Borders out. Snyders out. Bellanote out. Gameworks out. Hooters, well, who knows.
This section from Vita.mn’s piece about Kieran’s moving into Block E does a good job of summing up the situation:
As it now stands, Block E possesses a movie theater and a few chain restaurants — let’s pick that apart. With a limited number of downtown residents, the complex’s success hinges on 2.5 million other metro dwellers as well as tourists. But an Applebee’s? A multiplex? Folks in Plymouth and Eden Prairie already have those options, and don’t need to waste parking expenses and gas to get to them. Block E offers little unique draw, but maybe [Kieran] Folliard can be a torchbearer for change. “I think we just need a few more local, independent operators coming in here to bring some local flair, energy and attention,” Folliard says.
My idea?
A Downtown Global Market.
It hit me a few weeks ago while eating at the Midtown Global Market that THIS (I mean, really!), this, should have been what Block E is; a unique draw; perfect for the downtown lunch crowd; great for families; an opportunity for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
Obviously the situation is pretty complex — with the horrid design of the building itself, the managing interests involved (ULLICO, McCaffery), and the fact that the Midtown Global Market has had its issues as well (though, according to the Strib, it’s doing much better now).
But still, worth a shot, right?
