Bruce
@uptownbpackb.bsky.social
left leaning, Minneapolis, MPLS, Housing, GC who builds and renovates classic smaller 1-5 unit housing- involved with affordable housing that helps with instability/homelessness solutions
Just had my first trick or treaters at 7:30 so they got 5-10 candy bars each- 1 kid looked at his Mom and said - did you see how much I got? We live on a well traveled street- will be passing out candy all weekend to kids
November 1, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Just had my first trick or treaters at 7:30 so they got 5-10 candy bars each- 1 kid looked at his Mom and said - did you see how much I got? We live on a well traveled street- will be passing out candy all weekend to kids
My neighbor and I stopped a guy from stealing power tools/chainsaw from my garage yesterday. He had everything loaded up and we chased him down until he dropped everything and kept running. Do I bother to even report it to police as they don't even investigate theft anymore?
October 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
My neighbor and I stopped a guy from stealing power tools/chainsaw from my garage yesterday. He had everything loaded up and we chased him down until he dropped everything and kept running. Do I bother to even report it to police as they don't even investigate theft anymore?
This is a VERY interesting idea.
Converting empty downtown office buildings into apartments is possible, but it will require us to legalize a form of housing that has been illegal for a century: SROs.
www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-...
www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-...
Converting Offices to Tiny Apartments Could Add Low-Cost Housing
Los Angeles and Houston could add thousands of low-cost housing units to their downtowns by converting vacant office buildings to “tiny apartments” with shared kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms, a...
www.pewtrusts.org
February 15, 2025 at 4:36 PM
This is a VERY interesting idea.
Got an e mail from a group called "We Love Minneapolis". Anyone know if this is an old group with a new name? This isn't the group that opposed the 2040 plan, is it?
February 11, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Got an e mail from a group called "We Love Minneapolis". Anyone know if this is an old group with a new name? This isn't the group that opposed the 2040 plan, is it?
Was at a city housing meeting and people wanted to know why the city isn't making sure family sized rental housing is being built. Had to explain the city doesn't build anything and almost nothing is being built as it would all be built at a loss right now. People have a hard time believing it.
January 11, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Was at a city housing meeting and people wanted to know why the city isn't making sure family sized rental housing is being built. Had to explain the city doesn't build anything and almost nothing is being built as it would all be built at a loss right now. People have a hard time believing it.
Reposted by Bruce
Just an FYI when talking about city/town budgets:
December 27, 2024 at 8:37 PM
Just an FYI when talking about city/town budgets:
Was at a housing meeting and a renter talked about how its so tough to meet rent now days, how come the city can't bring down the costs or rent. I talked to her afterwards and explained as someone who supplies housing to people, my costs keep going up like a 15% increase in MPLS tax bills,
December 17, 2024 at 4:29 PM
Was at a housing meeting and a renter talked about how its so tough to meet rent now days, how come the city can't bring down the costs or rent. I talked to her afterwards and explained as someone who supplies housing to people, my costs keep going up like a 15% increase in MPLS tax bills,
Reposted by Bruce
#UptownDead report!
Don’t look now but not one, not two, but three new spots opened or announced on the same block of Hennepin between 31st and Lake in the last month. Good signs for a post-construction Uptown comeback.
December 16, 2024 at 3:27 PM
#UptownDead report!
Reposted by Bruce
Minnesota's Sierra Club chapter deserves immense credit for their consistent strength on urbanist policy. Active leadership in support for every pro-housing reform that's happened recently! Saint Paul's 4plex legalization, keeping the Minneapolis 2040 Plan alive, statewide single-stair reform...
This place is too cozy, so let me be a little provocative:
In the last 5 years or so, the climate movement had the opportunity to pivot away from No No No (fighting/blocking things) to Yes Yes Yes (supporting abundance, more RE, more housing, more building).
But ...
In the last 5 years or so, the climate movement had the opportunity to pivot away from No No No (fighting/blocking things) to Yes Yes Yes (supporting abundance, more RE, more housing, more building).
But ...
November 22, 2024 at 8:48 PM
Minnesota's Sierra Club chapter deserves immense credit for their consistent strength on urbanist policy. Active leadership in support for every pro-housing reform that's happened recently! Saint Paul's 4plex legalization, keeping the Minneapolis 2040 Plan alive, statewide single-stair reform...