The New Streets

Which picture do you like better?

"The groundbreaking manual for walkable urban thoroughfares jointly created by the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), "Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach," is a draft no more.The manual provides welcome relief from conventional design guidelines that prescribe wider lanes and faster speeds to move more automobile traffic, with almost no regard for the environment created for pedestrians or the ability of the street to support sidewalk commerce such as sidewalk cafes and storefront businesses." (1000 Friends of Minnesota website)

Lets make Main and Broadway diagonal parking as well as some side streets.

The American Crystal Palace

Artist, David Danielson from Roseau offers this great idea:  "I have been brainstorming about the Palace/Wayne Hotel. I'm hoping for the best with the Artspace meeting. Nonprofits have been hit hard by the downturn in the economy, though. Have you thought about corporate branding with iconic symbolism? How about renaming the Palace/Wayne the American Crystal Palace, celebrating what the Crookston region is mostly about "Sugar". People always like something sweet and I think would stop in Crookston for that free bag of sugar or sugar concoction or sugar related nicknack. A sugarbeet sculpture would be kitschy but no more kitschy than Paul and Babe.
 A coffeeshop with special gourmet crystal sugar condiments, historical museum of sugar production ,migrant workers etc. The building is large enough to house that and artspace, a large restaurant and museum space for french heritage(a heraldic sculpture of an oxcart )and other specialty stores, and of course adjunct university facilities.
 The Iconic symbolism comes into play in peoples imaginations(especially children's who want to have their pictures taken with it). Paul and Babe are the perfect folk art Iconic Symbols celebrating their region, I'm sure 99.9 percent of people in this area have stood by Paul and Babe, and why Bemidji is a tourist destination and Grand Rapids isn't so much. I'm sure American Crystal Sugar would be interested in helping in renovation along with all the sugar beet farmers and everyone else, by catering to their self interest, giving them a piece of the project. The more they give the larger the plaque or engraved brick(or hand prints in concrete) they get on the building(Roseau has done this successfully putting in a 300,000 fireplace in the library, and recently a large Gazebo in a park). There is really no reason why something grand can't be done. Roseau resurrected their old creamery building which was just a shell with no roof or windows. A group of local  private investors scrapped together 3 million, attracted one of the largest restaurant(250 seat) chains in Winnipeg. Put the Polaris Experience in and a coffeeshop. Its still a success, so if a one horse town can do it, theres no reason why Crookston can't."

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Embodied Energy

"Many believe that to have a green building, everything must grow out of the newest technologies. This approach solves one problem by introducing another: Demolishing old buildings is inefficient. When a building is torn down, its "embodied energy"--the energy already exerted to create and gather the materials, and then construct the structure--is wasted. Moreover, materials from that demolished building could end up in a landfill. The National Trust for Historic Preservation estimates that one-quarter of the municipal waste stream consists of construction debris. And according to a 2004 report by the Brookings Institution, such demolition could add up to a big problem: About one-third of the U.S. building stock will be taken down and replaced by 2030."

Two year goal for Crookston!

The people of Crookston are speaking up about working together. And they are saying that Crookston is a great all-around place to be. As part of that vision, where do we want to be in two years? In two years, the next "bonding bill" year for the State Legislature, I want to see the "Northwest Centre for the Arts" or "Second Street Arts Centre" project successfully funded. OK, so we haven't even enjoyed our visit from "Artspace" yet I can see it, can you?

The former Wayne Hotel and former Cathedral on Ash Street are by now cleaned up through successful grant applications and donations. The spaces on the main floor of the Hotel and the former Cathedral will become working and performing art spaces for all kinds of artists, young and old: sculptors, pottery makers, metal workers, painters, musicians, actors,  photographers, video movie designers, and dancers, and the balance of funding will come from the State.

I've offered to Polk County free grantwriting services on the former Wayne Hotel for the roof and the clean up. I am already working on these grant apps for the Cathedral. In two years, I want to see Crookston written up in the news as a successful funded bonding bill project. We will need to drop our personal agendas and work together to make this happen, not just talk about it one way in public and another way in private.  Can we do that?  I have hope.

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Four New Prayers for Crookston!

One Prayer answered, Two need more Prayers, and add Four!

That community leaders prioritize developing housing and businesses downtown, Answered!

That the banks of Crookston reconsider sponsoring an affordable housing program grant application for the Union Building, the missing piece to the funding package.

That a developer comes forth to develop housing in the former Professional Building. 

That all of Crookston and area artists show up for the “Artspace” events.

That “Artspace” will choose to develop the Wayne/Palace Hotel.

Strengthen the hearts of Polk County Board Commissioners to endure the Wayne/Palace problem a bit longer.

That our younger generations speak up and encourage us when we are sad, apathetic, negative, or avoiding difficult problems.

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The Heart of the Problem

The heart of the problem is this: 'Downtown revitalization is essentially a real estate exercise: to make a downtown 'succeed' economically, there needs to be enough sales activity taking place there to generate sales levels high enough for the businesses to afford the rent levels that property owners need to rehabilitate and maintain their buildings.

 

Kaddatz Artists Lofts, Fergus Falls, MN developed by "Artspace!"

Sales --> Rents --> Maintenance and Rehabilitation' (Kennedy Lawson Smith) How do we do this is the question. Historic Preservation for housing is one way, a proven way, a green way, and one that may just 'salvage' downtown.

Encouraging the growth and activities of the Fine Arts is another proven method.  Watch this space for news of the upcoming "Artspace" 2-Day Visit to Crookston!  America's Leading Nonprofit Real Estate Developer for the Arts / Artspace's Mission is to create, foster, and preserve affordable space for artists + arts orgs!

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Nine Reasons to Develop Downtown Crookston

1. Downtowns are an extremely efficient land use form.
2. Downtowns represent an enormous amount of investment already in place.
3. A downtown's historic buildings provide a distinctive market identity for the community.
4. Downtowns attract and cultivate independent, locally-owned, businesses.
5. Downtowns create new jobs.
6. Downtown development minimizes air pollution.
7. Downtowns are true civic places.
8. Downtown revitalization is the ultimate form of recycling.
9. Downtowns are places where true innovation often occurs.

from "Why Downtowns (Should) Matter to Planning Commissioners" by Kenneth Lawson Smith

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