingwear coming on the market what has happened now is that the group from Harmon Court has gotten together with Amna Venture, which is a man who's done a lot of rehabbing of the buildings over on the north side of the loop and they are going to create A splendid downtown and a sensor edge of downtown Interior Design Center where you can go and buy with your interior designer or if you are in the business, of course, it's an enormous wholesale Center for all the interior people and I think that it's something that a great many cities do have we have never had one and yet there's obviously been a need for one. So I think that it's going to be a definite asset as for downtown Hennepin Oh indeed. Yes, the plans are moving ahead slowly slowly slowly. They're about to going to do something to the sidewalks. I believe around city center for openers, but of course so many good people have just gone ahead and worked on it themselves and I cite the lumber exchange eyesight the Hennepin Center for the Arts. Certainly the fact that the Nan can is they're doing business. I think there will be other restaurants moving in up at the other end. The Orpheum has proved to still be an attraction for A lot of people when they play the good shows Duff's is on the corner of the Rhine house. Is there the the cafe DiNapoli and I think that those will be joined the problem with Hennepin as I said, I think again last week someone just said to me recently such an I told you so but I keep hacking away because if I don't lie, I sometimes think the message doesn't get across but the biggest problem with Hennepin as an entertainment Street. It doesn't have any entertainment on it and I can even remember when it really was a much livelier place and what's been happening because they've been really appealing to the public is the First Avenue North has began began to attract a lot of people to downtown and those people would spill over onto Hennepin if Hennepin had some of the kinds of entertainment spots or the variety of entertainment spots at let's say Chicago's Rush Street has and where you can walk down Rush Creek Street at 3:00 in the morning and not feel at all intimidated. You don't feel unsafe you feel as a part of people out having a good time. (00:25:37) So rifle sport doesn't cut it with you. (00:25:39) Undying I wouldn't mind rifle sport if there was you know, the marvelous little restaurant next to it The Marvelous piano bar a place where you've got a another comedy Cabaret. It's interesting to me that a great many people for example of a Friday night and last night our downtown because there are these there are two new spots in our downtown that are giving Hennepin cause or pause to take a really good look at itself one. Is that whole Warehouse area on north of Hennepin and what they want to call it Butler quarter that includes about the square of the warehouses all the good restaurants and so on the other is up around Orchestra Hall where I will tell you that there are at least eight new restaurants that have opened or are opening within the next month and a half so that if you go to an event at Orchestra Hall, you can choose and Zs. Charlie's closed and so did the Black Angus but five other restaurants have opened to take their places. So to me the too In places downtown include that area where you have a Jr's it's doing its the stand-up comedy routines where you have a great two or three great gourmet restaurants, but you also some very easy drop in a neat places. The only Scandinavian restaurant in Downtown Minneapolis is right up there missis candy is and so that's one thing but then you go over across and you find this as young crowd that loves art loves such things there at Chicago where there's Jazz there at the Glick Brewing Company there in the butler Square were there to a few restaurants left her to one of the great ones. They're down at the new French cafe, which has its tables out as dust or to now this time of year. There are several art. There's the only Vietnamese restaurant is right there on First Avenue North so there's a lot to and interestingly enough. We have sort of a New York Pub that's been made out of Steve Catelli the late Steve Kelly ran a spot over there on I think it's 3rd Avenue North between Washington and first called a Monte Carlo will genres Our check is famous for such places as Annie's parlor has bought that turned it into a night place that everybody seems to be standing in line for his his great food. So what I'm saying is downtown is and also let me just point out that the Katra me and across the street the Green Mill and that in the Hennepin Center for the Arts are also luring people the cricket theater is a great and total asset but Hennepin Avenue has to catch up with those two areas on either side of it that are really doing a job. We still have the first-run movie theaters out Hennepin and I'm delighted for that and I would hate to see for example, if something's going to happen to the academy in the world both of which need a lot of refurbishing. I think I would like to see those theaters replaced with safe for theaters if possible because I like to see first-run movies downtown. I think it's a lower but then let's have some other