Minnesota
Linden Hills businesses struggle, consider closing as construction delays continue
MINNEAPOLIS — For Everett & Charlie Gallery curator Suzie Marty, picking her favorite work of art in her Linden Hills business, which features work exclusively from Minnesota artists, is like picking her favorite child.
There’s just one big problem of late.
“It’s just crickets out here right now,” said Marty.
Marti said she saw just six customers all day Saturday. That number should be closer to 20 or 30.
All you have to do is walk outside to 43rd and Upton to find the cause: Sewer, water main and new bus line construction by the city of Minneapolis and Metro Transit.
Work was scheduled to finish mid-summer. That date has now moved to sometime in the fall.
“It has hurt our Linden Hills businesses severely,” said Marty.
Marty said she has had to cut staff and close early some days.
“Quite honestly, I can’t afford to pay them when there’s not any revenue coming in the way it used to be,” said Marty.
The Linden Hills Neighborhood Council said the delays from unexpected subsurface issues have dropped area business by as much as 60 percent.
The council said some businesses are considering closure.
“Having this hit us at the busiest time of the year for us has been brutal,” said Kyle O’Hara, General Manager at Tilia.
Business is about half of what it was last year and is almost worse than it was during the pandemic restrictions of 2020, O’Hara said. Construction delays have compounded frustrations.
“They promised a certain deadline and as it approached it would be another month, another two months,” said O’Hara.
Both O’Hara and Marty said communication from both the city and Metro Transit has been lacking, only improving very recently. A spokesperson for Metro Transit said business outreach has been ongoing, beginning from the planning stages.
Business owners said people going out of their way during this time has been crucial, as local businesses try to survive at a time of the year they should be thriving.
“I’ve had two different customers come in and they have specifically said ‘I’m here to support the Linden Hills businesses’ and they purposely are purchasing,” said Marty. “I almost burst into tears the other day, quite honestly.”
“We truly appreciate all those people very very much,” she said.
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MN weather: Severe thunderstorms expected in Twin Cities
Some severe thunderstorms are expected across Minnesota Saturday night. A large portion of the state has a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 1 a.m. Sunday.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Severe thunderstorms are working their way from the northwest of Minnesota down across the state, ultimately expected to hit the Twin Cities.
What to expect
Thunderstorms are expected to be strong to severe at times, with a severe thunderstorm watch in place until 1 a.m. Sunday for a large portion of the state, including most of the Twin Cities.
These storms are moving toward the Twin Cities from the northwest. Damaging wind gusts from 60 to 70 mph and large hail of 1 to 2.5 inches in diameter are possible. These storms are moving south and east across central and southern Minnesota.
A tornado warning has been issued for Kandiyohi and Meeker counties until 10 p.m. There also is a severe thunderstorm warning issued for Carver, Hennepin and Wright counties until 10:30 p.m. Storms are moving southeast at 30 mph, with an expected wind gust of 60 mph.
There is a severe thunderstorm warning in the areas of Litchfield, New London and Spicer until 9:45 p.m. The National Weather Service (NWS) says this storm could include golf ball-sized hail.
There was a tornado warning in St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park Saturday night.
Hail has been reported in Stearns County where there was a tornado warning.
These storms are expected to dissipate by midnight Saturday, leading into a calm Sunday.
Hail and storm damage
As severe storms hit across Minnesota, coming from the northwest into the Twin Cities Saturday, large hail fell in many parts of the state.
Storm damage in Melrose
Damage from severe storms hit Melrose, Minnesota Saturday evening from strong winds.
Power outages
A large cluster of roughly 2,300 power outages was reported near Albany, Minnesota at about 8:45 p.m., but most of those outages were resolved and power restored before 10 p.m. Another cluster of about 2,500 outages was reported at about 9:40 p.m. between Forest Lake and Wyoming. Check the Xcel outage map here.
Minnesota
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