HomeMy WebLinkAboutEdition Edina Sept 2023The initial inventory ledger before the May 1948 opening. The third line (yellow highlight) is the
purchase of inventory from Hay & Stenson. The tenth line (green highlight) lists the first order
from Ed Phillips & Sons, which is today’s Phillips Distilling Co. See major events in Edina Liquor’s
history at bit.ly/EdinaLiquorTimeline.
BY DEBBIE TOWNSEND
In 1948, after Edina voters
overwhelmingly supported a municipal
liquor operation, the Village of Edina
opened its first liquor store.
The original Edina Liquor, at 3922 W. 50th
St. across from Edina Theatre, had been
the site of Hay & Stenson, Edina’s very
first liquor store that had opened in 1934
before the Village bought it out in 1948.
Back then, store workers greeted
customers and retrieved any of the 100
or so products in stock on the shelves
behind them. According to hand-written
ledgers from the time, the average
transaction was around $7.
Now, 75 years later, customers can
browse more than 6,000 different items
at three stores or order online and get
delivery right to their homes. Today’s
average transaction is about $35, said
General Manager Josh Furbish, who took
over Edina Liquor operations in 2016 and
has led it to record profits.
In recent years, Edina Liquor has added
staff experts in beer, wine and spirits
to assist customers; started educational
and tasting events featuring small-batch
liquor; served at City events, including
the Centennial Lakes Farmers Market;
and launched a video series on how to
make craft cocktails at home.
A special event called the Summer Sip,
where guests sampled among 75 wines,
marked Edina Liquor’s 75th anniversary.
It was so popular that a similar winter
event is being planned.
“Being in business 75 years is a feat
whether that’s a city-operated store or
privately owned retailer,” Furbish said.
“As long as we continue to pivot with
the industry and focus on customers,
there’s no reason to think we won’t be
here for another 75 years or longer.”
Those 75 years have been a benefit
to residents in general. Profits from
Edina Liquor get poured back into the
City. Originally, the money went into
the General Fund to support overall
operations. But in recent decades that
was changed so the profits benefit
Parks & Recreation. In 2022, more than
$1 million in profits went to Braemar
Arena, Centennial Lakes Park and the
Edina Art Center.
To keep the success rolling, Furbish has
a list of improvements and changes
to come. The goal is to make Edina
Liquor more of a fun and educational
experience, whether you shop the stores,
get a delivery or see staff at an event.
“We aren’t a big-box store. We aren’t
a grocery liquor store. And we don’t
want to be like those,” Furbish said.
“We want to share knowledge, have
great conversations and help people find
products they’ll truly enjoy. For 75 years,
Edina Liquor has been a key part of this
community, and we want to continue
that tradition.”
For more information, visit
Edinaliquor.com or email Furbish
at jfurbish@EdinaMN.gov.
Edina Liquor Celebrates 75 Years of Supporting the Community
Changes Include Three Stores and Home Delivery, But Profits Have Always Benefited Residents
E DINA L IQUOR
City of Edina EdinaMN.gov 1
Edition: Edina
SEPTEMBER 2023
Volume 10, Issue 9Strong FoundationCITY GOALS:Better TogetherReliable Service Livable City
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Middle School
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The City of Edina Development Tracker includes reconstruction or new construction projects
that have been completed in the past six months, are currently under construction, have
filed a formal application to the City or have been substantially approved.
View the Development and Construction Tracker online at EdinaMN.gov by clicking on the “Learn About Projects” button.
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The Finch Apartments
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FRANCE AVE SVALLEYVIEWRDMINNESOTA DRGLEASONRDEdinaCommunityCenter
AvailAcademy
Golden
Years
Montessori
CityHall
St Peter's LutheranChurch & School
South ViewMiddle School
NormandaleElementary
ConcordSchool
CorneliaSchool
SouthdaleLibrary
Fire
Station
Public Works &
Park Maintenance
Creek ValleySchool
FireStation
Valley View
Middle School
Edina
High
School
Countryside
School
HighlandsSchool
EdinaCommunity
Library
Our Lady of
Grace Church
& School
M inn ehahaCreek
NineMileCreek
N in e MileCree k
SouthdaleCenter
Canadian Pacific RailroadCanadian Pacific RailroadBLAKE RDSCHAEFER RDVER N O N A V ECAHILL RD66TH ST W
YORK AVE SINTERLACHEN BLVD
MALONEY AVE
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54TH ST W
58TH ST W
70TH ST W
76TH ST W
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78TH ST W
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1 Interlachen Country Club
Location: 6200 Interlachen Blvd.
