The redevelopment projects being planned in Downtown Northfield have initiated quite a bit of conversation throughout the community. While the design of the new buildings might be the most prevalent topic, the more practical topic of parking is well in the mix. How the developments will affect parking, where will parking be removed and how will that parking be replaced are questions that are being asked by local residents and members of the City Council.
Some of those questions are easily answered. For example, the 50 parking spaces along the Cannon River on Water Street are scheduled to be removed and converted to green space for an area the development plans call “The Promenade.” The need for those fifty spaces has been worked into the 280-space parking complex that will be built on the corner of 5th & Washington, which will also offer housing, smaller retail space, and will be home to the new Northfield Municipal Liquor Store.
Some questions are not so easily answered. The 60-room hotel that is planned for the space currently occupied by the Northfield Liquor Store and the McGuire building does not include any parking at all in the design plans, the idea being that 40 spaces in the new parking complex will be used at any one time by hotel occupants. The complex itself is being built on a 90-space public parking lot. With a “net gain” of 18 parking spots, questions remain as to whether the new complex will offer sufficient parking throughout the year.
During the City Council work session where the new designs were revealed, both City Administrator Ben Martig and Michael Lander, whose development group is the city’s partner in the downtown projects, said that 70% of the parking in Downtown Northfield is privately owned, yet is used only 30% of the time. Conversely, 30% of the parking is public, and those spaces are in use 60% of the time. During his presentation, Lander spoke of the need for a Parking Management Plan. Martig seemed to imply that there could be a need for some of the private parking space to be made public.
“So how do you maximize that really limited quantity of prime real estate that we have in our community? There’s a lot of discussion. [We have opinions that run everywhere from] ‘we don’t need any more parking’ to ‘we need lots and lots of more parking.’ And where we wind up will probably be somewhere in between. But I think one thing is we need to be smarter about how we use our parking. That is going to be part of [the conversation.]”
Another public parking complex on the corner of 3rd & Washington Streets has been discussed as well. That would include space currently occupied by an apartment complex owned by Rebound Partners at 304 Washington along with the two public parking lots on either side. However, very few details about such a development have been offered.
Crazy Daze will mix longstanding tradition, new events, and bargains
Crazy Daze, Northfield’s annual shopping event, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will be tomorrow as local shop owners and merchants shut down Division Street to offer bargains, food and family-oriented activities.
Sales and events will be happening throughout Downtown Northfield. Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce President Jane Bartho said more than 40 businesses not located downtown will have booths on Division Street as well. Other businesses, she said, will celebrate with sales at their locations.
There will be many family-friendly events. The US Army will set up a rock-climbing wall near 5th Street. Cannon Rivers Senior Living will have face painting and a spinning wheel for giveaways. Euroworx Automotive Specialists will have cornhole games set up in their booth. Three Links Care Center will give away an iRobot Vacuum. Post Consumer Brands will sell cereal on Bridge Square. The Blast Northfield will offer a special ice cream cookie sandwich with cookies made at CakeWalk. The Rare Pair will hold their traditional hula hoop contest at 2:00pm.
Northfield Emergency Vehicles including fire engines and ambulances will be on display near 5th Street as well as a Benjamin Bus supplied school bus.
Bartho said the Sundowners Car Club will hold their annual classic car and jeep show outside the VFW around 5:00pm.
“Literally thousands come down for Crazy Daze. It’ll go on, rain or shine. The Sundowner group will have the antique autos down on the South side of Division Street. And then the Jeeps! Chad Johnson helps me get a bunch of just tricked out jeeps on the other side of the road. And so that’ll be going into the early evening. It is the best day of July.”
The Chamber of Commerce will also have a booth at Bridge Square where they will have Chamber Bucks for sale which can be used at businesses during Crazy Daze.
Crazy Daze will run tomorrow on Division Street from 7:00am to 7:00pm.
Author Sauve honored with an “IPPY”
And Murder at Minnesota Point, a book written by Northfield author Jeffrey M. Sauve, has received a Bronze Award for Best Midwestern Non-Fiction Book from the 2023 Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Conducted annually to honor the year’s best independently published books, the “IPPY” Awards recognize excellence in a broad range of styles and subjects.
Murder at Minnesota Point, which was published by North Star Editions in Mendota Heights, tells the true story of the murder of an unidentified woman on the shores of Minnesota Point, in Duluth, that was billed as “The Crime of the Century” in 1894.
Sauve, a well-respected former archivist with St. Olaf College, said he was thrilled to learn he had won the award, calling it “the culmination of the positive reception the book has received from readers worldwide.”
Now in its fourth printing, Murder at Minnesota Point has indeed proven to be a very popular read. Sauve, who has given talks and readings about the book at the Northfield Public library and the Northfield Historical Society, will give a talk at FiftyNorth on Saturday, August 24th, from 1-2:30pm.
For more information on the IPPY Awards, visit ippyawards.com, and for more information on Murder at Minnesota Point, visit northstareditions.com
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
