If you’re looking for a great downtown event this week, stop in the Downtown Northfield, MN Post Office on Wednesday, November 2nd, and wish it a Happy (Historic) Birthday.

Then, later in the month, join the Public Forum on the City of Northfield Streetscape Task Force’s “Gateways” Project.  It’s Monday, November 21st, 5:oo to 7:00 p.m., location to be determined.

The City Council wanted the funds to be used for improving streets, repairing the river wall by the Ames Mill dam, and building a public parking lot as well as other downtown improvements to be planned later.  The limited supply of parking downtown and its threat to economic vitality had been documented since the 1978 University of Minnesota Northfield River Corridor Plan and was subsequently corroborated by the 2001 Walker Parking Study.

Realizing that the sunset of the TIF District was approaching, a group of City Councilors and the City Administrator formed the Downtown Improvement Group in 2003, a task force charged with prioritizing projects for the District’s proceeds.  Their projects included a drinking fountain in Bridge Square and crosswalk pavers at pedestrian connections around Bridge Square and the western approach to the Pedestrian Bridge over the Cannon River.

The Mayor’s Streetscape Task Force was created in 2005 in an effort to increase private citizen input from downtown stakeholders.  For the next two years, the group discussed community priorities and considered potential projects, including such concepts as visitor way-finding, pedestrian safety, and public space enhancements.  As was the case back in 1986 when the District was established, creating additional parking was a priority for the downtown stakeholders in 2005.

In 2008 and 2009 Streetscape Funds were used to finance City infrastructure projects, such as the 5th Street reconstruction, the 4th Street reconstruction, and the Ames Mill Dam retaining wall, as well as Task Force-supported projects such as the Riverside Bike Trail Extension and the Sesquicentennial Legacy Plaza.  By the end of 2010, $2.3 million of the approximately $4.6 million in projected revenues had been spent.  Many Streetscape Task Force members, although supportive of the projects implemented, expressed concerns that some priority projects, especially the expansion of downtown parking, were not being considered.

During 2010 a new City Administrator assisted the Task Force in converting these priority projects, including parking, into specific recommendations.  The Task Force presented their recommended projects to the City Council in the form of a matrix that related each project to the 2006 Downtown Framework Plan, including brief descriptions and estimated costs, and totaling an amount that was within the remaining projected revenues for the TIF District.

The City Council reacted with considerable sticker-shock at the budgeted amount for the Task Force’s top-ranked priority: increasing the supply of downtown parking. In addition, the members of the 2010 City Council expressed interest in spending some of the money outside of downtown.

Recently, when downtown stakeholders became aware that their top-priority was set aside, they reacted with alarm. They gathered dozens of signatures from downtown building and business owners urging the City Council to support the Task Force’s recommended parking project on Washington Street between 3rd St. and 4th St.

There is currently enough revenue projected for the TIF District to pay for the Task Force’s long-standing recommendations as well as the City Council’s recent additions.  Downtown stakeholders hope that the long-needed parking project will continue to move forward and that this economically critical investment in downtown will be implemented before the TIF District expires.

One of the NDDC’s founders, Bardwell Smith, is Professor Emeritus of Religion and Asian Studies at Carleton College.  The organization has always had at least one board member from each of the colleges.  In addition, the NDDC has conducted annual outreach campaigns during major college events such as New Student Week, Family Weekend, Commencement Weekend, Reunion Weekend, and Homecoming Weekend.  Each year, the college presidents have been the NDDC’s guests at a Downtown Forum.  Finally, the organization has led or participated in many community projects that were powered by Carleton and/or St. Olaf College students.

The  NDDC’s relationship with Carleton and St. Olaf has not been solely focused on marketing the downtown to the college communities.  The organization has looked to the colleges for ideas and leadership, as well as time, talent, and “tithes”.  Increasingly, the NDDC has sought input from the colleges’ employees and students for clues in predicting and building downtown Northfield’s economic future.

