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Block E (Minneapolis)
Encyclopedia
Block E is the name of a block in downtown Minneapolis bounded by Hennepin Avenue
, 6th Street, 7th Street, and 1st Avenue North. It is part of the Downtown West
neighborhood in Minneapolis. It is one block south of the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue
light rail
station on the Hiawatha Line
.
In the mid to late 19th century, the commercial and political hub of Minneapolis was Bridge Square, at the convergence of Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues. Most of the early commercial activity in Minneapolis took place there.
However, Bridge Square lost its status as the hub of Minneapolis by the turn of the 19th century. Retail stores clustered on Nicollet Avenue for many blocks south of Washington Ave. The Jeweler's Exchange Building, at the intersection of First Avenue North and Seventh Street, was built in 1913 (it was six stories high). The Shubert theater (the Alvin Theater for a time and The Academy after that), was built in 1910 on 7th St.
The block was crowded by buildings constructed at the end of the 1900s, with the only survivor being the Shubert Theater (now on Hennepin between 5th and 6th streets). Arcade galleries, pool halls, ice cream stores, credit agencies, and theaters were among the many tenants.
After 1950, as the rest of downtown gentrified, especially as the part of the Gateway District
east of Hennepin was demolished and replaced with modern structures and parking lots, lower Hennepin Avenue became known as a place for drunks, crime, and prostitution. Block E was the center of the squalor. One of the city's most seedy bars, Moby Dicks, was known for its "Whale of a Drink." Unsavory establishments, including bars, flophouses, and adult movie theaters settled in on Block E. The Hennepin face was anchored at each end by a Shinder's newsstand, each of which sold pornography. The chain began at the 6th Street corner in 1916 and later split into two companies, framing the block as bookends might at opposite corners.
However, the block by the 1980s was one of the choice places for punks and became a breeding ground for punk music, and was also known for its cheap rent, drawing such establishments as Rifle Sport Gallery
. By the mid-1980s, the Minneapolis police had a paddy wagon parked more or less permanently between the contraflow bus lane and the northbound traffic lanes.
Other establishments along Block E included The Rand Hotel, Brady's Pub, and a McDonald's "Town House" restaurant franchised by McTeufel Inc.
A three-second shot of the Shubert/Alvin/World theater can be seen in Purple Rain
. The theater is the only surviving structure from Block E, having been moved a block north to a new location on Hennepin Avenue. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest structure ever moved on rubber-wheeled dollies.
By 1987, the city council voted to demolish the entire Hennepin side of the block, giving tenants a limited amount of time to relocate. Moby Dick's and Rifle Sport Gallery
did not survive the move, although the owner of Moby's briefly ran a bar called Melville's on Washington Avenue. The 7th Street Shinder's moved to a former Burger King at 8th and Hennepin, and the 6th Street Shinder's moved to 9th and Nicollet. (By 2007, both locations had closed.)
The city had an official celebration of its decision, during which they symbolically smashed up the adult stores, exploded "balloons arranged to look like sticks of dynamite", and Council Member Van White
led a song to the tune of "Bye Bye Blackbird
":
"Pack up all your crime and porn,
Block or scorn, be reborn,
Bye bye Block E"
"Moby Dick's is beached at last,
Problems vast, now are past,
Bye bye Block E"
"No one here can stop and aggravate us,
No more hard-luck stories will deflate us,
Say goodbye to urban blight,
Now we'll light up the night,
Bye bye Block E."
Citizens who had enjoyed Block E also had a celebration. Called "The True Tribute and Farewell to Block E", the celebration was held at First Avenue and showcased photographs, films, and salvaged signage of the block.
. In the mid-1990s, the Jewelers Exchange Building on 1st Avenue was also torn down. The only structures remaining on the block were the Shubert Theater and a two-story billboard advertisement. The Shubert was moved next to the Hennepin Center for the Arts
by the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center
in 1997.
