New grocery store on Cedar Ave. near Lake Nokomis worries some residents
A new Lunds & Byerly's location along Cedar Avenue near Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Construction is complete on a new neighborhood grocery store on a block in south Minneapolis.
The Lunds & Byerlys store replaces another grocery store that closed there a while ago. However, neighbors are worried the new store could bring more traffic to what they call an already busy and dangerous intersection near Lake Nokomis.
"The corner of 47th St. and Cedar Ave. South," neighbor James Chairpairini explained. He says the problem has been brewing there for some time.
"It starts early, the worst times are between six and eight [a.m.] and then again probably from 4 to 5 [p.m.]," Chairpairini said.
On Thursday morning at 8 a.m. the doors will open at the new Lunds store.
"Which is good, I’ll be shopping there," Chairpairini said.
Still there are concerns about the new store among neighbors.
"I’ve talked to many neighbors," Chairpairini said. "Getting across the street here because of the traffic, we feel it’s very unsafe… people do not yield at the stops, they roll through the stops… both directions, and it’s a mess… I think this is only going to get worse."
Chairpairini says it takes close to five minutes just to get an opportunity to cross the road.
"And you’re really at the mercy of hopefully somebody will stop," Chairpairini said. "There’s always at least one driver who goes through red… they do not stop at red."
Hennepin County District 4 Commissioner Angela Conley says she’s heard all about it.
"They’ve been reaching out to me for the last few days about the development opening up and how 47th and Cedar has posed significant challenges to them in terms of getting across and being safe," Conley told FOX 9. "People are concerned."
"I hope our voices are heard and something can be done," Chairpairini added.
Lunds & Byerlys sent the following statement on Wednesday:
As a tenant in this new development, Lunds & Byerlys is excited to soon serve the Nokomis area, and we have been so grateful for the overwhelmingly positive community support leading up to our store opening. As an additional safety measure, we are hopeful the city will install a pedestrian crosswalk along Cedar Avenue for those visiting our store and other nearby restaurants and retailers.
The county says in the next week its transportation safety department will conduct a study on the traffic, to see what can be done.