Latest news with #PaperbackExchange
CBS News
06-07-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Businesses call it quits months after Minneapolis water main break; owners disappointed in city's lack of support
Businesses on West 50th Street and Penn Avenue South in southwest Minneapolis say the future is uncertain after a water main break badly damaged their building this winter. "It's sad to see this whole corner just devastated like this," Paperback Exchange owner Andrew Hersey said. Hersey lost 100,000 books in the Feb. 13 flooding. Months later, a lot is still up in the air. "There's a lot to do, a lot to figure out," Hersey said. At least four businesses were displaced — as well as residents living in the five apartment units above. "The city just left. I mean, damaged all these businesses and just took off and said they are not responsible, and we're just left to figure out what to do on our own," Hersey said. Inside Paperback Exchange in Minneapolis after a water main broke early in the morning on Feb. 13, 2025. WCCO Hersey is hopeful he'll reopen Paper Exchange, whether it's on 50th and Penn or not. It's community support — from loved ones, neighbors and book lovers — that keeps him going. Paperback Exchange has been a staple on the corner for 50 years and in his family for 34. Hersey says he's disappointed in the city's lack of support. "It would have been nice for someone from the city to show up and say, 'We value your business. We want you to reopen, what do you need in order to do that?' That never happened," he said. While Paperback Exchange is holding onto hope, others in the building are calling it quits. Terzo, an Italian restaurant owned by the Broder family, announced its closure at the end of May. "We have realized that the time, energy resources needed to rebuild Terzo are beyond our capacity," a Facebook post read. "As we close this chapter, our story continues on the corner of 50th and Penn. Our focus and commitment to the Broders' legacy is stronger than ever." Sparrow Cafe is also leaving. In an online fundraiser, the coffee shop said, "It'll be of little surprise that at this point Sparrow cannot re-open. From the politics of blaming the city, to uncooperative insurance or underinsured, the damage done is well outside of what insurance has covered for our business." Instead of serving customers on a packed patio Sunday morning, owners Jasper and Sheila Rajendren were packing up what was left. They say they couldn't have survived without the community support. "Even with that, and what insurance has covered for us, it's not enough to rebuild a space and then open a restaurant on top of that," Jasper Rajendren said. The husband-and-wife duo say "never say never" to reopening somewhere else, with the current economic climate, a perfect opportunity would need to arise. "There's been zero support from the city, as far as I know," Jasper Rajendren said. "They just, you know, cared about the sidewalk and the road more than they do about helping out with the building." Their landlord and owner of part of the building, Carroll Peterson, feels similarly. The outside of a Minneapolis building housing four businesses nearly five months after a water main broke nearby. WCCO "The city came in and said, 'No, we're not going to pay anything.'" he said. Peterson says he was led to believe he'd possibly get compensation from the city since it was their water main that caused the damage. He says some parts of the city have been helpful. Peterson said Ward 13 council member Linea Palmisano helped as much as she could, but overall it's been a horrible experience. "It was their main that blew through the ground and blew in our wall and you know, created a, basically a fountain," Peterson said. "The whole building was a giant fountain or was going up in the air. So, we assumed that the city would take responsibility for it, but they decided not to." As of this month, Peterson has some renters back in the apartments above, but it will be months before any new tenants — or businesses — will be up and running on the block again. "We had hoped that we would save the building, and in spite of the odds, we did," he said. "You know, it's a classic building, we're glad we did that. It's and if I just do it over again, I would, but I did. I didn't realize it was going to be as arduous and painful as it has been." In a statement, Council Member Linea Palmisano, Ward 13, wrote in part: "Per our Public Purpose Doctrine, we cannot use your taxpayer dollars to benefit an individual or business directly. Meaning we can't just give them money. I have done my best to expedite the restoration process, answer questions, give referrals, and provide business support resources to everyone to give them all the best chance to succeed. I cannot force them to participate in our programs or follow-up on suggestions. My fiduciary responsibility is to the City and its residents." WCCO reached out Sunday to the city of Minneapolis for comment.