things along with it. (00:28:34) We have other callers waiting with questions for Barbara Flanagan. The time is 28 minutes before one o'clock. This is weekend this Edition and will be taking your questions from now until about two to three minutes before one o'clock. If you have a question, you can call us at two to seven six thousand 2276 thousand in the Twin Cities listeners outside the Twin Cities with in Minnesota can call us toll-free at 1-866-553-2368. Take the next question or good afternoon. You're on the air. (00:29:08) Hello Barbara. Hello. Do you know of any plans to have a grocery store in Downtown Minneapolis? Like with used to be (00:29:15) you bet. I know I don't but I that's in fact, I'm mentioning it Monday in the column. So many people have called and said now finally we've turned things around people are again living downtown. Where is our good grocery store and I would love to see there's several spots. It could be an interestingly enough. I just talked about this with Catherine kautsky who is one of the Developers on the munsingwear Interior Design Center, but for Harmon Court, which will eventually in three years when the munsingwear building is created the the suppliers who are in Harmon Court, of course would then move out. So what does she want to do with it? Well, she loves it. This was the first thing she ever did as a as a development and she wants to keep it and she said because so many people are moving into that end of town. She sees it as a place where you could have some takeout delis, you could have, you know grocery store space perhaps but I think yes, we do need that downtown. I'd love it on Hennepin Avenue along with a couple of more bakeries. I've been so cheered that so many of the bakery's have reopened downtown the we're having a cookie War downtown. So I got a new cookie shops of open and we do need that great fruit shop downtown again on Hennepin. We do need the kinds of food and service places the the shoe repair and so on so that people who are going to and from their jobs. Viola Skyway is or the sidewalks. Once that new ramp is built just north of about 2 square and hooked in you ought to have places that you can stop and pick up things to take home and I think a grocery store is should serve both the commuter who comes in and works in Downtown Minneapolis and those who love it and live there and I'm going to that's going to be one of my next big nagging things to do is to try to find somebody to come downtown. (00:31:06) Thank you. All right, we have other callers with questions will get to the next one right now. Good afternoon. We're (00:31:10) listening. I just want to thank you for your unparalleled influence and creating supporting and maintaining the cultural aesthetic atmosphere. We have in our city (00:31:22) goodness. Thank you. I don't take credit at all for anything more than having (00:31:26) me and and many many people in the city certainly support (00:31:29) to well. I appreciate that and I guess my luck has been that I have been allowed to write a column in the newspapers and been told by my editors that I can indeed Express My Views and you know, once you're told us it's it's a heady experience in My Views. I guess have been about the city because I love it. So I'm a transplant. I moved here from Des Moines, Iowa a long time ago and I'm always thrilled when I go back to Des Moines because they keep picking up ideas from the Apple Store now having this guy wise in that but thank you so much. I think that the good work. I appreciate it. Thank you. I'll try. (00:32:03) All right, we have other callers with questions will get to the next one right now. Good afternoon. We're (00:32:07) listening. Hello. I'm calling because you were I think extremely successful about stop. And those awful trees on Hennepin Avenue and then I'm not too long ago. You had the article in the paper about the trees and Ken with Park. And of course, I believe in the trees and Kenwood Park. Do you have any more information on that park at this time? (00:32:30) No, I don't. I believe that Alderman Barber Carlson and the city council will look at it again after the city budget comes in and they see just exactly what can be spent, you know for the enhancement of Kenwood Park. So I think that comes along a little bit later on in September and until then it's sort of on hold as for downtown Hennepin Avenue the street Furniture the street Furniture the metal trees of this was something that was one woman called me last week. Oh, she's I'm so tired of hearing about Metal trees. And I said, well I am too but we finally did indeed managed to overcome them and we're not going to have them and I think There are now studies being made to decide how we are going to decorate downtown Hennepin and I had suggested and I several other people did too that would be fun as entertainment Street to let's put banners up with all the names of all the famous minnesotans who have made it in show business or let's do a star walk and and sink stars with their names on it into the sidewalks along Hennepin because to me the theme of that street should be entertainment. And so we've gotten lots of famous minnesotans who have gone on in the theater and in show