Category Archives: Fuji Ya

Fuji Ya site

Former Fuji-Ya will yield its riverfront spot to even older landmarks

The following article by Bill McAuliffe was published in the January 14, 2014 issue of the  Star Tribune:

Former Fuji-Ya will yield its riverfront spot to even older landmarks

2014_01_17_04_Fuji-Ya_image_B
The remains of the long-abandoned Fuji-Ya restaurant will be torn down and the slope beneath it peeled away to make way for a new park featuring unearthed ruins beneath them as part of the latest Mississippi River redevelopment plan.

The Water Works Park project will transform an inaccessible hill between West River Parkway and First Street S. — where Fuji-Ya has sat vacant since 1991 — into a park whose centerpiece will be the ruins of a former grain mill and the gate house of the original Minneapolis city water works.

It’s just one part of a long-term overhaul to the Central Riverfront Regional Park that runs along the riverbanks from the 35W bridge upstream to Plymouth Av., and includes or abuts the St. Anthony Main, Guthrie Theater and Mill City Museum areas where numerous apartments and condos have sprung up.

“Now that we have all these new residents down there, people are loving the park to death,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board president Liz Wielinski. “We need to give it a face lift.”

Design for the Water Works project is being paid for and managed by the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, which will partner with the city’s Park Board to raise private funds for Central Riverfront projects, said executive director Mary deLaittre. That group is conducting an online survey through Thursday gauging how people use the area and want to see in a park there.

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Reviving the Riverfront

The following article by Nick Halter was published in the March 12, 2012 issue of the Downtown Journal:

REVIVING THE RIVERFRONT

New vision for old Fuji Ya site calls for new restaurant, access to mill ruins.

An illustration of a new park planned for the central riverfront near St. Anthony Falls (Image courtesy MS&R architects).

There may not be a more historically significant stretch of land in Minneapolis. A few blocks of riverfront on the west bank of the Mississippi near Downtown sit atop the infrastructure that made the city what it is today.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is moving forward with a vision for that land that will reconnect residents with the mills that powered the city 150 years ago.

Most residents know the area as Mill Ruins or the old Fuji Ya site. The Park Board hopes to open a new restaurant at the site similar to the popular Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Falls and open up below-ground tunnels and rooms that are the remnants from old flour mills build in the 19th century. The Park Board is branding the project “Water Works.”

MS&R Architects, funded by the Minneapolis Park Foundation, presented concepts for the Works project to neighbors and stakeholders on Feb. 28.

The Water Works site is roughly bounded by the Mill City Museum to the south, the 3rd Avenue Bridge to the north, 1st Street to the west and the river to the east.

“This is a really special site, and it’s a really special site not only because of its location in downtown, but because of its ability to be a hub within what is to be considered the next Chain of Lakes,” said Danny Fuchs of HR&A Advisors, the company hired to look into the feasibility of the project.

The project’s lynchpin would be a new restaurant at the site of the old Fuji Ya building.

The foundation of that building is over 100 years old. In 1968, Reiko Weston moved her popular Fuji Ya restaurant to the site after building on the old foundation.

The Park Board paid $3.5 million for the building in 1990, and it has sat vacant ever since. Tom Meyer, an MS&R architect, said the building would have to be torn down and replaced. A rendering shows a building with glass façade that provides a top level for beautiful river views.

“We concluded it was not practical to re-use it,” Meyer said of the building.

In 2011, Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Park paid the Park Board $240,000 in a revenue sharing agreement. Fuchs said a similar restaurant at Water Works would provide revenue that would pay for the park’s operations.

The building would also serve as a warming house in the winter and house restrooms.

South of the Fuji Ya building, the vision calls for the opening to the public of the mill tunnels, which sit about 25-feet below ground at the site. The tunnels are the remnants of the roughly 150-year-old mills that operated on the western riverfront. They run all the way from the Stone Arch Bridge to the Fuji Ya site, and it might be possible to connect the tunnels to the restaurant building.

The plan also calls for a new West River Parkway that might use a shared street model, meaning planters would replace curbs and traffic would be slowed to 15 miles per hour.

The plan also calls for a fountain area and a skating area in the winter.

It also calls for the opening up underground mill ruins that would act as history rooms. One of those rooms would be dedicated the history of Native Americans and Spirit Island.