Developer: Interlachen Country Club
Status: Under Construction
The club is expanding its boundaries by
adding a new parking lot and bigger
practice area off Waterman Avenue. The
Country Club owns two single-family homes
that will continue as single-family homes to
serve as a buffer to the homes to the west.
A gate will be constructed at the end of
Waterman, just after the homes owned by
the Country Club.
2 Former Public Works Site
Location: 5146 Eden Ave.
Developer: Edina Housing & Redevelopment
Authority, United Properties and Jester Concepts
Status: Approved
The redevelopment plan includes a
6.5-story, 90-unit senior cooperative (owner-
occupied) project with 173 underground
parking spaces. Ten percent of the units
will be affordable. The project will include
a two-story, 13,500-square-foot restaurant
and a 30,000-square-foot public park with
pedestrian walkways to a bridge that is
currently being constructed. When the
bridge is complete this fall, it will connect to
the municipal Grandview Parking Ramp.
3 5100 Apartments
Location: 5100 Eden Ave.
Developer: Opus Development
Status: Proposed
The developer proposes to demolish the Class
C office building and construct a new seven-
story apartment building with 136 units.
Most of the units will be market-rate and
10% will be priced affordably at 50% AMI.
The building would include 3,000 square
feet of commercial space. The site plan will
include new public sidewalks on all sides
of the building and enhanced landscaping
with public plazas and public art.
4 Maison Green Apartments
Location: 4917 Eden Ave.
Developer: Reuter Walton
Status: Under Construction
The developer is building a seven-story,
208-unit luxury apartment building with a
3,700-square-foot restaurant/coffee shop.
Ten percent of the units are set for those
with 50 percent area median income.
5 Row Houses at Valley View
Location: 4404 Valley View Road
Developer: City Homes
Status: Under Construction
City Homes is constructing two,
two-unit row houses.
6 Bhatti GI Gastroenterology
Location: 6500 Barrie Road
Developer: MSP Commercial
Status: Under Construction
The developer is constructing a new three-
story, 24,000-square-foot medical office and
surgery center. The basic structure has been
built and now the developer is building out
the interior and finishing the exterior.
7 US Internet Facility
Location: 6444 Xerxes Ave.
Developer: US Internet / Meyer Group
Status: Approved
The developer will demolish the vacant
medical office building and construct a
new 2,300-square-foot single-story utility
building. The site will be enhanced with
new public sidewalks.
8 Cornelia View Apartments
Location: 4040 W. 70th St.
Developer: Ecumen and Lupe
Development Partners
Status: Under Construction
Ecumen and Lupe Development Partners
are constructing a new four-story, 118-unit
senior affordable housing project with 86
underground and 23 surface parking stalls.
9 70th & France/U.S. Bank Site
Location: 7001 and 7025 France Ave.
Developer: Orion Investments, ESG
and Mortenson
Status: Under Construction
Phase one of this project was completed
in February with the construction of a
one-story, 6,500-square-foot U.S. Bank
building with a drive-thru. The next phase
includes a 24-story, 267-unit apartment
building with 1,500 square feet of retail;
a six- to seven-story, 189,430-square-foot
office/retail building; and an eight-level,
freestanding 540-stall parking ramp with
a 1,300-square-foot bike space.
10 7200 & 7250 France Avenue
Location: 7200 & 7250 France Avenue
Developer: Orion Investment
Status: Approved
This project would be developed in
two phases. Phase 1 would be the
construction of a five-story, 124,620-
square-foot office building and coffee
shop with underground parking at the
7250 France Ave. site. The 7200 France Ave.
site would include a pond, sidewalks, green
space, landscaping and surface parking
where the future building pad would be.
Phase 1 has received final approval.
Phase 2 would include a similar-sized
building in height and square footage,
with the future use of housing (150
units) combined with retail or hospitality.
Permanent parking for Phase 1 would be
required to be included in the Phase 2
development. Phase 2 has not received
final approval.
11 Fire Station 2
Location: 4401 76th St. W.
Developer: City of Edina/BKV Group Architects
Status: Proposed
The City of Edina is requesting to tear
down the existing 102,000-square-foot
building on the site to construct a new
36,000-square-foot Fire Station 2, also
referred to as the Community Health &
Safety Center. The building would provide
operational space for the Edina Fire
Department and its Public Health Division.
12 The Fred Apartments
Location: 4660 77th St. W.
Developer: Solhem Companies
Status: Under Construction
The developer is in the final stages of
constructing a staggered five- to seven-story,
408-unit market rate apartment building.
13 The Finch Apartments
Location: 4620 77th St. W.