business in general Opera and so on and I think it would be great fun to salute them as it's called the street Hennepin Avenue, the street of (00:33:52) stars stars sidewalks are going to be torn up anyway, right? Why not do it. Thanks for calling we have other questioners waiting and we'll get to the next one. Good afternoon. Barbara Flanagan is listening. (00:34:02) Oh hello. Hello. Yeah friend live down in the warehouse artist. Based on here when you mention like it's like long time ago. We settle this area, you know open up these warehouses what's going to happen to us with all it becomes real groovy down here. It's going to have to be artists for like affordability of spaces. You know, what's the plan for the city? Well, where are we supposed to go? (00:34:25) Well, I don't know where you're supposed to go. I don't know that you have to go anywhere. Do you I think that the Art Space reuse project that actually was certainly in the Forefront of finding and making it legal for artists to occupy the Loft spaces in the warehouse district and they did a they were an incredible group that was put together by melisande Charles who was our first and really only Arts commissioner here. Really? I think did the lobbying at City Hall to allow all of the artists who needed those big and roomy, you know spaces in which to work allow them to be there. I see. No reason why you won't stay on there. It seems to me that that's that's part of it. And unless you know something I don't know. I haven't heard anything, you know, that's going to happen. It's you got to be they're going to put the freeway through but I think they've torn down everything for that have they (00:35:20) not? Yes. It's just a space wise. He's also affordability, you know, you can't if you buy like a condo Studio which I make around this area $120,000, you know, we can't afford that you know being an artist is the reason we're moving downtown. He liked people of my age group of move downtown to revitalize that we can always see that there's Great Space living downtown. Mmm. Well, I think you know when you started making to like, I'm the butler quarter we had only one name the streets. They don't ask us to rename the streets. They don't ask us why we won't call her own area. It's like a commercial Venture, you know, we have no say-so at all, which is kind of disgusting. You know, it's why is that because it's like people like you on put metal trees on (00:36:05) Hennepin. No, I don't want to put metal trees on (00:36:07) henna get rid of Mobis and which is like a character of downtown. Where would you want to be? Like, (00:36:13) I guess you don't read my column very much because I was the one who lobbied against the metal trees on Hennepin which by the way were suggested by an artist incidentally and in passing, but I thought that they were Dreadful because they would be this sort of hacked out of a machine but no, I think that the North Hennepin and north of Hennepin, whoever whatever they're called group that got together to Stage a contest to rename the area it cannot be called the war Warehouse District because that is a historic designation. And so they wanted to come up with another name and they had a competition and whether or not the public picks up on the name that they finally hit upon Butler quarter is going to time will only tell people may never call it that but what I guess I'm saying to you is had you wanted to be a part of that. I'm sure that all you had to do was go and make yourselves known. I think that group meets regularly to worry about what's going to be happening down there and it does not include just the owners of the buildings and includes Vector. I know a couple of people in the Arts world who were very involved with that organization. I'm not I'm not a member of it but I did indeed write about their AIMS in the temptu. Let's say change the name only because they thought it would be something that would help designate it for people coming downtown who don't know what you're talking about. You say North Hennepin. Do you say Warehouse District? Well, and what's the warehouse District their whole lot of warehouses over by the Star and Tribune building and that's not you know that twos Warehouse District. We've got a lot of them but getting back to your principal problem. It seems to me that the artists together had a very good thing going for themselves when melisande Charles was more or less their spokesman at City Hall. Maybe you should put yourselves. Together and go down and talk to your Alderman who are to Van white and Barbara Carlson. I think both of them would be very interested in hearing your views about it. And I think that if you don't if you just sit in your Lofts and you know worry about it, it's not going to get out before the public. So I guess what I'd suggest you do is, you know go down and say hey look what is going to happen to us and can we stay here? And will you you know allow us to stay here help it make it make it easy to stay here. By the way. I see. No, I've heard of no condominium izing of Loft spaces either. I that's something that's new with the exception of the attask own which I don't think was occupied by artists. (00:38:45) All right, we