August 2003

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Empty Offices

Filed under: Imported

Saturday's Star Tribune contained an editorial heralding the opening of U.S. Bancorp's publicly subsidized new headquarters on the West Side Flats, just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Paul. The $60.5 million, 350,000 square foot office building will house 2400 employees. Of course, U.S. Bancorp (which had profits of more than $900 million last year) could not pay for the building itself: taxpayers picked up at least $15 million of the bill.

What the Strib's editorial failed to question is why the city is subsidizing additional office space when it is already stuck with a glut of empty buildings. According to the most recent Towle Report, during the twelve-month period ending in June downtown St. Paul office buildings had a whopping vacancy rate of 28.7 percent, tops in the Twin Cities. (Minneapolis was a close second at 28.5 percent.) The normally boosterish Towle Report characterizes the situation as "grim."

But even this figure likely underestimates the dire state of St. Paul's commercial real-estate market. Because such surveys are voluntarily reported, building owners won't necessarily own up to the extent of their difficulties. "Buildings with horrendous vacancies will not tell them," says commercial real-estate broker John Mannillo.

St. Paul's purported downtown renaissance has been fueled by huge public subsidies doled out to businesses that have then often failed to deliver on promises, gone out of business, or left town. Hopefully U.S. Bancorp will at least stick around for awhile.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 21, 2003 6:04 PM

 

"Someone's always stealing my underwear and my toothpaste."

Filed under: Imported

At first I assumed that this bit of personal information was not intended for my consumption. But when I looked up from Richard Price's highly entertaining blackout diary in today's New York Times, it became clear that I was the only person in the coffee shop that could possibly absorb this hygiene dilemma.

The woman staring at me was wearing a blue t-shirt and matching gym shorts, both soaked through with sweat. Her face was flushed pink, undoubtedly owing to alcohol as much as the sun. "Those things are important because I'm homeless," she continued.

I tried to nod sympathetically, but really wanted to return to Price's tale of watching stranded Hamptons-bound Manhattanites flagging down gypsy cabs in Queens and ordering them to Southampton. She was not deterred, however, by my lack of interaction. Apparently, for reasons that were not explained, the same "sex offender" has been stealing her underwear, toothpaste and other personal items for years. This man, according to her, was also responsible for numerous Twin Cities bank heists, convenience-store robberies, rapes, murders, and even last year's mysterious Hudson, Wisconsin funeral-home deaths. "I've got three restraining orders against him," she said. "I'd like to cut his head off."

At this she proceeded to the restroom. I contemplated making a run for the exit before she could return, but decided to stay put. Upon exiting the bathroom (where she presumably did not brush her teeth) the monologue continued.

"It's because they've emptied out all the liquor stores and the pornography stores," she proclaimed. "It's a free-for-all bullshit trip and half the women end up dead."

She then departed.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 19, 2003 6:07 PM

 

Freddy! Freddy! Freddy!

Filed under: Imported

The 14-year-old phenom didn't disappoint in his first major contest for the U.S. men's national team. In the initial game of the Under-17 World Championship, in Finland, Adu netted three goals in a 6-1 rout of a (supposedly) dangerous South Korean squad. The kid's first goal was spectacular. He corralled the ball at midfield, and then blew past five Korean defenders and the 'keeper before slotting the ball into an empty net. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any video of the goal available online. As usual, SI's Grant Wahl has the best coverage of the match.

The Amercans actually look poised to make a legit run at the U-17 world title. Their next game is Sunday at 6:55 a.m. CST against Sierra Leone, who stunned Spain by overcoming a two-goal deficit for a 3-3 tie. The match can be seen live on Galavision.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 15, 2003 3:02 PM

 

Warning: Contains Excessive Doses of St. Paul Politics

Filed under: Imported

This much was clear at last night's Ward One candidate forum at the Martin Luther King Center in St. Paul: all eight of the city council candidates are in favor of affordable housing and economic development, and against crime. They also, to a person, want old people to remain in the neighborhood and young people to get a decent education. 

The candidates, who are vying to replace Jerry Blakey, spent the majority of the two-hour debate mouthing these noble platitudes. A few distinctive characteristics, however, did emerge among the crowded field of contenders. Most obviously, Paul Holmgren distinguished himself by being the lone Republican voice, stating "I believe in conservative principles." Unfortunately for Holmgren, a conservative Republican has about as much chance of being elected in Ward One as Charley Walters does of winning a Pulitzer Prize.

