In June and August, the Hill & Lake Press, with help from East Isles Neighborhood Association board member Brian Lammers, conducted a very informal survey of Uptown businesses along Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street.
Our goal was to interview businesspeople to get a feel for how Uptown businesses are faring a few months out from the completion of the Hennepin Avenue construction and this winter’s immigration enforcement disruption. Both of those long-lasting events decreased the number of people visiting Uptown.
Outside of the responses to our survey, which we report on below, we have a few general conclusions. First, the businesspeople in Uptown are an amazingly friendly, thoughtful, creative and community-spirited group. It was a pleasure to talk with them. Second, they expressed a lot of optimism about Uptown and the positive changes they have seen happening. Third, the increased police presence in Uptown has made a huge difference in how comfortable they and their customers feel about being in Uptown. Finally, almost every one of them stressed how important it is for residents to be out and about in Uptown and to buy local.
It is a welcoming crew. As Hilary Otey, owner and co-founder of Queermunity, said, “We would love to have more local residents visit us.”
Who We Talked To
The three short questions we asked were forward-looking: As of today, what is your greatest challenge as a business in Uptown? What are the two most important things the city, county or local agencies could do today to help your business? And is there anything else you’d like to tell the city, county or local residents?
Our sample of 16 businesses included restaurants, retailers, coffee shops, hair salons, cannabis dispensaries and tobacco shops. It included legacy institutions such as Bobby Bead and Uncommon Grounds and brand-new businesses such as CCJ Lazo Barber Shop and Cali Cannabis.
The people we talked to were owners, managers and employees, all with strong points of view.
Parking and Empty Storefronts
Here is what we found. The answer to the first question, the greatest challenge, was a tie between parking and needing more businesses in Uptown.
“ My greatest challenge is being in a desolate building.”
— Sheri Hanshaw, owner of the salon Mon Cher Ami
As the manager of Hennepin Tobacco told us, “Our customers have a tough time parking. We are lucky to have a small alcove in the curb in front of the store where people can pull in and run in and out. Without that it would be even worse.”
The empty storefronts in Uptown can be depressing to both businesses and customers. Sheri Hanshaw, owner of the salon Mon Cher Ami in the Seven Points mall, told us, “My greatest challenge is being in a desolate building.”
Public safety comes first
The top answer to the second question, how the city, county and local agencies could help, was to focus on public safety.
Not surprisingly, the shooting at Reign has affected the businesses as more customers again express fear about coming to Uptown. The businesses greatly appreciate the successful work — one called it remarkable — of reducing public drug use and the number of people living on the streets.
Along with the appreciation for improved day-to-day public safety in Uptown, many of the business owners expressed compassion for the people suffering from addiction and lack of housing and wanted more societal resources spent on helping them.
A close second in importance on that question was the need for more support for businesses through lowering barriers to entry for small businesses, funding to get started or expand, improving the licensing process, communicating better about changes in ordinances and policies, and listening more to businesses..
Working to get more and more affordable parking was a close third in importance.
Show up and shop local
It was in the answers to the third question, what else they would like to tell the city, county or local residents, that the clearest message came through.
Everyone, including the city, county, businesses, institutions and local residents, needs to collaborate to bring more people and local businesses to Uptown.
“Shop local and support your neighborhood!”
Aaron Blaser, founder and chief executive of Curioso Coffee, said it succinctly, “Shop local and support your neighborhood!”
Ellen van Iwaarden writes for the Hill & Lake Press. She lives in East Isles.
