Fractured fairy tales from a 50-something
Brookdale Center needs to go the way of Apache Plaza
23Jun2010 Filed under: Ranting Author: bobwayneBrookdale Center is as big an eyesore as Apache Plaza was. So rather than this “pie in the sky” idea of creating a mega entertainment center that has no connection or appeal to the local population, why not bull doze the thing and build a sensible combination of office, retail, restaurants, apartments, condos and anchor it with a Walmart or an Aldi? Silver Lake Village (formerly Apache Plaza) is the kind of development that could really help turn around the property values in this community. And draw in young professionals who would like to own homes within an easy 10 minute drive of downtown Minneapolis.
With the dearth of grocery and restaurant options in the Camden/ Brooklyn Center area, something like this would be a welcome change. And shopping has pretty much ground to a halt in this area with the death of the mall. We already have a mega theater in the area. And the idea that a “recording studio” is going to provide enough income to cover expenses and taxes is a “pipe dream.”
We need a sensible developer with a strong background in solid, successful projects to take this mall and turn it into something that truly integrates and supports the local community. And adds to the tax rolls. The owner of the Miracle Empowerment Center does not have the track record to make something like this happen. This project cannot be done on a “shoestring.” only a real developer can get the kind of financial backing to make this a success.
Let’s learn from the success of the Apache Plaza makeover and get this done right.
2 Responses to “Brookdale Center needs to go the way of Apache Plaza”
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Eric
July 8th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Well said! It’s funny because I was just talking with my pops about this over the holiday (but I guess it’s no surprise since I grew up in Brooklyn Park and remember Brookdale as a knee-high). At any rate, we really need to put a stop to these shallow minded disasters that pollute our communities as much as the trash they tear down. And I don’t just mean “STOP”. Like you say, if Silver Lake Village is a positive example, let’s see how that idea can work for us.
bobwayne
March 9th, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Wal-Mart jumps in to salvage Brookdale site: Wal-Mart will anchor a large new retail development targeted to open by mid-2014, with a 150,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Super Center that will include a grocery store, Gatlin’s president, Loren Van Der Slik, said in an interview Friday. The developer will tear down most of what’s there, and build or redevelop an additional 435,000 square feet of leasable retail space, he said.
Shingle Creek, a brook that runs through the property, will get a makeover. Plans call for excavating the creek from beneath the parking lot where it currently runs, giving it daylight and creating a green creekscape and bike path to connect with one that runs along Bass Lake Road.