business

Matt's Bar and Nye's Polonaise Room have more significant value to the city's social and entertainment history than the Shubert Theater. The two key Minneapolis city government staffers who reviewed the Shubert's lore and correctly recommended demolition were ignored by a city council blinded by the pixie dust sprinkled in the council chambers by preservatonists who made starry, starry night inflated claims about the crumbling Shubert's sentimental pedigree and architectural importance. The Shubert should have been demolished, and a new arts building constructed at the 5th and Hennepin property. Several local architects---Joan Miro and the TEA2 partners among them---could have produced a magnificent, iconic theater arts classic.

A dead, fiscal behemoth with no prospect for financial viability. Let it remind our children for generations to come how public money is squandered by a small cast of liberal elites.

Oh, come on, it's a civic tradition. Along with Target Center, the Twins Stadium, the Metrodome, and the Convention Center. None are viable without subsidies. At least the Schubert doesn't come with its own personal special tax, like the Twins and the Convention Center.

Move it to Burnsville. Oh, I forgot. They already have an empty performing arts center.

My guess is that all the complaints about the shubert theater renovation are from folks who live in the suburbs. While the movement of the shubert from block e to it's current location wasn't the wisest or most economical decision, demolition of this historic theater would have been just another example of Minneapolis tearing down it's past for a very bleak future. 25% of the jobs created would be reserved for local, low-income minority residents(the "welfare" cases as some conservatives like to label) paying a living wage. The corner of 5th and Hennepin is a very sad block, possible the worst downtown. Having the shubert and Hennepin County Center for Performance Arts will finally be the piece that will complete this historic theater district. I was just in New York City and was blown away by the active nightlife. Multiple 24 hour establishments, lots of bright ads, and loads of foot traffic. It doesn't take a genius to make the connection: Better lighting and more eyes on the street=less crime. Size is the major difference between the two cities but, Minneapolis is only second to NY in # of theaters. Point is downtown Minneapolis is of state wide importance with cultural icons known world wide. Weather you like it or not Minneapolis deserves financial support as we currently give back more than we are getting. The private sector has already kicked in $20 million out of $38 million with the city, state and now the feds picking up the rest. This is about as good a deal as you can get. The Twins are paying less than a third for their new stadium and the Vikings plan on doing the same. To all the doubters and naysayers, I say don't go. After all it will be a success weather you attend or not. Besides it's not being built for you. It's to keep our children off the streets. It's to give them a chance to do something that they are passionate about.

Lets see, they'll pay somebody $350,000 to select the historically correct windows, $400,000 to do an EPA study on the impact to pigeons of the new windows, $700,000 to the city of Mpls for permits to do the work, $150,000 for a kick-off party for the Mayor and other city dignitaries...yeah we might get one or two windows for $2 million. Sounds like a good deal to me.

right, best line in the whole piece!

move to NY

That's fine, but will these two buildings be accessible via the skyway so that kids and young woman don't have to be walking past strip clubs to get to their dance recitals? I sure hope so. Most of my coworkers don't even feel safe walking down Hennepin Ave.

right wingers speak out against funding the arts.. I think I'm going to faint.