The entire block is currently occupied by an enclosed shopping and entertainment mall of the same name, Block E, which was developed by McCaffery Interests, a Chicago-based real estate developer, and constructed in 2001. The mall housed establishments such as Shout House Dueling Piano Bar, Applebee's
restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe
, and an AMC
movie theater. The five-star Graves 601 luxury hotel occupies a majority of the block's frontage on First Avenue, and is 22 stories high. Other chains include Jimmy John's
, Starbucks
, Cold Stone Creamery
, and GameStop
.
The new Block E is accessible from street level, and loosely models itself after buildings which previously existed on the site (specifically on Hennepin). The development also serves as an important link in Minneapolis's skyway
system, connecting Target Center
to City Center.
Supporters of the project expect that the new Block E will bring back retail that has historically left Hennepin Avenue for other enclosed malls clustered on the Nicollet Mall
as well as in suburban malls. In re-establishing the "character" of Hennepin as a Theater District, the new block E also attempts to promote itself as "Block Entertainment".
Snyder's Drugs, one of the original tenants, closed its location just barely a year after the complex opened. Borders, another of the original tenants, closed its Block E location on February 2, 2008. The club Escape Ultra Lounge, closed in July 2007. The upscale restaurant and night club Bellanote closed in July 2009.
According to a February 12, 2010 article in the Twin Cities Business Journal, The Block E Hooters restaurant in downtown Minneapolis owes more than $350,000 in rent, utilities, taxes and penalties.
On Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Gameworks has closed its doors.
On March 16, 2010 Kieran's Irish Pub, originally established in 1994, took over the space previously occupied by Bellanotte. The owner of Kieran's, Kieran Folliard, signed a 10 year lease with the building that offers two 5 year extension options.
On August 24, 2010 Hooters was officially closed. The owners currently owe more than $350,000 in back rent and taxes.
On March 13, 2011 the Applebee's restaurant closed its doors.
On September 7, 2011, it was announced that the Block E Hard Rock Cafe would close on September 30th.
A state run casino has been proposed for Block E, as a potential funding source for a Minnesota Vikings Stadium..
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/05/block_e_casino_plans_unveiled.php
Hennepin Avenue
Hennepin Avenue is a major street in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It runs from Lakewood Cemetery , north through the Uptown District of Southwest Minneapolis, through the former "Bottleneck" area west of Loring Park, through the North Loop in the city center, to Northeast Minneapolis and...
, 6th Street, 7th Street, and 1st Avenue North. It is part of the Downtown West
Downtown West, Minneapolis
Downtown West is an official neighborhood in Minneapolis, part of the larger Central community. It is the heart of downtown Minneapolis , containing the bulk of high-rise office buildings in the city, and is what comes to mind when most Minneapolitans think of "downtown"...
neighborhood in Minneapolis. It is one block south of the Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue
Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue (Hiawatha Line station)
The Warehouse District/Hennepin Avenue station is a light rail station on the Hiawatha Line in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This was the original northern terminus of the line until the new Target Field station opened on November 14, 2009 to provide access to the new Northstar Commuter Rail line.The...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
station on the Hiawatha Line
Hiawatha Line
The Hiawatha Line is a light rail corridor in Hennepin County, Minnesota that extends from downtown Minneapolis to the southern suburb of Bloomington. It was formerly known as the Hiawatha Line named after Hiawatha Avenue. Major connections on the line include the Minneapolis-St...
.
1850 - 1950
In its early days, Block E contained mansions and row houses. The mansions on Hennepin between 6th and 7th were gone at least by 1908 when the block acquired its row of small commercial buildings that remained largely unchanged into the 1980s.In the mid to late 19th century, the commercial and political hub of Minneapolis was Bridge Square, at the convergence of Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues. Most of the early commercial activity in Minneapolis took place there.