The writers of Northfield’s 2006 Comprehensive Economic Development Plan confirmed the NDDC’s long-standing strategy.  Among the tactics cited in the plan were engaging the leadership of the colleges, connecting with current and former students, and reaching out to alumni entrepreneurs.  The NDDC has always been and will continue to be a leader within the local economic development community for these initiatives of college-community collaboration.

About two years ago, at the suggestion of St. Olaf College President David Anderson, and later with the added support of Carleton College President Steve Poskanzer, the NDDC began meeting regularly with key players at the colleges.  The goal was to broaden and deepen college-community collaborations for mutual benefit.

One of the new initiatives that this group developed was alumni entrepreneur recruitment.  In addition to promoting downtown Northfield as a marketplace, we wanted to promote it as a business location, particularly to the graduates of Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges. We introduced the concept for the first time at this year’s Homecoming Weekends.

It was just the “beta test” for a new tactic in this larger strategy.  Already, there are proposed changes to both the message and method.  However, we got it out there, as evidenced by this photo.

Photo courtesy of Griff Wigley.

Most citizens, the City Council, and the leadership of the Task Force agreed that the closing of the downtown post office would have an adverse impact on Northfield.  An average of 500 people a day visit the facility, bringing valuable vitality to our downtown.  Over 250 businesses in downtown benefit from the current location of these supportive services.  Approximately 400 residents are within walking distance of the facility.  Closing the downtown post office would hurt the local economy and the loss of the central location would be a hardship for the entire community.

The Task Force has worked hard the last month to raise awareness within the community of this threat, encourage citizens to contact the USPS and the Minnesota congressional delegation, enlist allies, both political and media, whenever possible, and work with the USPS to pursue a more promising solution to their business problem.  At a meeting on April 22nd, Task Force members and USPS staff agreed to work collaboratively to find a “win-win” solution, one that helps the post office address their operating costs and keeps the service counter in the historic building.

There are only three more weeks before the recommendation of the Northland District in Minneapolis is forwarded to the Western Regional Office in Denver.  It is time for the community to intensify its efforts.  The City Council is leading the charge by asking the USPS  to rescind its decision.  The Minnesota congressional delegation is supporting these efforts through communication with USPS leadership.  We need your help too.

If you haven’t yet sent a letter to the USPS or signed a petition, we need you to do it today.  We greatly appreciate your support.  All of the background information and contact details can be found by clicking here.

On April 5 the United States Post Office (USPS) announced their decision to sell Northfield’s downtown Post Office building and relocate window service to the Carrier Annex on Cannon Road. A final decision will be made on June 3. The Northfield community has until then to try to reverse this decision!  A Save Our Post Office (SOPO) Task Force

The SOPO Strategy:

• Raise public awareness about the potential post office closure
• Enlist support to lobby the USPS to keep postal services downtown
• Challenge the proposed USPS business model
• Prepare creative alternative plans to keep postal service downtown

Your Help Is Needed! Here is what you can do:

1. Sign a SOPO petition: on the Northfield News and Northfield PATCH websites, or at downtown locations including the  the Used a Bit Shop, the Northfield News, Antiques of Northfield, and Goodbye Blue Monday Coffeehouse.

2. Write a letter stating why downtown postal services matter to you, your business, and our downtown economy and community. Send a letters to either (or both):

Natalie Sorvari, Consumer Affairs Mgr
Anthony Williams, Regional District Mgr
United States Postal Service/Northland District, 100 S. 1st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401

3. Submit a comment: Go to the USPS website and at the top of that webpage click on ”Customer Service”, and then click on “Send Us an Email”. Select “problem” on the drop down menu and send a comment saying why the loss of our downtown Post Office is a problem for your household/business and/or downtown Northfield.

4. Encourage your friends/neighbors to help “Keep the Postal Service in our downtown!”

Why Save the downtown Post Office?

• A downtown postal presence is crucial to our downtown economy
• More than 260 downtown businesses/offices rely on downtown postal window service
• More than 400 households are within blocks of the downtown Post Office and rely on it
• The downtown facility draws an estimated 500 persons a day and these “feet on the street” help to support our downtown economy (and provide reliable revenue for USPS!)
• The Carrier Annex is NOT a convenient location for most Northfield residents and businesses.
• The USPS needs to economize, but the proposed move to the Carrier Annex is not a good way to achieve efficiency.  It will hurt our downtown economy and lose the USPS its customer base in Northfield.

