Hello Shakopee -
Tonight, I replied – which I will probably regret in the near future – to a person on the Shakopee Valley News who was ripping a guy for promoting a new idea for Shakopee. I have no problem with people ripping the idea but ripping on the person who put forward an idea is out of bounds.
Then, I had a big idea! We need a clearinghouse for Shakopee’s ideas!
Here is a post for you to help share your ideas for Shakopee. To move Shakopee forward, we need people with big ideas to come forward. So many people have come to me with GREAT ideas of how to make Shakopee more competitive, deliver better services or save money.
Now, share your IDEA! Click on the area to leave a Reply below. Give others encouragement if you like their ideas and give suggestions to make them even better. Let’ go!
Brad
I think we need to pull all areas of shakopee together rather than only promoting the downtown area. There are so many businsses up Marschall and out at Dean Lakes that should get to have events that promote there area too I think Shakopee still seems so divided. I suggest that we create an event that can showcase all of Shakopee. I love the Downtown area but that is just a small part of what Shakopee is and we are growig so much so fast.
Im reading a lot of the Big Ideas and am so excited to hear these big and wonderful ideas! I too have wanted to come up with an idea that brings Shakopee together Downtown and Walmart areas so that we are one large community with excellent revenue generating businesses that are healthy for our community. No division or sides. One large community! I don’t have that idea. But I will certainly chime in with my comments when someone mentions something that I could get excited about and support.
I don’t have the answer as to how, but I really believe we need to find our entrepreneurial spirit as a city. We need to find ways to help encourage Shakopee’s entrepreneurs. We need more diversity in terms of restaurants, bars, entertainment (non-gambling related), etc.
Any ideas anyone?!
I have two:
1) Do a kickstarter to get funding for a brewery in the old firehouse on 2nd
2) Open a coffeeshop/winebar/pub in the old coffee bean
Trying to gather funds, build business case etc.
Yes to more entrepreneurial spirit in town, especially downtown. We need to think differently to reverse the amount of vacant commercial real estate. The brewery idea is great. I thought about that, too. It would be pretty cool to have a brewery or brew pub or even brewing supply store (or all of the above) so close to Rahr.
Some truly great ideas being posted here.
J, I think you may really be onto something there. While I do really love that the Taste and many other events of Derby Days are downtown and near the riverfront, there seems to be a lack of events in other parts of town. Perhaps a park system could be built up in Southbridge featuring something that would draw people. I see some of the things in “Old Shakopee” that draw people in being ice rinks, the frisbee golf course, the pool, ball fields, and strangely enough much of that is all in one part of town! I look at towns like Bloomington with their AMAZING Three Rivers park systems, if something like that could be done for people to really enjoy the outdoors, and enjoy them very cost effectively, the town could really spread!
Geoff, as an entrepreneur myself, and one who was born in Shakopee 25 years ago and hope I can spend a great deal of my life there, I love hearing this. That having been said, I own a software firm, so I don’t exactly provide a place for citizens to visit, but could be providing jobs inside Shakopee if office spaces were feasible for me! I currently live in both Winona and Shakopee, and I can tell you, you are extremely lucky to have the restaurants, bars, and entertainment that you do have. One thing that would be nice for Shakopee to have would be a very nice mellow coffee shop as has been proposed in the old Fire Station. Has anyone been to Red Wing? They have an old train depot that is now a Caribou, and it is so amazing to be inside it. They’ve kept a great deal of the train station’s influence while infusing the coffee shop. How nice would it be to have a coffee shop that can keep the history of the old station intact?
Matt,
Kickstarter is a great place to start, and I’m sure a great deal of the public would support it. But who would head it up? The city itself? Someone who is willing to setup the Kickstarter? I’d love to head up any of these business projects!
I’ll keep some of my other ideas a bit more inside as I talk to the mayor directly, but I must say it is great to see such enthusiasm for this town!