have other callers with questions. The time is 18 minutes before one o'clock. We're talking with Minneapolis Star Tribune columnist Barbara Flanagan who will be taking calls and questions for about the next 15 minutes or so. We'll have the next caller right now. Good afternoon. You're on the air. (00:39:00) Yes. Hello Barbara. Hello. I'm also a transplant to the Twin Cities but not from On our I'm from farther afield I wanted to thank you for all the work you've done for the propagating of outdoor restaurants in the Twin Cities. And when I first came here 12 years ago, there was no where you could eat outside know where you could have a drink outside. Where are you from? I want to thank you for (00:39:24) that originally. Where were you? Where did you come from? Where is your home? I'm from England. I thought I heard that. Yes, and and you understand then how those of us in Northern climes do like to sit out in the summertime and certainly the Europeans led the way for us. And now we really do now in both cities have so many outdoor not just on sidewalks, but in Back Garden side yards everything and I do think it's fun to to have an opportunity to dine outside. Thank you so (00:39:51) much because it's flourished in the last five years, and I'm sure a lot of it for your (00:40:03) efforts. Thank you so much. (00:40:05) Yes. I mean to (00:40:06) say then I'm just going to say the artist who called made a comment also about the fact that when he suggested that I had written in favor of the the trees which I did not but that I had criticized Moby Dick's and I did criticize Moby Dick's and lo and behold they listened and they cleaned up their facade. And of course, it had looked just you know, like an absolute, you know, we've been sort of withering away there. And so I think that my views come just I don't have no particular wish to tear down that block one way or the other but I do think when you have interesting buildings you ought to try to do something to them to make them even more interesting. I don't think you should allow them to Decay and become you know, totally ugly and unattractive and a lot of that has to do with just cleaning it up. There's a lot there are lots of dirty buildings around downtown ticket and Hennepin that could just use a nice clean up wash the windows for a change and see what happens go out and spray off the sidewalks and get the Herb off the sidewalks and you know that helps to and that's part of (00:41:09) it. All right, we have other callers with questions. We'll take the next one. Good afternoon. Barbara is listening. (00:41:14) Hello. I would like to see a booth downtown that would serve as a Clearinghouse for unsold tickets for Arts performances good idea and in New York, I think you probably know there are two these at Sal approximately 300,000 half-price tickets a day of the performance. (00:41:31) Yes. This is a perfect idea. But where we should have it on Hennepin Avenue or perhaps in the center of the city centre which does walk out onto onto Hennepin, but that's a marvelous idea. What you're going to have to do I guess is find some organization willing to do it. But it's I agree. It's a perfect perfect thought something we (00:41:53) need good people to other spontaneously too many Arts organizations that they are not familiar with since the actual cost of a ticket does not cover the Performance cost hmm. I think the Arts organizations would come out well, too. (00:42:12) I think that's a great idea and it's one that some somebody I hope listening will start to work on (00:42:17) there. You know, there's an entrepreneur somewhere waiting for an idea like that and I hope we have some more entrepreneurs on the line right now. We'll take the next question or good afternoon. Barbara Flanagan is listening. (00:42:27) Yes. I am very pleased that we too have come to the Twin Cities from Des Moines. Who did you hear that? You have a joy that we bump into people from Des Moines every once in a while an hour in our new city. I'm a botanist of sorts and I'm particularly interested in Vines. Good substitute for trees good for the space is small. Mmm. And I would like you to entertain the idea of having Vine boxes high up on Hennepin Avenue Hennepin Avenue terrific with special water sensing and watering apparatus because lines do need quite a bit of water and this would enable one to have an arrow type of living living plant which would not be interfered with by the foot traffic, you know, it would happy the tempering effect on noise and so on by absorbing (00:43:35) your right and one of the people that I interviewed recently made the same comment and suggested for example that if we would train vines on the tops of the roofs of our bus shelters. They would serve to cool the shelters in summer and add warmth in Winter and they would be decorative because in the winter you could put little lights into them and and and in the summer you would have the greenery which would help to keep the sun off. And I think it's totally marvelous idea of for the bus shelters, but it also could go along the roofs of the low buildings that go along Hennepin there. Lots of low two-story buildings there that this would work in the mines could come down