I would like to open up dialogue about emerging real estate development in St. Anthony Park in the near future.
It appears that most of us all know about Ned Wesenberg’s plans to knock down the Healy Building and the adjacent building as well in late 2015 or early 2016. I have discussed this matter with other St. Anthony Park residents and most of these people say that this new development of a three-and-a-halfstory apartment building with an underground garage on Como Avenue is a welcome prospect to the community. Some residents say that the small local businesses here are struggling with lower sales as many consumers are now buying everything online instead of supporting local stores.
There may be some merit to this point as regards more apartment residents as prospective buyers with St. Anthony Park retailers: Finnish Bistro, Dunn Bros. Coffee, the Little Wine Shop, Bibelot, Micawber’s Books, Carter Ave. Frame Shop and other vendors. However, the jury is out in terms of whether or not future residents of local apartment buildings will indeed become local St. Anthony Park retail buyers.
At any rate there should be some kind of dialogue about these matters as the nearby Dinkytown community did not think much about development in their community and now there are way too many seven-story apartment buildings with no foresight as to local planning of such tall buildings and the destruction and relocation of small businesses in Dinkytown proper.
To conclude, I suggest that we open up dialogue in regard to future development so we can preserve the very special “small-town” Mayberry community on Como Avenue in 2015—2020.
Robb Quast, St. Anthony Park
