It was this guy who helped raise DTSF from the dead
Mayor Huether will tell you, and take credit for making DTSF in to what it is today. He has said on a several occasions that when he was campaigning for mayor (3 years ago) that downtown was dead.
Hardly the truth.
I will give him credit for a couple of things downtown, with the help of the city council they were able to hand out a couple of TIF’s and tear down a parking ramp, but other than that, Downtown’s success was well in full swing when Mike was sworn into office. As for the rail relocation project, there hasn’t been a purchase agreement signed yet because we are waiting for an appraisal. Even if the city decides to move forward with the project, it will take several years before construction can resume on that location.
So when did DTSF start to become more successful? In 1991 when I moved here, I used to live behind Gigglebees on Duluth, I would walk DT about once a week. There was Zandbroz and Minerva’s and that was about it. A few years later, a lady named Carol Pogones had this vision to help redevelop DTSF, I believe at that time (1993-4?) the occupancy rate was about 15-25% DT. In 1993 I worked at a print-shop in the old Lewis building (it is that fancy-smancy dessert shop now). You would see Carol quite often pounding the streets of DT.
Carol was instrumental in convincing Mayor Munson and the city council to put more into DT. The redevelopment of Falls Park, approving Phase 1 of the River Greenway, the bump-outs on Phillips, the new sewer and water and road construction were all approved of and started during the Munson administration.
The Washington Pavilion has also been successful on one front, bringing more diners to downtown which has created a lot more restaurants and pubs.
Not sure WHAT downtown Huether was campaigning in, but DTSF certainly wasn’t dead 3 years ago. But this shouldn’t surprise anyone that Huether was clueless about the success of DT before he became mayor, when his bosom buddy, Darrin Smith first started working at City Hall, he was rumored to have said, “Where does anyone eat or have a cup of coffee DT anyway?†Oh, and he was serious.