Northfield still has a vibrant downtown economy – help us keep it that way!

The 60-day period for public comment has begun.  The clock is literally ticking.  As “Downtown” Councilors Nakasian and Buckheit said, “Grab your pens, boys; they’re threatening our post office”.

We were informed by the USPS staff that the decision would not be made by Anthony Williams in the Northland District Office in Minneapolis but by someone in the Denver, CO office. They wouldn’t give us a name. We were told to direct all mail to:

Natalie Sorvari, Manager, Consumer Affairs, Northland District
US Postal Service
100 S. 1st St. RM 115
Minneapolis, MN 55401

For many of us present, it seemed that the public comment period might just be USPS staff going through the motions mandated by law.  Although we plan to continue to fulfill our part of the process, we are beginning to shift some of our resources toward the elected officials.  Concerned citizens are encouraged to write to our Congressmen and Senators at the following addresses:

Congressman John Kline
Minnesota Office
101 West Burnsville Parkway, Suite 201
Burnsville, MN 55337
Phone: (952) 808-1213

Congressman Tim Walz
Rochester Office
1130 1/2 7th St NW, Suite 208
Rochester, MN 55901
507-206-0643

Senator Amy Klobuchar
Southern Office
1134 7th Street NW
Rochester, MN 55901
Main Line: 507-288-5321

Senator Al Franken
Saint Paul Office
60 East Plato Blvd
Suite 220
Saint Paul, MN 55107
(651) 221-1016

At the conclusion of the meeting between citizens and the USPS, the City Council asked the public for recommendations for their roles in the next steps.  There seemed to be general agreement that the City Council should work to get the Congressmen and Senators to visit downtown Northfield and witness our historic post office in its true context.

Anthony Williams, Regional District Manager
Northland District
United States Postal Service
100 First Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401-9990

Dear Mr. Williams:

The board of directors of the Northfield Downtown Development Corporation (NDDC) strongly urges the Postal Service to drop from consideration its proposed relocation of Northfield’s Post Office to the Carrier Annex located in an industrial zone in the city’s far southwest corner.  Closing the downtown post office would not be in the best interest of Northfield or the Postal Service. 

Northfield is not a suburb where virtually any business location is equally convenient — or inconvenient — for citizens who are accustomed to driving miles to each destination.  Northfield’s vital downtown remains central to all parts of the community.  Yet, unlike an urban central city, it also remains an easy, convenient destination for drivers, bicyclists and the hundreds of residents who live within easy walking distance.  Northfield’s Post Office is in the very center of this dynamic district.

Downtown Northfield is so vital because it remains the location of a wide range of businesses in a city that grew 17% in the past decade.  From super markets, hardware stores and auto repair services to specialty retailers, from office businesses to production operations, from lodging and restaurants to housing, downtown is truly the business center of this community.  Nowhere else can the post office be so conveniently located for so many customers.  Nowhere else can the post office remain an essential contributor to building on this vitality.

For the past eleven years, the NDDC — a non-profit organization supported by private citizens, businesses throughout the community and the City — has worked to support and build downtown Northfield’s energy and quality.  We collaborate with the City, businesses, Northfield’s two nationally renowned colleges and other organizations toward this essential community goal. We would welcome an opportunity to work with the Postal Service toward a solution that keeps this essential service located in downtown Northfield.

Sincerely,

Gregory Kneser, President

The United State Postal Service (USPS) has proposed closing the historic Northfield Post Office.  The structure, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1936 during the height of the Great Depression, and is not only a cornerstone of the Northfield Downtown Historic District but of the downtown Northfield business district.

The NDDC believes that the closure of the Downtown Post Office would damage the downtown economy and that the loss would affect the entire community.

Topics at the Forum will include: 1) the current situation and background information, 2) the process for closure and citizen appeal, and 3) important messages and key contacts.  The NDDC will also encourage people to attend the City Council Meeting that night, at which there will be a presentation by USPS staff.