the front and so on. I think that would be that would be a marvelous idea and one that the city planners ought to consider. Thank (00:44:24) you for the Anthony Falls observation platform. Yes, that one looks Upstream at the face of the side of the van. Of and one sees a blank concrete wall. I think this is a travesty. I think that we should have Vines their flowers the same way that when you look at the face of any fault, you see Greenery. Mmm. Now it just does happen to be separated from the Falls by the upper st. Anthony lock. Hmm. But (00:45:16) could someone get out and plant Greenery. They're tricky business. Is it hazardous? (00:45:23) I see about 10 feet above the parking lot. Oh, I see when you're standing (00:45:27) down on the flat before your I understand what you're talking about. Yes. Well, I'm certain someone probably a perhaps the Corps of Engineers should have that called to their attention. Perhaps they do it. I is matter of fact, it's interesting. I have had in mind the thought that all of these parking lots of the put up these sort of Drury wooden fences around them to comply I with a city parking lot ordinance and I should point out that a newspaper for whom I work shall be nameless has done that and you know, they're talking about the expense but the park board does a marvelous job with vines atop their chain link fences. This is particularly noticeable at the parade Stadium. There has been some plantings along the chain links along I-35 by the highway department and I think wouldn't small Vines be kind of lovely overhanging these low fences that are around the parking lots downtown that would work wouldn't it (00:46:24) one would think that a lot of those ideas are adaptable not the least of which is creating employment for somebody who have to take care of them, especially on the lower ones. Well, we have other callers waiting with questions will get to the next one right now. It's 10 minutes before one o'clock were listening to Minneapolis Star Tribune colonists Barbara Flanagan, and we have a caller so we'll take the next question. Good afternoon. You're on the air. (00:46:43) Hi, hi want to mention a couple of things. The first thing I'll mention real briefly is I always remember the Guthrie. Side as it was designed by the original architect. Yes, hear your Ralph rapson Matrix of our design was actually taken down over the objections of the original architect. One of the reasons that had weathered rather poorly was that in an attempt to save money. It was some type of a plywood with a epoxy or something over plywood type construction if it had been cast in some type of a solid material to begin with it probably would not have aged and weathered and split and cracked it cetera. I'd like to see that original facade re-establish. I'd like to hear your comments on that and my second point I make and some trepidation. I recently had a couple of friends in from out of town went from New York and went from Chicago on business and we went over and had dinner at La tortue, which is in Butler Square, very good restaurant and afterwards I kind of felt like getting out the stretching and stretching our legs for a few minutes and we walk started walking across Hennepin and all of a sudden I looked around and there were all these people that may have been perfectly. Okay, but looked like real sort of Street people and kind of high on whatever they were on drugs or just booze and just look kind of like a scruffy place and all of a sudden my friend from New York. You know what New York's like he turned to me and he said Is it safe here that kind of put a damper on the whole evening? I might point on that matter is that when I go down on Hennepin Avenue, I see a lot of people that I really don't want to get associated with but it may be okay, but they're kind of scruffier Street people or whatever and the only way you're going to clean up Hennepin Avenue is to get rid of them. And that's just going to put them somewhere else. So, you know, I I sort of sort of think that that's sort of trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear because those some of those people are down there and I just don't see how you can't just move them out. You know, when you comment on both questions, (00:48:41) I will be happy to first of all, I think the more important one here is Hennepin. Well, no, not necessarily but on that subject, I don't see why you need to Anybody anywhere? I think that the problem with Hennepin is you notice that because Hennepin isn't greatly populated by people walking and sidewalks because there's not enough variety of entertainment there to attract everybody. And for example, if you had variety theaters if you had a showroom if you had everything from strip t-bars gay bars you have this and that that you have those porn shops. They don't sit stand out like sore thumbs. If you've got a lot more I I always cite Rush Street in Chicago as a total amalgam mix of entertainment choices where people do go certainly there are Street people there, but nobody really feels threatened or hassled. I think the problem with Hennepin is it looks so Bleak so dreary so dull so uninteresting that you don't feel as if you want to spend any time