However, Bridge Square lost its status as the hub of Minneapolis by the turn of the 19th century. Retail stores clustered on Nicollet Avenue for many blocks south of Washington Ave. The Jeweler's Exchange Building, at the intersection of First Avenue North and Seventh Street, was built in 1913 (it was six stories high). The Shubert theater (the Alvin Theater for a time and The Academy after that), was built in 1910 on 7th St.
The block was crowded by buildings constructed at the end of the 1900s, with the only survivor being the Shubert Theater (now on Hennepin between 5th and 6th streets). Arcade galleries, pool halls, ice cream stores, credit agencies, and theaters were among the many tenants.
1950 - 1988
Gateway District
The Gateway District is a large open air retail, residential and office complex in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The complex is centered around the historic Union Pacific Depot in downtown Salt Lake City...
east of Hennepin was demolished and replaced with modern structures and parking lots, lower Hennepin Avenue became known as a place for drunks, crime, and prostitution. Block E was the center of the squalor. One of the city's most seedy bars, Moby Dicks, was known for its "Whale of a Drink." Unsavory establishments, including bars, flophouses, and adult movie theaters settled in on Block E. The Hennepin face was anchored at each end by a Shinder's newsstand, each of which sold pornography. The chain began at the 6th Street corner in 1916 and later split into two companies, framing the block as bookends might at opposite corners.
However, the block by the 1980s was one of the choice places for punks and became a breeding ground for punk music, and was also known for its cheap rent, drawing such establishments as Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery was open from 1985 to 1988 in the Block E segment of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, USA. It was considered an underground component of the Minneapolis art scene and is fondly remembered by many....
. By the mid-1980s, the Minneapolis police had a paddy wagon parked more or less permanently between the contraflow bus lane and the northbound traffic lanes.
Other establishments along Block E included The Rand Hotel, Brady's Pub, and a McDonald's "Town House" restaurant franchised by McTeufel Inc.
A three-second shot of the Shubert/Alvin/World theater can be seen in Purple Rain
Purple Rain (film)
Purple Rain is a 1984 film directed by Albert Magnoli and written by Magnoli and William Blinn. Prince makes his film debut in this movie, which was developed to showcase his particular talents, hence, the film contains several extended concert sequences. The film grossed more than US$80 million at...
. The theater is the only surviving structure from Block E, having been moved a block north to a new location on Hennepin Avenue. It is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest structure ever moved on rubber-wheeled dollies.
By 1987, the city council voted to demolish the entire Hennepin side of the block, giving tenants a limited amount of time to relocate. Moby Dick's and Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery
Rifle Sport Gallery was open from 1985 to 1988 in the Block E segment of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, USA. It was considered an underground component of the Minneapolis art scene and is fondly remembered by many....
did not survive the move, although the owner of Moby's briefly ran a bar called Melville's on Washington Avenue. The 7th Street Shinder's moved to a former Burger King at 8th and Hennepin, and the 6th Street Shinder's moved to 9th and Nicollet. (By 2007, both locations had closed.)
The city had an official celebration of its decision, during which they symbolically smashed up the adult stores, exploded "balloons arranged to look like sticks of dynamite", and Council Member Van White
Van Freeman White
Van Freeman White was a politician from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was the first African-American to be elected to the Minneapolis City Council. He served from 1980-1989....
led a song to the tune of "Bye Bye Blackbird
Bye Bye Blackbird
"Bye, Bye, Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by the American composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926.- Song information :...
":
"Pack up all your crime and porn,
Block or scorn, be reborn,
Bye bye Block E"
"Moby Dick's is beached at last,
Problems vast, now are past,
Bye bye Block E"
"No one here can stop and aggravate us,
No more hard-luck stories will deflate us,
Say goodbye to urban blight,
Now we'll light up the night,
Bye bye Block E."
Citizens who had enjoyed Block E also had a celebration. Called "The True Tribute and Farewell to Block E", the celebration was held at First Avenue and showcased photographs, films, and salvaged signage of the block.