The NDDC is a non-partisan, non-profit community organization dedicated to the vitality and vibrancy of downtown Northfield. The event is free and open to the public. As always, coffee and cookies will be served.

For more information, contact Executive Director Ross Currier at (507) 663-0319 or rcurrier@nddc.org.

Photo courtesy of Griff Wigley.

The City of Northfield had announced that assisting private parties with property protection in non-emergency situations is #6 on a list of 9 items in its Emergency Protocol for flooding.  In response, the NDDC staff posted background information and met with a number of building and business owners who had suffered greatly during the most recent flood to learn of their preparations.

We found that property owners had been researching strategies and tactics from flood-threatened communities along the Red and Minnesota Rivers.  In fact, informally led by Kurt Larson of Larson’s Printing, they’d come together with a plan (and materials) to prepare and store sandbags.  They said that they could use some help implementing their plan.

When NDDC President (and St. Olaf College Dean of Students) Greg Kneser heard of this need, he offered to send the word out to St. Olaf College students.  On Friday, March 18th, the Oles descended on the west side of the river and filled and hauled sandbags with the building owners.  Greg can be seen tying off a bag at the right.

Hopefully, the cool, dry weather will last long enough to avoid another flood.  If not, thanks, in part, to Greg and his Oles, the Westsiders are a little more prepared.

Anthony Williams, Regional District Manager
Northland District
United States Postal Service
100 1st Street
Minneapolis, MN 55401-9990

Dear Mr. Williams,

We are writing to respond to your recent letter to Mayor Mary Rossing in which you state that you are considering a consolidation of USPS operations in Northfield, Minnesota to the USPS “Carrier Annex,” two miles south of our downtown.  In our view, the proposed consolidation does not make economic sense for the USPS and is not in the interest of the Northfield community.

If the objective of the USPS is to pursue improved efficiency, it’s hard to see how that outcome is served by the proposed consolidation.  As you surely know, the Carrier Annex is located on the southern-most boundary of our City. What’s more, USPS documents estimate that it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to expand that building and parking lot so that they can handle the services that are provided at your more convenient downtown location. That expenditure is likely to be met with a significant decline in revenue as local residents and businesses turn to your competitors. The best place for a postal presence in Northfield is right where you are – on the historic village green, Bridge Square, in the heart of our downtown.

A postal presence in downtown Northfield is an economic necessity for our community.  Northfield has a vibrant downtown commercial district and one of the reasons for that vitality is the presence of two key service destinations – the Northfield Carnegie Public Library and the Bridge Square Post Office. The downtown Post Office has a constant flow of commercial and residential customers, six days a week.  250 commercial enterprises (many of them small businesses) are located within walking distance of the Post Office. With the steadily rising percentage of downtown residents, our citizens and businesses rely on the postal box and window services available at the downtown facility. The loss of this traffic would be devastating. Moreover, forcing customers to undertake a four-mile round trip to conduct daily postal business is likely to lose you customers, and what business you do retain would require an unwelcome increase of vehicular traffic and carbon emissions in our community.

Your records indicate a drop in customer visits to the downtown Post Office from 2009 to 2010. We would offer that during those two years, there was substantial downtown road construction, much of it immediately adjacent to the Post Office as the City reconstructed portions of 4th and 5th Streets and the riverfront between 4th and 5th Streets.  We imagine that some folks made other arrangements during the months that traffic was rerouted. It would be unfortunate if a permanent decision were to be based on a temporary cause.

We appreciate the opportunity for us to share our concerns and perspectives with you and we hope that the Bridge Square Post Office will remain open for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Dan Bergeson, Carleton College

On behalf of the Save the Bridge Square Post Office Task Force:
Keith Covey, Northfield Downtown Development Corporation
Ross Currier, Northfield Downtown Development Corporation
Rick Estenson, Northfield Area Chamber of Commerce
Jody Gunderson, City of Northfield
Suzie Nakasian, Northfield City Council
Brett Reese, Rebound Enterprises