Merwin Liquors in Minneapolis starts process to move to new location
Police investigate a shooting over the winter outside Merwin's on the 700 block of West Broadway in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A liquor store in north Minneapolis that has been a hot spot for crime is working with the city to move to a new location, city officials confirm to FOX 9.
The City of Minneapolis says Merwin Liquors has reached out to the city's Licenses and Consumer Services. Licensing staff members are working with Merwin’s to find a new location.
The store's current site is along the 700 block of West Broadway Avenue in Minneapolis' Hawthorne neighborhood. That area has been the site of multiple shootings and other violent incidents in recent years, including the death of a woman earlier this year.
A group looking to buy the West Broadway location has requested a loan through the Great Streets program -- which offers grants and loans for a business district revitalization and economic development in Minneapolis.
However, that request is in the early stages and would need city council approval. We're told the possible timeline for a decision could be over the next few months.
As for a new location for Merwin's, the city says siting liquor stores is a challenge due to ordinances that set spacing and zoning requirements.