First, I think we need to get some zoning laws passed to clean up parts of our city. There is a strip mall on Marschall that features peeling paint and no lights in the parking lot at night. That’s just one example. But, until we clean up these things we won’t attract visitors. Then, we need to zone so that we don’t end up with ten nail salons, a karate studio, and an insurance office where we want shops and restaurants. Then, I think it would be super if we could get a developer interested in doing something like Maple Grove’s “The Shops at Arbor Lakes”. Take an upscale spin on retail and build a really nice area to draw in people from other suburbs. Lots of jobs. Lots of money coming in. Also, it would be great if we could develop an artists co-op somewhere with attractive, quaint shops (maybe a pedestrian mall) selling the wares of local Minnesota artists. I have no idea how you attract the artists – but how fun would that be?
I love your ideas about perking up some of our commercial spaces in downtown, Kathy. You’re right, it sure needs it, aesthetically and economically. As for the artists co-op – I have a proposal that I’m bringing to the city council next week to convert the old fire station, near the eagle creek quilt shop into a place that could be both a meeting place for the downtown community center / coffe house and a showcase and education space featuring local artists , Do-it-Yourselfers and Startups.
http://www.slideshare.net/mikehaeg/shakopee-fire-station-art-and-community-center-proposal
It’s pretty interesting what one finds when one starts to dig around for economic, community and arts development grants and other alternatives to tax hikes to stimulate some reinvention in downtown.
Kathy,
I agree! That Marschall road property is a soar eye! Whomever own it needs to clean it up!
All these ideas are great. But where is the money coming from for all these improvements that you are going to pass zoning to force the place to do? Have you ever seen a vacated outlet mall? My hometown had them for about a decade, then they moved to another state, 20 miles away. The outlets stayed there for about a decade then moved back towards my hometown but not in my hometown. The buildings have mostly been vacant for 20 years. Its rundown, a few start ups business and restaurants have tried but nothing has stuck. 100′s of job left and not replaced. My hometown is much like Shakopee is now. Quaint shops, antiques, etc. all of these ideas need a few things…capital and ability to stay for the long term. In this economy it is hard for many to come up with the capital to start something and in most small businesses, it takes at least a year to become profitable. I wait to get slammed for being realistic.
I agree with Kathy. I think we need to pass or enforce zoning laws to clean up areas of Shakopee. I get so frustrated when I drive down Marshall Rd and see the strip mall that is such an eye sore. I don’t know if there are zoning laws that are not being enforced, or if there are not any in place. Either way, the peeling paint and banners for store front signs is an eye sore.
I also think it would be a big improvement to our parks to remove and replace the large garbage cans that the garbage trucks pick up. I realize it is probably easier and more cost effective, but having the oversize garbage cans scattered at all the parks and sports fields is not very attractive.I would go a step further and request they not be allowed to sit in residential driveways or the front of people’s houses except for on garbage day.
I completely support Mayor of Mt. Holly Mike Haeg. Shakopee already has many artists living in this community and we could use a place similar to what Savage and Minnetonka already have. Community education classes could be used at the facility also.
What other uses have been discussed?
Also I would like to say that Shakopee has a large sign that reads Welcome to Historic Shakopee when people arrive in Shakopee they really dont see anything historic from just driving by and Stans Museum is not very promoted. Shakopee had a very interesting past, of gangsters ,speakeasies rock spring water, why not promote what is Historic in this town? Northfield doesn’t hide the fact about Jesse James they in fact have Jesse James Days.We could do the same.
I would like to see the “ghost” areas of Shakopee renewed! I really dislike that areas of Shakopee have become abandoned commercially just because it’s a diverse mix of income. Shakopee Town Square is a great example! It’s in a prime location, yet goes undeveloped commercially. Every “section” of Shakopee has fast food, gas, small shops…not this area. it almost penalizes those that lube there with lower home value. I would argue that it might be the must diverse area of shakopee,
I would love to get a group of people together that either own businesses in all areas of shakopee and brainstorm.
Brad is there a specific group I would need to talk with to find out if we can organize an event to showcase all of shakopee. I just am not sure what areas we can utilize that would pull all areas together. Can you direct me? I am so glad to see all the positive feedback on growing as a whole community not as divided as we have become.
