[Mpls] "Reverse eminent domain"/ How Mpls. would dispense land held for the public good

[PennBroKeith at cs.com]

The City of Mpls. is proposing to dispense major public parking land to a 
private property owner on West Broadway. The City of Mpls.'s CPED, with Eric 
Hanson of CPED as City rep, proposes to make a deal with the private property 
owner at 927 West Broadway regarding two City lots that are currently the sum 
total public offstreet parking behind the 901-927 block of West Broadway. 

Mpls's CPED, and Eric Hanson, propose that the highest public-good for this 
publicly held parking area, is to sell one parking lot, and lease the other 
adjacent parking lot, to the owner of 927 West Broadway for the practically 
exclusive use of his proposed new tenant; the Henn. County Probation Dept. That 
building, on the western corner of the block, has approximately 45 feet of West 
Bro frontage. The full frontage length of the block is about 330 feet. The 
building, which represents about 15% of the land on the block, would essentially 
(with some lease language exceptions on the leased lot) require and control all 
the adjacent, offstreet parking.
 
To reiterate and explain this matter further: The City holds/owns, for the 
highest public good, the sole two offstreet parking lots behind the whole 
901-927 West Broadway block. These two lots, to the South, behind the storefronts, 
go from one end of the block to the other; parallel to, and south of, the 
alley. This is a block of West Bro (southside of street) that has half a dozen 
buildings on it; shoulder to shoulder, and with little available parking. These 
half a dozen buildings have many businesses and many residential occupants, and 
they have ALL, historically, relied on this PUBLIC parking area. 

The huge new "Sports Dome" building, and business that just opened at 901 
West Bro, for example, will need access to parking during business hours, and 
beyond, to succeed. It is a RETAIL use; with apartments above. I believe 
City/CPED policy should not virtually eliminate "Sports Dome"s fair access to public 
parking it rightfully anticipated. The other buildings on the block are 
occupied by many existing, independent small businesses, too. Again, the proposed use 
at 927 West Bro. is as a County probation office. Although needed and welcome 
to site itself on the Avenue, it is neither "neighborhood" nor "business". I 
do not think this office development proposal, with it's stated need for near 
total dominance of what has been public parking deserves support. The downside 
to the whole block and all other stakeholders is total. Losing most all off 
street public parking access in favor of a non-business use may be dismally bad 
public policy.

My belief is that we must preserve the current, FULL public access to these 
publicly held parking lots. It is essential, for existing stakeholders' parking 
needs that I speak up clearly, now. Further, it is essential that someone be 
a voice for the parking needs of future stakeholders on this block. Future 
businesses and stakeholders that we have not yet met; but we know will be coming 
here. It is right and prudent to preserve access to this adjacent public 
parking to all stakeholders. It is the right way to create and maintain a vital 
West Broadway. We must plan for the short term, medium term, and long term 
parking needs of the block when we deal out land held in the public trust. 

CPED, Eric Hanson, City Civic Leaders: Please model the best policy for the 
public good: Do not assign the whole commercial block's off street parking to 
one smaller stakeholder with his non-retail proposed use.  Keep this publicly 
held parking accessible to all, including the public. Keep it public.

Keith Reitman    Property owner on this great Avenue but not near this block