Of course, the big question is money. Bruce Chamberlain, the Park Board’s assistant superintendent of planning, said the Board has set aside $7 to $8 million over the next five years for capital improvements to the central riverfront district. He said that pot of money would likely act as seed money, encouraging private investment.

“In some ways, this is really seed money to try and leverage those dollars for private investment, for grants and for other funders that are out there,” he said.

Asked by the audience how long until the project might be completed, Chamberlain said it could be done in less than 10 years, with smaller changes happening soon followed by major projects starting in a few years.

The Park Board is collecting public input on the project through March 31. To view the project and post comments, visit minneapolisparks.org.

Vision for Fuji-Ya Site Would Connect Residents to River History

The following article by Nick Halter was published in the February 27 issue of the Downtown Journal:

VISION FOR FUJI YA SITE WOULD CONNECT RESIDENTS TO RIVER HISTORY

Most residents know the area as Mill Ruins or the old Fuji Ya site. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board has begun rolling the ball on planning for a project known as “Water Works” that would liven up the riverfront where the city began.

On Tuesday night, architects presented to neighbors and stakeholders concepts for what a Water Works project could be.

The Water Works site is roughly bounded by the Mill City Museum, the 3rd Avenue Bridge, 1st Street and the river.

Some of the concepts include:

— A new building at the former Fuji Ya site that would include a restaurant. That restaurant would be run similar to Sea Salt Eatery at Minnehaha Park. Its top level would overlook the river, providing a nice place to sit and have a glass of wine. This restaurant would help fund the operation of the park. Sea Salt generated $240,000 for the Park Board in 2011. This building would also act as a park pavilion and warming house, with restrooms. The Fuji Ya building has been vacant for 22 years and architect Tom Meyer said it has too many problems to be renovated.

— The opening to the public of the mill tunnels, which sit about 25-feet below ground at the site. The tunnels are the remnants of the roughly 150-year old mills that operated on the western riverfront. They run all the way from the Stone Arch Bridge to the Fuji Ya site, and it might be possible to connect the tunnels to the restaurant building.

— A new West River Parkway that might use a shared street model, meaning planters would replace curbs and traffic would be slowed to 15 miles per hour.

— A gathering place near the site of a parking lot where 5th Avenue meets the river. This might incorporate a water fountain of some sort. The parking lot would be removed.

— Opening up underground mill ruins that would act as history rooms. One of those rooms would be dedicated to the history of Native Americans at the site.

Of course, the big question is money. Bruce Chamberlain, the Park Board’s assistant superintendent of planning, said the Board has set aside about $7 million over the next five years for capital improvements to the central riverfront district. He said that pot of money would likely act as seed money, encouraging private investment.

The concept framework, released on Tuesday, should be posted the Park Board’s website, (minneapolisparks.org) soon. After that, the Park Board will allow for 30 days of public comment, with hopes of moving toward a full design.

Asked by the audience how long until the project might be completed, Chamberlain said it could be done in less than 10 years.

Design Concepts for Water Works Site to be Presented on Monday, February 27

NEW PARK DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR WATER WORKS SITE WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC

COMMUNITY MEETING SET FOR MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

WHAT

Community members are invited to discover “what could be” when the Minneapolis Parks Foundation http://www.mplsparksfoundation.org , with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board http://www.minneapolisparks.org , hosts the second of two public meetings regarding a proposed Central Riverfront park where the original Minneapolis municipal Water Works, several historic mills and, more recently, the famed Fuji-Ya restaurant once stood. “Mill City”-based architects Meyer, Scherer & Rockcastle (MS&R) http://www.msrltd.com are the lead designers on the project. Together with financing consultants HR&A Advisors http://www.hraadvisors.com , they will present design and program options and financial analysis, “that take into account social, economic and environmental factors, as well as truly the interesting geography and history of the site,” says Mary deLaittre, Executive Director of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation.

WHEN

Monday, February 27, 5:30–7:30 p.m.

WHERE

Mill City Museum, Mill Commons

704 South Second Street, Minneapolis

Directions and parking information: http://www.millcitymuseum.org

MORE

For updates on the Water Works project, community members can visit http://www.mplsparksfoundation.org or Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board – Water Works http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1305 and sign up to receive email updates: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1086

ABOUT

The Minneapolis Parks Foundation http://www. mplsparksfoundation.org is focused on the Next Generation of Parks™, with an emphasis on parks design education, innovation and implementation. Beginning in 2010, MPF co-sponsored the globally renowned Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition http://minneapolisriverfrontdesigncompetition.com/ , the largest in the state’s history. In 2011, MPF projects included the Next Generation of Parks™ lecture series, the recently opened 4th Avenue North Playground along the Upper Riverfront, and more.