I do agree about cleaning up areas too because I think we need to hold the management groups that have the properties to keep the buildings looking attractive.
Recycling Big Idea. Promote recycling in the community with the goal of earning the highest recycling rate in the county, or in the metro.
Neighborhood reports. Perhaps we can’t solve the fragmented structure of the city, but instead we embrace the uniqueness of each and work to establish their own identity. Like the burroughs of NY for example. Have a representative of each neighborhood present the unique characteristics to the council each meeting. Provide funding to promote it and cross-promote the activities happening in each neighborhood.
NPR had a great roundtable about Design for Abandoned Spaces, yesterday: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/01/31/midday1/
Check out the discussion on Minnesota Public Radio from noon on 1/31 about reuse of empty spaces/buildings in suburban/ex-urban areas. Very thought-provoking in terms of empty buildings in Shakopee and potential uses–and also ways to use/beautify some of the huge empty parking lots (at the old KMart site, the shopping center off 69, etc) Love the energy around the ideas being suggested by Mike and others: there’s much evidence that artists can create interest/business activity and uplift a community on many levels.
The only problem with some of your ideas is that you want to improve private property. It is not your business what a person that owns property does with it. Also, government can place new ordinances into place and then expect business owners to retroactive make improvements. Coffee shops have come and gone in downtown Shakopee. Another thing if there are so many artists in Shakopee, then why haven’t they banded together before now to make an artist community. No interest until a public building came along and they want that building to be handed over to them for free or nearly free.
I would like to see an alternative to the barbed wire fence that encloses the boat storage business on first ave.
I would like to see a senior commission organized that would discuss the real needs of our senior citizens. For example, transportation, housing, health care, community. This is beyond plunking down a senior center somewhere to play the weekly bingo games.
nice one…http://www.musicaeletra.net
cool, i love it.http://www.musicaparabaixar.net
What can we do to help return the Minnesota river that it used to be…. clean ? We continue to build and build, how will we ever restore the water quality to that is was 100 years ago? I hope some day we can restore our river with our surrounding communities to ensure fresh water in our river for fishing and drinking for years to come. We only get one planet
I think we should either be able to choose our garbage company or switch to someone like Allied Waste who allows single sort recycling. Switching to single sort recycling would make it easier and also boosts recycling across the city. I have read many articles and studies that prove single sort recycling boosts recycling because it’s so much easier.
I think it is unfortunate that we are 4.6 over budget and yet you are going to spend 13,000 on city flower pots. The county taxes will be going up along with state and federal taxes. This council has opted to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution. You should have more respect for Matt Lehman and listen to his ideas. He as been re-elected several times and has put more time on the council than all of you! Matt is well liked in this community and is a regular guy who cares about individuals and their liberties and is not a “party politician”. He asks the tough questions because he is doing his job, not because “he doesn’t know what he’s talking about” as another council member asserted (I wont name you). I don’t know what the words: “Of the people, by the people, and for the people” mean if we don’t keep an eye on our elected officials. This is the PRIMARY DUTY of American citizenship! So PLEASE, protect freedom, independence, and BALANCE the city budget!
We should look into developing the river front. It is such an underutilized asset. Also Main avenue seems a bit depressed. The new road is great, but there are some business there that need better fronts, parking lots appeared abandoned, it is just plain unappealing.
I agree! We have just received a grant to look at the 101 Corridor from Downtown to Marschall Rd and provide concepts as to what that are could be in the next phase of development. It is time to put together a plan that attracts new businesses and residents to that area with significant opportunity!
Build another bridge from Eden Prairie to Shakopee, somewhere between Spring Road and Charlson Road on Flying Cloud Drive (in EP) to somewhere around Canterbury on 1st Ave to relieve conjection on 101…..
Build another bridge from Eden Prairie to Shakopee, somewhere between Spring Road and Charlson Road on Flying Cloud Drive (in EP) to somewhere around Canterbury on 1st Ave to relieve congestion on 101…..
Have a Farmers Market in downtown much like Prior Lake’s, instead of a parking lot at the VFW or Legion. That would attract people into downtown and spend money in locally owned and operated business.