1988 - 2001
For over a decade, the Hennepin side of the block was a surface-level parking lotParking lot
A parking lot , also known as car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. Usually, the term refers to a dedicated area that has been provided with a durable or semi-durable surface....
. In the mid-1990s, the Jewelers Exchange Building on 1st Avenue was also torn down. The only structures remaining on the block were the Shubert Theater and a two-story billboard advertisement. The Shubert was moved next to the Hennepin Center for the Arts
Hennepin Center for the Arts
The Hennepin Center for the Arts was built in 1888 as a Masonic Temple. The structure was built by Long and Kees in the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. In 1978, it was purchased and underwent a renovation to become the HCA. It is located at 528 Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis,...
by the Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center
Minnesota Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center
The Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts is a flagship center for dance in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota dedicated to providing a performance, rehearsal and administrative home to more than 20 Minnesota arts organizations and educational resources statewide...
in 1997.
2001 - Present
Applebee's
Applebee’s International, Inc., is an American company which develops, franchises, and operates the Applebee's Neighborhood Grill and Bar restaurant chain. As of September 2011, there were 2,010 restaurants operating system-wide in the United States, one U.S. territory and 14 other countries...
restaurant, Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe is a chain of theme restaurants founded in 1971 by Americans Peter Morton & Isaac Tigrett. In 1979, the cafe began covering its walls with rock and roll memorabilia, a tradition which expanded to others in the chain. In 2006, Hard Rock was sold to the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and...
, and an AMC
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
movie theater. The five-star Graves 601 luxury hotel occupies a majority of the block's frontage on First Avenue, and is 22 stories high. Other chains include Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's
Jimmy John's is a franchised sandwich restaurant founded by Jimmy John Liautaud in 1983 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The franchise has over 1000 locations in 39 states and has opened approximately 200 units per year for the last three years...
, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
, Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery
Cold Stone Creamery is an American-based ice cream parlor chain. The company, based in Scottsdale, Arizona, is owned and operated by Kahala Franchising, L.L.C. The company's main product is premium ice cream, or ice cream made with approximately 12-14% butterfat, that is made on location and...
, and GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
.
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
system, connecting Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
to City Center.
Supporters of the project expect that the new Block E will bring back retail that has historically left Hennepin Avenue for other enclosed malls clustered on the Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall
Nicollet Mall is a portion of Nicollet Avenue running through downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Working as a pedestrian and transit mall, it is also an upscale shopping and dining district...
as well as in suburban malls. In re-establishing the "character" of Hennepin as a Theater District, the new block E also attempts to promote itself as "Block Entertainment".
Snyder's Drugs, one of the original tenants, closed its location just barely a year after the complex opened. Borders, another of the original tenants, closed its Block E location on February 2, 2008. The club Escape Ultra Lounge, closed in July 2007. The upscale restaurant and night club Bellanote closed in July 2009.
According to a February 12, 2010 article in the Twin Cities Business Journal, The Block E Hooters restaurant in downtown Minneapolis owes more than $350,000 in rent, utilities, taxes and penalties.
On Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Gameworks has closed its doors.
On March 16, 2010 Kieran's Irish Pub, originally established in 1994, took over the space previously occupied by Bellanotte. The owner of Kieran's, Kieran Folliard, signed a 10 year lease with the building that offers two 5 year extension options.
On August 24, 2010 Hooters was officially closed. The owners currently owe more than $350,000 in back rent and taxes.
On March 13, 2011 the Applebee's restaurant closed its doors.
On September 7, 2011, it was announced that the Block E Hard Rock Cafe would close on September 30th.
A state run casino has been proposed for Block E, as a potential funding source for a Minnesota Vikings Stadium..
http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2011/05/block_e_casino_plans_unveiled.php
External links
- 1908 photo of Hennepin side of Block E at MN Historical Society
- Emporis.com site for the Graves
- Q: When is a Mall Not a Mall, A: When It's Block E
- Looking down First Avenue North towards sixth street