Yahoo
15-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Penn Avenue reopens, but businesses remain closed after water main break
A month after a water main break caused major flood damage to a building that houses multiple businesses and apartments in southwest Minneapolis, the intersection at 50th and Penn Avenue has partially reopened. In an update provided by the city on Friday, it was announced that Penn Avenue South has reopened to traffic for the first time since the water main break that closed Terzo Restaurant, Paperback Exchange, Sparrow Cafe and Theisen Renovations. But West 50th Street remains closed to traffic between Penn and Oliver Avenues. The city said workers installed a support beam on Thursday night to help stabilize the building and have added an additional support beam on Friday. The beams and shoring towers are needed to support the building for the basement wall to be overnight main water break on Feb. 13 came from a pipe inside the building that houses Italian restaurant Terzo and five apartments above it, with a large amount of water gushing into the streets and alleyways. The flooding completely flooded Terzo's basement and destroyed around 100,000 books in the basement of the Paperback Exchange said in social media posts on Thursday it's been "working hard with insurance, the restoration company and the city to assess the damage and the remediate the building." "The burst water main seriously compromised the foundation and structure of the building; however, crews are hard at work trying to shore up the building to begin structural repairs," the local bookstore said. Terzo hasn't provided any updates to its situation since March 3, when the restaurant said it was doing what it could to support its staff through a GoFundMe. You can help donate to each business's financial situation through the following GoFundMe links: The city says it will be able to resume retaining wall construction over the weekend and will continue work into next week, with the goal to open up two-way traffic via the northern half of 50th Street by the end of the week.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Effort to help coffee shop closed since destructive water main break
The latest campaign to help a business impacted by a destructive water main break in southwest Minneapolis has been launched. The Sparrow Café at West 50th Street and Penn Avenue South has been closed since suffering damage in the Feb. 13 flood, which also damaged bookstore the Paperback Exchange, Italian restaurant Terzo, Theisen Renovation, Lake Harriet Florist, Scuba Center and Lake Harriet Pizza. A GoFundMe launched to help the coffee shop's employees as they figure out what's next for the restaurant posted on Instagram Monday that the City of Minneapolis had declared an intent to condemn the building, which has been left uninhabitable in the wak of the flood. "Sparrow has been a welcoming and wonderful place for us, for almost 12 years. The 12 years have been challenging due to COVID, and extensive roadwork and construction in the area spanning years. Yet Sparrow has remained an incredible part of our neighborhood," the GoFundMe post reads. As of Monday, the fundraiser has raised over $3,300 of its $40,000 goal. The business was started in 2013 by Sheila and Jasper Rajendren, with the latter naming the cafe "Sparrow" because they're "urban birds with a sense of community." The shop offers coffee, tea, muffins, scones and more.
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Minneapolis restaurant reveals flood wreckage left by burst water main
Terzo in southwest Minneapolis provided an update on the aftermath of a burst water main that has left the Italian restaurant closed ever since. The destructive main break sent torrents of water through the building overnight on Feb. 13, flooding its basement and causing water damage to its building and neighbors. Terzo said in an update last week the city has declared an intent to condemn the building, as it's currently uninhabitable after the event. The flooding was so extreme that the owners said the basement had water "up to the ceiling." The flooding led to the closure of next-door Paperback Exchange, and affected business operations at the Sparrow Café and Theisen Renovation, according to the Broder family. Residents of apartments located on the second level have also been forced to leave their homes. The owners said the fate of Terzo is undetermined at this point. "At this point, we can't say what this means for Terzo except to say that we're looking at every option for clean-up and recovery and assessing if, when and how we might be able to re-open," the post reads. "We will be working closely with our landlord, our insurer, contractors and the city to understand the full extent of the damage and what is needed to move forward. Some of that work might take a while to complete but the answers will guide our decisions." View the 8 images of this gallery on the original article The Broder family, which also owns Broder's Cucina Italiana and Broder's Pasta Bar at the same Penn and 50th intersection as Terzo, said Terzo staff "has been amazing" since the flood, with many of them coming to the restaurant within hours of the water break looking for ways to help. The owners say they're making sure wages for for staff are covered, with belief that its insurer will provide longer-term compensation for at least some who have lost income. "We're also looking at ways to offer them positions at the other restaurants, but all of this still may not be enough to cover everyone's immediate needs," the owners said. The Broders also own Broders' Cucina Italiana and Broders' Pasta Bar. The business has launched a to help support 20 Terzo staff members as they navigate what's next. As of Monday morning, the fundraiser has raised over $11,100 of its $30,000 goal. "For almost 12 years, Terzo has been a part of this community; it has been a joy to serve you and to get to know our neighbors. We are grateful for every guest who has walked through our doors, for every employee who has become part of our extended family and for the overwhelming support we have received over the years," the business said. "We will share news as we learn it and do our best to make our critical decisions as quickly as possible. Knowing that this will inevitably take longer than any of us would like, we thank you in advance for your patience and understanding."
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fundraiser launched for Minneapolis bookstore that lost 100,000 books in flood
A fundraising effort has been launched to help the Minneapolis bookstore that has lost more than 100,000 books in a flood caused by a water main break. The Paperback Exchange at 2227 W. 50th S. in southwest Minneapolis was among the units heavily damaged when water flooded its basement, with the main break having started in the basement of Italian restaurant Terzo next door. The independent bookstore says 70% of its stock was ruined, representing more than 100,000 books. Shelves and carpets inside will also need to be replaced, according to a GoFundMe created to support The Paperback Exchange as it rebuilds. The bookstore was forced to temporarily close, leaving its five employees out of work. 'We don't know at this time what a new incarnation of the bookstore will look like, but we hope to make the best of the books that were saved,' the GoFundMe reads. The water main burst also resulted in damage at the nearby home of Marion and Keith Hersey, the owners of The Paperback Exchange. A Meal Train campaign has also been launched to help them. 'We've created this GoFundMe to humbly ask for your support to help us to cover some basic expenses for the coming months. Sadly, insurance will not fully cover the loss of our precious books that we collected over the course of 50 years,' the GoFundMe continues. As of Thursday, the fundraiser had reached around $24,000 of its initial $25,000 goal. View the to see embedded media.