there as for the Guthrie and Ralph rapson was the very fine and is the very fine architect to did that and had that happen to him. It's funny that such a Building and we are restoring old buildings and I guess yes, I would hope that at some point down the road the Guthrie board would say to itself will try to put some money away to restore that facade, of course with a theater what's important I suppose most important is what's happening inside of it. The theater goes on regardless, it could be just in a box and if it was great theater, you probably wouldn't notice but I also agree that there is something to be said for having a building to go inside of that gets you all tuned up and excited because you're going to really see a marvelous performance inside and that's what Grand Old Theater is always do for you Radio City Music Hall in New York. For example, I can just stand in front of it and get exciting palpitations. But at any rate, I think that you're right. It was a an unfortunate thing to have happened to such a internationally renowned architect and I do hope that perhaps someday there will be a angel a benefactor who would come along and and provide the money to to bring Act the original facade Hennepin. However, just needs entertainment in my my hopes are set on a lot of things are happening. I hope Carlson does a showroom in connection with these new Radisson Hotel. I would love to see this idea that a young man had last week for a Vaudeville variety theater down in that building on 5th Street just off Hennepin. I think there are all sorts of other possibilities in between where you have Opera and dance and the cricket theater and other restaurants and even a place where you could go and listen to a good singer at a piano sing and play the grand old Tunes all that's needed on downtown Hennepin until we get it. Yes. I'm sure you're going to walk across and say good grief. What is this? Well, that's got to change. (00:51:32) We have other callers waiting with questions. It's five and a half minutes before one o'clock. We'll take the next questioner right now. Good afternoon. Barbara is (00:51:39) listening. Hello. I've been wanting to talk to you for (00:51:42) years. Oh good. Hello. I (00:51:44) tell you I've lived here since 1908. I'm not here as a boy of When I'm 86 and I would like awfully well some time to have a visit with you and tell you lots of things that I don't think you know, (00:51:58) oh, I'm sure you would know a lot of things. In fact one thing you can tell me right now is do you remember being taken downtown to Hennepin Avenue in its Heyday when all the great stars were playing at the different Vaudeville theaters on Hannah put in 7th (00:52:10) Street, of course, we used to go to the or fuming have 25 cents seats reserved in the afternoon and the evening. They were 75 reserved. And in fact, I finally played on the Orpheum circuit years later as a result of all this. Oh, and my armor that went on what were you a singer a dancer when I was a kid? I accompany the ballet troupe, and we toured a couple of times. (00:52:34) Well, would you give me your name (00:52:35) sir? Yes, I'm Dre Basque Basque, and I'm pretty well known around town by some people, but I was away from here for a long time, too. (00:52:46) Aha. Well, mr. Baske. I hope you'll give me a call at the office some. Because it would be fun to sit down and talk to you about your memories of our town as it was say maybe just a few years ago. Well, I (00:52:58) know 1908 there were a lot of changes since then (00:53:02) I guess well, I'd love to hear about them. So give (00:53:04) me a call. Well, I call the office and apis to my name ever. Do you ever go out and call on people? (00:53:10) Well, you call me at the office and we'll chat about that at the star in (00:53:13) tribute. Very good. Thank you very much. Thank you. (00:53:16) Thanks for calling. We have one more caller and just time enough to take it. Good afternoon. You're on the (00:53:20) air. Yes. I have a question for the trivia question. We drive up or down Second Avenue and I noticed the baker building. I don't know exactly where it is on the on the Avenue. But are you familiar with that building? Yes, I am whatwhat did you know the the story behind the woman with the page boy? That is the the decorative freezer freezer and it goes all the way around the the first story the building. (00:53:48) I don't know that it's a woman. Might be a man. I think they're I think they were doing a fortress skyscraper and I can easily find out because the son of the baker who built that building as a business building it was always built for that purpose. They were in real estate is still in the cities and I'll ask some time if he can tell me about (00:54:08) it. Yeah. Okay. Thank you. (00:54:10) Alright, very good. Thanks to all of you for calling with your questions. And also thanks to Barbara Flanagan Minneapolis Star and Tribune columnist. It's nice to see the old paper got top billing in that Arrangement. Thank you pleasure having you here. And and I suspect We'll be asking you back in a short time perhaps to bring us up to date on some of these Affairs of state and also municipality special City of Minneapolis. Good enough.