[Mpls] 35W Access Project- Unpublished Op Ed piece regarding tomorrow's City Council vote

[Chris Johnson]

WizardMarks wrote:

> It's also good that Abbott wants to put their corporate headquarters 
> in the Sears Building. Having them as an anchor tenant makes the whole 
> Sears project more doable (more likely to make money than become a 
> money pit). Corporate HQs also mean jobs for people around here.


This is not accurate.

It's not Abbott, but Allina Hospitals & Clinics, who is the proposed 
tennant at the Sears Building, and who is twisting the arms of 
politicians and citizens far and wide to get freeway ramps built for 
their convenience.

Allina Hospitals & Clinics was formerly part of Allina Health Systems.  
Allina Health Systems headquarters was on Smetana Road in Minnetonka.  
Allina Hospitals & Clinics operate 13 different hospitals, of which 
Abbott Northwest is just one.

The current headquarters for Allina Hospitals & Clinics is located at 
710 East 24th Street in Minneapolis.  That is to say, if they move their 
HQ to Sears, they will be moving about 4 blocks south and 2 blocks east.

If there are still workers and jobs remaining in Minnetonka in their old 
Gateway North headquarters building which will be moving to their new 
HQ, it still does not mean "jobs for people around here."  Those pink 
and white collar jobs are already taken by current employees who will 
simply commute to a different office.

Keeping or getting Allina's HQ building in Minneapolis is not going to 
produce any appreciable new jobs for the neighborhood.

Chris Johnson
Fulton