Al's Breakfast safe from divisive Dinkytown development

Donate To GopherHole
BleedGopher

BleedGopher

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
61,972
Reaction score
18,166
Points
113
per the STrib's vita.mn:

Plans for a major Dinkytown development have some people shouting “Save Al’s Breakfast.” But here’s the thing: The 14-stool a.m. treasure (413 14th Av. SE., Mpls.) isn’t going anywhere. “I told those guys that they can be there for as long as they want to be there,” said landlord Paul Dzubnar. “They are unbelievable tenants. Al’s is an institution, and I feel so blessed to have them there. I have no plans to move them, ever.”

While the controversial Opus Development Co. project is coming close to Al’s, it’s not replacing it. Ditto neighboring Kafe 421 and Wally’s Falafel & Hummus. Still, the Opus proposal will require the demolition of Duffy’s Dinkytown Pizza.

The biggest change will be the demolition of the one-story brick building that houses the House of Hanson convenience store, the Podium guitar and sheet-music retailer and the Book House bookstore. All three Dinkytown landmarks are just a few doors down 14th Avenue from Al’s, a proximity that might be causing confusion among the don’t-mess-with-our-blueberry/walnut-pancakes crowd.

http://www.vita.mn/crawl/213163281.html

Go Gophers!!
 

My wife who is a Consultant for a private firm is the lead Project Manager for this development project. She and her team are excited to get going.
 

The Save Dinkytown group put out a lot of misleading information, and let even worse assumptions by the general public run wild. This development doesn't even butt up against Al's. In all the hullabaloo created by the people running The Book House (the owner and employee are spearheading Save Dinkytown's efforts), people are forgetting what the actual outcomes are for the stakeholders. The HoH (and the building housing the other 2 shops) owner WANTS to sell. The owner of the parking lot has stated that revenues have been dropping and it is no longer profitable (hey! what a wonderful thing for an urban area!). The Book House found a location IN DINKYTOWN (proving once again that keeping the 'character' of the locally-owned shops in the area is not impossible at all). Everyone needs to calm down a little. The likelihood that the parcel Al's is sitting on would be redeveloped is pretty slim given its size (and even if it were, does anyone think Al's as an 'institution' vs 'physical location' would cease to exist?).

This brings up a bigger point on what Dinkytown is, and what is worth 'saving.' Dinkytown today is different than when I was an undergrad a mere 6-8 years ago (no more Dinkytowner below Blarney, Five Guys is in, The Steak Knife is now Tony's Diner, etc etc etc). And my Dinkytown was different than the one students experienced in the late 90s (heck, even Burrito Loco moved to their new digs in like 2004), 80s, 60s, 40s (does anyone think that Annie's, the Library, Erik's Bike Shop, Shuang Cheng, etc were there in 1950?). Change is natural. If we hold developers to good urban design the area will retain charm. And if we remove barriers to incremental development, what we'll end up with is MORE Dinkytown. Slow expansion of the things we love up in to Marcy Holmes or west along 4th/University (or east if the U was willing to create buildings that could lease out street-fronting space). This is a great thing!
 

What do we think that Al's pays in rent? 10 feet wide and maybe 30 feet long?
 

I have a feeling the Book House folks are looking for a few bucks here. That's it.
 


AO54 said:
What do we think that Al's pays in rent? 10 feet wide and maybe 30 feet long?
Click to expand...

I expect there are not too many businesses that are looking for space of that size in Dinky Town. In Amsterdam your tax assessment was based on the amount of frontage you had so there are a lot of residents and businesses there that have the same feel as Al's.
 

BleedGopher said:
per the STrib's vita.mn:

Plans for a major Dinkytown development have some people shouting “Save Al’s Breakfast.” But here’s the thing: The 14-stool a.m. treasure (413 14th Av. SE., Mpls.) isn’t going anywhere. “I told those guys that they can be there for as long as they want to be there,” said landlord Paul Dzubnar. “They are unbelievable tenants. Al’s is an institution, and I feel so blessed to have them there. I have no plans to move them, ever.”

While the controversial Opus Development Co. project is coming close to Al’s, it’s not replacing it. Ditto neighboring Kafe 421 and Wally’s Falafel & Hummus. Still, the Opus proposal will require the demolition of Duffy’s Dinkytown Pizza.

The biggest change will be the demolition of the one-story brick building that houses the House of Hanson convenience store, the Podium guitar and sheet-music retailer and the Book House bookstore. All three Dinkytown landmarks are just a few doors down 14th Avenue from Al’s, a proximity that might be causing confusion among the don’t-mess-with-our-blueberry/walnut-pancakes crowd.

http://www.vita.mn/crawl/213163281.html

Go Gophers!!
Click to expand...

I lived above Duffy's in college. It was a really, really crappy apartment, but this still saddens me.
 

positively4thstreet said:
I lived above Duffy's in college. It was a really, really crappy apartment, but this still saddens me.
Click to expand...

It's amazing Duffy's is still standing. That place was a hole when we moved out and they actually raised the rent on the next tenants.

It's always sad when a place gets torn down that had so many memories of misspent youth.
 

gophergrad said:
It's amazing Duffy's is still standing. That place was a hole when we moved out and they actually raised the rent on the next tenants.

It's always sad when a place gets torn down that had so many memories of misspent youth.
Click to expand...


Plus, you know, the pizza was garbage.
 





I was at the planning commission meeting, and pretty sure I heard the Duffy's owners saying they will be re-opening in the new complex.
 

I lived in and around Dinkytown most of my time at the U and I don't give a crap if they bulldozed the whole neighborhood. Most of the buildings are eyesores at best and at worst deathtraps. To this day I wish nothing but misery and sorrow upon the landlords of Dinkytown.
 



The only block of Dinkytown that's worth "saving" is the block with Annie's, the Loring Pasta Bar, Varsity Theatre etc...

The rest of the architecture is mainly crap and anything new will be an upgrade. The House of Hanson building that's coming down is a utilitarian brick square.

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/carls064/freealonzo/100_0234.jpg
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom