The closing of the long-troubled Big Stop Foods almost two years ago was widely seen as a victory for residents in the resurgent Jordan neighborhood in north Minneapolis.
In the past five years, the store had been a haven for teenage drug dealers, the site of a brutal murder and the scene of the overflow of a riot that started across the street. To ensure the problem convenience store never reopened, the city recently purchased the site for $190,000, well below market value.
Now the problem is what to do with it.
There's been much chatter from city officials about demolishing the store and building two single-family homes at the corner of 26th and Knox Avenues N. But the leader of a neighborhood group questions the wisdom of building new housing in an area with one of the city's highest foreclosure rates.
Jordan has more than 200 foreclosed homes, according to recent city statistics.
"If we're going to bring in something new, let's make sure it will be of value to the neighborhood," said Jerry Moore, executive director of the Jordan Area Community Council (JACC). "We already have enough boarded-up homes."
Some residents have proposed using the spot for an office site, a small minority-owned business other than a store or to convert to green space, Moore said.
But Council Member Don Samuels, who has been involved in efforts to change the corner since he emerged as a vociferous neighborhood leader a few years ago, said there's a strong belief that housing is the best solution.