With 182 park properties totaling nearly 6,732 acres of land and water, the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board http://www.minneapolisparks.org provides places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather, celebrate, contemplate, and engage in activities that promote health, well-being, community, and the environment. Each year, approximately 18 million visits are made to the nationally acclaimed Minneapolis park system.

A Park Where Fuji-Ya Once Stood?

The following article by Nicole Norfleet was published in the December 14, 2011 issue of the Star Tribune:

A PARK WHERE FUJI-YA ONCE STOOD?


For more than two decades, failed developments and legal squabbles have left a key tract overlooking St. Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis in limbo.

But now, after the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board beat back a developer’s lawsuit earlier this year, park enthusiasts have focused on turning the site of the former Fuji-Ya restaurant into a public space.

On Thursday, December 14, the public is invited to a community meeting that will be the first step of a project to identify program ideas, produce design concepts and study the feasibility of a park in the area between Portland Avenue S. and the 3rd Avenue Bridge, and between 1st Street S. and the Mississippi River.

Despite its downtown riverfront location, prominent views and historical significance, the Water Works property — named for one of its historic uses — hasn’t been used for much more than parking in the past few years.

The Park Board bought the land in 1990 to make way for the construction of West River Parkway. The restaurant closed. The building remains, empty and boarded.

Brian Rice, the attorney for the park board, said he began calling the delay “the curse of Reiko Weston,” referring to the Fuji-Ya owner.

In 2002, the board obtained legislative approval to try to develop a new restaurant, but no proposals came forward, Rice said. In 2007, the park board accepted a proposal from a developer to build low-rise luxury townhouses, but those plans changed three times in the ensuing years.

The last development bid, called the Wave, would have created a luxury condo tower, but some City Council members and residents said it would obstruct views of the river and historic structures.

When the developer, Columbia Development LP, didn’t get required permits, the park board terminated the deal. In 2009, the developer sued the park board for breach of contract. A judge ruled in favor of the park board and the litigation finally ended earlier this year when the Supreme Court declined to hear the developer’s appeal, Rice said.

“Now that it is settled, it provides a great opportunity for the Park Board to settle on its future,” said Bruce Chamberlain, assistant superintendent for planning at the Park Board. The property could still include a restaurant or some other revenue generator, Chamberlain said.

With so many riverfront destinations nearby, such as the Mill City Museum, the Stone Arch Bridge and the lock and dam, the property could become an integral part of the network, said Mary deLaittre, president of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, which is leading the study project in partnership with the park board.

“It’s just begging to have all the pieces tied in, in this very unique way,” DeLaittre said.

Mill ruins, some exposed and some buried, still exist on the property. “There’s certainly a lot of historical archaeological resources above and below ground,” said Laura Salveson, director of the Mill City Museum.

Scott Vreeland, one of the park board commissioners for downtown Minneapolis, said he’s excited to start the feasibility study. “As incredible as the transformation has been there, there is so much more that can be done,” Vreeland said.

The study is expected to be completed at the end of February.

Community Meeting for Waterworks / Fuji-Ya Site

COMMUNITY MEETING FOR WATERWORKS/FUJI-YA SITE

The following notice has been distributed by the MPRB:

PRELIMINARY DESIGN VISIONING AND COMMUNITY MEETING FOR WATERWORKS SITE (FORMERLY FUJI-YA)

The ideas will flow Thursday, December 15, when the Minneapolis Parks Foundation http://minneapolisparksfoundation.org/ and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board http://www.minneapolisparks.org/home.asp invite the public to participate in a “designer-ask” community meeting about a potential new park along the city’s Central Riverfront. Dubbed “Waterworks” http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=1305 (former Fuji-Ya Restaurant site) because the city’s first water supply and fire fighting pumping station were located there in the 19th Century, the site encompasses Minneapolis Park Board-owned land between Portland Avenue South and the Third Avenue Bridge, and between First Street South and the Mississippi River.