Ramsey County contract manager Bao Vang repeatedly referenced her Horatio Alger-esque life story. Vang arrived in the U.S. from a Thai refugee camp in 1980 when she was 10 years old. Her seven family members initially shared a St. Paul efficiency apartment in the Selby-Dale neighborhood. Despite these humble beginnings, she went on to earn a master's degree and has served as executive director of a St. Paul social services agency. "I didn't have to go to school to learn about poverty," Vang told the crowd of about forty people.

Vic Rosenthal, executive director of Jewish Community Action, staked out territory as a progressive populist, repeatedly focusing on "racial justice" issues such as predatory lending and racial profiling. Rosenthal was also the most specific in detailing what policies he would actually pursue to address issues such as housing and crime. He proposed creating a trust fund to provide a stable source of funding for housing programs, similar to what exists in Minneapolis. Rosenthal was also sharply critical of Mayor Randy Kelly and his unwillingness to vocally oppose cuts in state funding. "We need to be far more powerful in our demand for our equal share from the state," Rosenthal said.

Johnny Howard, who headed the Thomas-Dale Block Club prior to its dissolution earlier this year, repeatedly reminded the audience that he has been at the forefront in fighting crime in the Frogtown neighborhood over the last decade. Occasionally referencing himself in the third person, Howard pointed out the relative tranquility of St. Paul this summer by comparison to Minneapolis. "It's still raining out," Howard declared in his closing statement, "but the storm is over. The storm is over. I had an umbrella."

With less than a month left before the September 9th primary, and no DFL standard-bearer, the Ward One race remains a fascinating political scrum. The large field reflects the area's diversity, with three black candidates, two Hmong candidates and three white candidates. Not surprisingly, race hovers just below the surface, with ongoing tensions between the various ethnic groups, particularly over the long-delayed Pan Asian Urban Village slated for the intersection of Dale Street and University Avenue.

The best dope I've been able to gather puts Vang and Debbie Montgomery--who recently received the endorsement of the St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce and is widely viewed as Mayor Kelly's choice for the post--as most likely to advance to the general election. But with only 4000-or-so votes expected to be cast, it will all depend on who can get their people to the polls.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 14, 2003 11:07 AM

 

The British Invasion

Filed under: Imported

Manchester United completed its four-city  tour of the U.S. yesterday, christening Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field with a 3-1 victory over Spanish powerhouse Barcelona. Despite attracting crowds of 65,000-plus in three of four cities (Los Angeles being the exception), the soccer showcases generated little media attention outside of the host cities. Granted, these were friendly matches with absolutely nothing on the line, but do we really need further illumination of Kobe's appearance at the 2003 Teen Choice Awards.

Then again, the media coverage hasn't been nearly as inept as the Brits would lead you to believe. As usual, the Fleet Street hacks have been oozing disdain for this country's soccer philistines. Guardian columnist Paul MacInness went so far as to swoon condescendingly over the fact that The New York Times devoted a full 700 words to Man U.'s match with Juventus at the Meadowlands, heralding this coverage as a watershed mark in American soccer history. MacInness conveniently ignores the fact that the same day's paper also featured a column by George Vecsey (a devoted soccer scribe) about the game and that the Times routinely provides stellar coverage of the New York/New Jersey Metrostars and the U.S. national teams. (Jere Longman wrote a whole freakin' book about the women's side.)

The Guardian also hired Jamie Trecker--an incessant critic of Major League Soccer and world-class footy snob--to cover the tour. Here's Trecker's bizarre clunker of an opening:

After three days in nearby Portland, home of their main sponsor, Nike, Manchester United check in to Seattle .

Portland was something of an ironic destination: Nike, of course, is the epitome of the global marketing of health and fitness, but the city itself is best known for having the United States' highest per capita suicide rate. It rains all the time and alcoholism is endemic in the Pacific Northwest, along with a particularly insidious vein of heroin addiction. There is also an incredible array of strip clubs, some of which the players have allegedly enjoyed.

Trecker then spends a good chunk of the piece making fun of the ignorant American boobs dispatched by local newspapers to cover the games. If you can wade through the pompous barbs, his account does provides a smattering of interesting anecdotes, both about the team and the press corps.

My favorite piece about the Man U. tour, though, was written by Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bob Ford, who traveled to Manchester in order to gain perspective on the team's global reach, marketing savvy and on-field success. Ford provides an engaging primer on the team's storied and tragic history, while also exploring its current perch as the most celebrated club--economically if not quite competitively--in the history of soccer.

Posted by Paul Demko at August 4, 2003 12:37 PM

 

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