Developer: Solhem Companies
Status: Approved
The developer plans to tear down one of
the existing office buildings at Pentagon
Park and construct a seven-story, 276-unit
apartment building in its place. Ten percent
of the units would be for affordable
housing. One of the main features of the
plan is the provision of a new entrance to
Fred Richards Park on the east side of the
existing office building.
14 First Bank & Trust
Location: 4901 77th St. W.
Developer: Solomon
Status: Under Construction
Solomon is constructing a 15,000-square-
foot office and bank with an interior drive-
thru. A grand opening is anticipated for
the spring of 2024.
15 The Eddi Apartments
Location: 4911 77th St. W.
Developer: Rise Development
Status: Under Construction
A six-story, 200-unit apartment building
is nearly done in the southeast corner
of Pentagon South. Ten percent of the
units will be for affordable housing.
This month, our
community celebrates
many special events!
Sept. 4
Labor Day
Sept. 15
Start of Hispanic
Heritage Month
Sept. 15-17
Rosh Hashanah
Sept. 24-25
Yom Kippur
For a complete listing of meetings
and events, visit EdinaMN.gov.
3City of Edina EdinaMN.gov
Iskaan-garee koodhkan oo ku fiiri soomaali
EdinaMN.gov/SomaliEE
EdinaMN.gov/SpanishEE
Escanee este código para ver en español
952-927-8861 | mail@EdinaMN.govCity of Edina EdinaMN.gov4
BY DEBBIE TOWNSEND
The process to transform a former golf
course into a multiuse park almost double
the size of Centennial Lakes Park is quickly
gaining speed.
With voters approving $17.7 million in
funding via a local sales tax, the Fred
Richards Park Master Plan is being turned
into actual designs, with construction to
follow. And with that, a long-ago idea has
been revived.
The northwest portion of the park, named
the “Nature Bank” in that 2017 plan, will
restore nature’s role on what previously had
been a wetland. Returning it to a wetland
creates meadows and marshland for wildlife,
plus natural floodwater storage.
“One of the ideas we had several years ago
was this would serve a dual purpose,”
Mayor Jim Hovland said during a July 18
City Council meeting.
The wetland offers an even greater
opportunity, unanimously endorsed by the
City Council. By making that wetland an
official wetlands mitigation bank, the City
will generate credits that can be used for
other projects or sold on the open market.
When development impacts
wetlands, the wetland either has to
be reconstructed or credits purchased
from a mitigation bank. A bank creates
a larger wetland instead of isolated
small ones, and, in this case, provides
a beautiful park feature.
“If you’re going to go through the
trouble of creating a nice, high-quality
wetland, you should go the full process
and create a wetland bank,” said Jason
Naber, Biologist – Senior Partner at
Emmons and Olivier Resources, who is
working with consultant Confluence
on the project.
The mitigation bank would cost the
same to construct as a wetland preserve,
estimated at just over $2 million for the
17 acres. But it could generate about $1.3
million if credits were sold, Naber said.
The main differences are the paperwork
and that it would be legally permanent.
“If you’re living on the north side, you’ll
have this wetland there forever,” said
Parks & Recreation Director Perry Vetter.
The Nature Bank will also include
educational and play areas and trails along
the wetland bank edge. The 43-acre park’s
Fred Richards Park to Include Wetlands Mitigation Bank
Feature Will Provide Wildlife Habitat, Flood Storage and Potential Revenue
WETLAND SCENARIOS
WETLAND PRESERVE + PARK
MITIGATION BANK + PARK
WETLAND PRESERVE
MITIGATION
BANK
PARK
PARK
The northwest Nature Bank section of Fred Richards
Park, located north of West 77th Street, would
primarily be wetlands skirted by trails, viewing
spots and natural play areas. (Submitted Illustration)
“Central Green” will feature basketball and
pickleball courts, trails and a renovated
clubhouse. The “Great Lawn and Loop”
section will include a new trail, a multiuse
“Great Lawn,” picnic pavilion and playground.
Various stages during the design process
will include community engagement.
For more information, visit
EdinaMN.gov/FredRichardsPark
or contact Park Planner Rachel
Finberg at rfinberg@EdinaMN.gov
or 952-826-0397.
BRAEMAR PARK OPEN HOUSE
When: 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6
Where: Braemar Arena Backyard Rink, 7501 Ikola Way
What: Hear about updates on Braemar Park projects,
including Braemar Arena and Courtney Fields, plus
see and give comments on trail alignments. Funding
for these projects was authorized by voters last year
when the local sales tax was approved.
***ECRWSS***Residential Customer
PRESORT STD
U.S. POSTAGEPAIDTWIN CITIES MNPermit No. 3932