The Pillsbury A-Mill Alley shows good use of an historic framework. (Seth Stattmiller)
I was a tenant at the Highlight Center for 8½ years starting in 2015. I witnessed the daily cycle of activity on Quincy Street. The morning was for commuters and deliveries. General Mills’ little red locomotive pushed railcars onto the tracks for pickup. Artists hauled their work in and out of the studio buildings. Architectural Antiques and Sign Minds always had interesting items on their loading docks. The breweries opened later in the afternoon, animating street life. The historic feel of the neighborhood was perfect for my practice as a historic architect and attracted the occasional film crew.
Repurposing historic buildings along Quincy Street has diminished the warehouse functions but added private event space, restaurants and creative businesses. The quieter work of creative production continues in the artist and maker spaces. Art-A-Whirl® brings a carnival atmosphere to Logan Park Industrial and throngs of visitors to celebrate the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District every year.
The City’s stated goals of the project are to:
1. Replace and upgrade old roads, sidewalks and other public infrastructure
2. Make sure that people can walk, bike and roll safely, easily, and comfortably
3. Improve how the streets function while keeping unique features of the area
4. Determine what the community wants for the area through public engagement
5. Support the current and future variety of land uses
6. Support the area as a destination district
Logan Park Industrial is not and never has been a genteel residential urban space. The PR1 Production Mixed Zoning of the area permits the construction of residential uses only in combination with maker space. The primary uses of the PR1 District are production, commercial and warehousing and storage. These are the activities that have been in place in Logan Park Industrial for over 100 years. The area currently hosts the core of Minneapolis’ creative economy with more than 1,200 working artists producing significant revenue. In addition to artists there are breweries, restaurants, manufacturing and offices adding more cultural and economic wealth to the city.
The community planning workshops presented by Minneapolis Public Works on Nov. 20 included ten storyboards with historic imagery and historic building inventory highlights documenting the historic uses of Logan Park Industrial. The inclusion of historic context by the design consultants places great significance on history as an aspect of character. A district does not need official historic designation to convey historic feeling to the people that use the space.
The physical aspects that make Logan Park Industrial a unique place include the warehouse and industrial architecture from the early 20th century, adjacent active railroad tracks creating large view scapes and variety in the built environment. Old and new buildings exhibit a mixture of building materials — brick, concrete masonry, wood and metal. The streetscape similarly has a mixture of paving materials — brick pavers, concrete, asphalt and gravel.
A prime example of the use of an historic framework is the private alley behind the Pillsbury A-Mill in southeast Minneapolis. There is a successful integration of the needs of cars, pedestrians and the built environment. The alley’s hard surface has a mix of materials, colors and textures. The area is curb-free, allowing for accessibility. Trees and landscape materials soften the space but do not dominate it. Modern design elements and lighting are integrated into the streetscape. The street design plans provided at the meeting do not take the elements of historic character into consideration such as:
• Repairing rather than replacing historic site features.
• Replacing in-kind a feature that is too deteriorated to repair or using a compatible substitute material.
• Identifying, retaining and preserving building and landscape features that significantly contribute to the overall historic character of the setting. Features can include roads, tracks, street lights and open spaces.
• Retaining the historic relationship between buildings and the landscape.
The Logan Park Industrial Street Reconstruction Project could strengthen the unique character of the area by accommodating safer, inclusive and more efficient transportation. Or the project may create a new, generic streetscape for the area that meets the Minneapolis Complete Streets Policy but does not answer the needs of the current businesses and users. Project planning is now on a fast track for City Council approval in early 2025.
If Quincy and the other streets in the project are to maintain their historic charm the preservation of unique character must be addressed. A palette of materials and street design approaches need to be tailored to each of the streets in the project area. Graphics that clearly convey the relationship between the street, boulevard, walks and buildings must be provided. The cultural and economic future of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District depends on keeping Logan Park Industrial a unique place where people can work, create and play daily.
Contact the city staff representatives and make your opinions known on the Logan Park Industrial Street Reconstruction Project:
Katie White, Senior Transportation Planner Public Works, 612-283-2097 katie.white@minneapolismn.gov
Andrew Schmitz, Associate Transportation Planner Public Works, 612-673-2721, andrew.schmitz@minneapolismn.gov
Setting up for Art-A-Whirl® on Quincy Street.(Mina Adsit)