The community meeting, which takes place 6-8:00 PM at the Mill City Museum, 704 South Second Street, is the first step in a preliminary feasibility study that will explore options for what could be a significant new park destination in downtown Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is leading the project in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, for which it is also a forerunner to the Central Riverfront Regional Park Update master planning process.

To read more from the news release, click here: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=52&prid=1675

WHAT WILL BECOME OF OLD FUJI YA SITE?

For the past several years, the former Fuji Ya has been caught up in litigation. Now, with the litigation over, there is an effort to give it a new life. The following article by Nick Halter was published in the July 4, 2011 issue of the Downtown Journal.

WHAT WILL BECOME OF OLD FUJI YA SITE?



It’s been 21 years since Fuji Ya closed the doors of its restaurant that looked out over St. Anthony Falls and the Stone Arch Bridge.

While the site, at 420 1st St. on the west side of the river, has been the subject of many different ideas over the years, the Minneapolis Parks Foundation recently began an effort to develop the property.

The foundation’s vision is fairly broad, but one of its board members, Paul Reyelts, said the development would be dedicated for public use and be financed through a public-private partnership.

He said the site could be both a vibrant space for the roughly 750,000 visitors who pass through the area each year, and also a revenue generator for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which owns the property.

“We think that if it’s properly developed, this site could be the major downtown gateway to the river and to the Stone Arch Bridge,” Reyelts said.

The next steps for the Parks Foundation include hiring professionals to come up with a development plan; convening a group of citizens to gather ideas; collecting market data; finding funding partners and then presenting preliminary plans to the Park Board.

The Fuji Ya site has been vacant since 1990. The last proposal for the site came in 2004, when a developer had plans to build a condo project called The Wave. Those plans fell through after the Park Board decided not to sell the land.

Park Board Assistant Superintendent Don Siggelkow said it may be possible to renovate the existing building on the property, but the structure is in “really, really poor condition.”

“It may not be [able to be renovated], just because the [small] size may not warrant the investment,” he said. “But I don’t think any doors are closed on that. I don’t think anybody has any preconceived notions.”

Fuji Ya Initiative Announced at Minneapolis Park Board Meeting

Fuji Ya Initiative Announced at Minneapolis Park Board Meeting

Paul Reyelts of the Minneapolis Parks Foundation presented a vision for the former Fuji Ya site on the Downtown Minneapolis Riverfront at the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board meeting on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The presentation was videotaped by David Tinjum of the Mill City Times and, thanks to David, is also available here on Park Watch.

Arlene Fried
Co-Founder of Park Watch

HEADS-UP FOR THE OCTOBER 20, 2010 PARK BOARD MEETING

HEADS-UP FOR THE OCTOBER 20, 2010 PARK BOARD MEETING

5:00 P.M. REGULAR BOARD MEETING. Committee meetings to follow. The meetings will be held in the boardroom at Park Board headquarters, 2117 West River Road, just north of Broadway Pizza.

5:30 P.M. OPEN TIME. Speakers need to sign up before 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting.

This meeting is the last meeting that David Fisher will be attending as Superintendent. His four month stint as interim superintendent ends on October 31. We are grateful that he accepted the invitation to come to Minneapolis to fill this position.

This meeting is a meeting with many significant agenda items. The most important item on the agenda is the vote to approve the employment agreement with Jayne Miller, who–at the last meeting–was selected by a unanimous vote to be the new MPRB Superintendent.

Some highlights of the meetings that will be voted on :

The I-35 Bridge Memorial.
The concession agreement with Bread & Pickle at Lake Harriet.
The reconvening of the CAC for the Wirth Beach Project III.
The non-appointed CACs for two playgrounds at Lake Harriet.

There will be a presentation of the Superintendent’s 2011 Recommended Budget. This is a report item and will not be voted on at this time.

The following is the link to the complete agenda, with staff reports, for the MPRB Board of Commissioners’ meeting of Wednesday, October 20: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=37&calid=670

MPRB meetings are broadcast live from 5-9 p.m. on the City of Minneapolis Government Meeting Channel 79 on Comcast cable and online at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/webcasts.

The regular meetings are rebroadcast on Channel 79 at 1 p.m. Saturdays and 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month. Webcasts for the recent two months are posted two to five business days after the meeting and are available for viewing under “Webcast Archives” at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/webcasts.

The Park Board’s website is http://www.minneapolisparks.org.

Arlene Fried, Co-founder of Park Watch