Many businesses look at fleeing Minneapolis
Many businesses look at fleeing Minneapolis
Jazz Shaw
August 10, 2020
"A few days ago, John explored the story of how as many as one-third of the currently serving police officers in Minneapolis may be taking an early exit from their careers and the dearth of potential replacements available. While it’s hard to blame the cops for considering clearing out of town under the current conditions, they may have company as they’re loading up the U-Haul rental trucks. A number of business owners in Minneapolis appear to have had it with their properties being smashed, emptied and set on fire. And if some semblance of normalcy and security can’t be restored, they will be looking to relocate to somewhere safer and taking all of their jobs with them.
A new survey by the Downtown Council shows 45 business owners say they are considering leaving downtown – citing the lack of people working or socializing downtown – and the idea that the police department could be dismantled.
Though they won’t say which businesses are considering pulling out of downtown, the council says one of the businesses employs 600 people.
That could mean a lot of empty spaces.
“We are seeing a lot of restaurants take a hit right now,” says realtor Kris Lindahl. He says to expect shared kitchens for restaurants and smaller spaces in general.
One factor in these decisions is definitely the government restrictions and social distancing requirements imposed on all businesses. Restaurants and bars in particular have had a rough time of it, but retail stores aren’t much better off. Limiting customer access to as little as one-quarter capacity and having fewer checkout stations translates to long lines and not all customers are willing to wait. Conducting business outdoors simply isn’t an option for everyone, and that’s particularly true in Minnesota when winter rolls around.
But those aren’t the only reasons that these employers are looking at pulling up stakes. The Downtown Council notes that virtually all of the owners thinking of moving on cited as a concern “the idea that the police department could be dismantled.”
Does this honestly come as a surprise to anyone? The need for a police department became glaringly obvious during the recent riots, particularly when they failed to show up. But even if the city somehow manages to return to a more “normal” state (whatever that means these days), you still need cops to discourage criminals who might otherwise go on emptying the stores anyway. And customers will not be as willing to come to the downtown area to go shopping if they don’t feel secure."
https://www.newsbreak.com/minnesota...0/many-businesses-look-at-fleeing-minneapolis
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Source: Many businesses look at fleeing Minneapolis
Many businesses look at fleeing Minneapolis
Jazz Shaw
August 10, 2020
"A few days ago, John explored the story of how as many as one-third of the currently serving police officers in Minneapolis may be taking an early exit from their careers and the dearth of potential replacements available. While it’s hard to blame the cops for considering clearing out of town under the current conditions, they may have company as they’re loading up the U-Haul rental trucks. A number of business owners in Minneapolis appear to have had it with their properties being smashed, emptied and set on fire. And if some semblance of normalcy and security can’t be restored, they will be looking to relocate to somewhere safer and taking all of their jobs with them.
A new survey by the Downtown Council shows 45 business owners say they are considering leaving downtown – citing the lack of people working or socializing downtown – and the idea that the police department could be dismantled.
Though they won’t say which businesses are considering pulling out of downtown, the council says one of the businesses employs 600 people.
That could mean a lot of empty spaces.
“We are seeing a lot of restaurants take a hit right now,” says realtor Kris Lindahl. He says to expect shared kitchens for restaurants and smaller spaces in general.
One factor in these decisions is definitely the government restrictions and social distancing requirements imposed on all businesses. Restaurants and bars in particular have had a rough time of it, but retail stores aren’t much better off. Limiting customer access to as little as one-quarter capacity and having fewer checkout stations translates to long lines and not all customers are willing to wait. Conducting business outdoors simply isn’t an option for everyone, and that’s particularly true in Minnesota when winter rolls around.
But those aren’t the only reasons that these employers are looking at pulling up stakes. The Downtown Council notes that virtually all of the owners thinking of moving on cited as a concern “the idea that the police department could be dismantled.”
Does this honestly come as a surprise to anyone? The need for a police department became glaringly obvious during the recent riots, particularly when they failed to show up. But even if the city somehow manages to return to a more “normal” state (whatever that means these days), you still need cops to discourage criminals who might otherwise go on emptying the stores anyway. And customers will not be as willing to come to the downtown area to go shopping if they don’t feel secure."
https://www.newsbreak.com/minnesota...0/many-businesses-look-at-fleeing-minneapolis
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Source: Many businesses look at fleeing Minneapolis
