On Tuesday, December 4, the Zoning and Planning Committee denied the Minneapolis Public Schools ongoing request to pave over yet more land along West Broadway. CM Goodman led the charge, asking why land was taken off the tax rolls and yet the Public School system was still asking for more. She was later corrected about her understanding of how that acquisition happened, as the MPS had ownership of the parcels in question for some time.
Which brings me to a side point. The back half of the existing parking lot had some absolutely gorgeous houses on them. I remember gazing wistfully upon those homes, knowing they would be demolished, and wishing there was an alternative. Little did I know that an alternative to demolition did in fact exist. MPS could have put in half a block of parking behind their building, half a block on the site proposed now, and left between five and ten historic structures standing. (And, I might add, still on the tax rolls)
I'm not the only one who didn't have the whole story. For instance, the MPS representatives didn't even know...
