Businesses, residents, and the City team up to make Uptown a better place to visit or call home
Cooperation between Uptown businesses, residents, and City government has led to a number of new initiatives that are making Uptown a vibrant place for business and visitors, while still being a great place for residents to call home. A task force has developed a number of initiatives to reduce noise and address other livability concerns expressed by area residents, and those changes are already making a difference in the neighborhood.
10th Ward Council Member Meg Tuthill created the Uptown Outdoor Area Task Force to bring together representatives from Uptown businesses and restaurants, including Parasole Restaurant Holdings, area residents, the hospitality industry, Minneapolis Police, the City’s Regulatory Services Department, and the offices of City Council Members Lisa Goodman, Gary Schiff, and Elizabeth Glidden. The task force initiated action in a number of areas, including better parking and taxi options, reduced noise from outdoor patio areas, and additional police patrols in the area.
Some of the initiatives and changes that have been put in place include:
- Parking and taxi options that help keep visitors’ vehicles out of the neighborhoods. Fewer people parked in the neighborhood means less noise and disruption in residential areas late at night.
- A number of new taxi stands have been put in place in the Uptown area, making it easier for customers to take a cab instead of parking in the neighborhood.
- Businesses are exploring ways to encourage visitors to park in the area’s parking ramps instead of in the surrounding neighborhoods. The recently opened Mozaic ramp adds more than 400 new off-street parking spaces in the heart of Uptown.
- Reducing noise in outdoor areas, especially late in the evening
- Additional police patrols sponsored by a number of businesses.
- Businesses have funded additional police patrols in the area around Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street Thursday through Saturday nights. This extra law enforcement presence helps reduce and respond to livability offenses that negatively affect neighborhoods.
- Better outdoor area management and communication with customers to help everyone have a good time out on the town while being considerate of people who live in the area.
- Businesses instituted a “Hush” campaign, which involves posting messages on tables, in entryways, and in outdoor areas reminding customers to keep the noise down late at night.
- Businesses have stepped up employee training so they can help their customers understand the importance of being good neighbors to the surrounding area.
- City business licensing made improvements to its application process, recognizing that business owners are able to take proactive measures to reduce the impact their outdoor areas have on the greater community.
- The Fifth Precinct instituted a security plan review as licenses come up for renewal to ensure businesses have effective security plans.
Published Sep. 21, 2012