News

We are pleased to announce that we are adding a program to recognize outstanding local business leaders in the Southwest Minneapolis area for 2019. SWBA is kicking off its awards program with a core of: 

• Business Owner of the Year
• Woman Owned Business Owner of the Year
• Minority Owned Business Owner of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year

Criteria, deadlines and details to apply are posted at swba.experiencesouthwest.com/awards.

Questions should be directed to the SWBA Coordinator, Jessica Reinhardt, at 612-823-3472 or jessica@experiencesouthwest.com.

SWBA was successful in getting the city to adjust their sign code in a number of areas that make the code more business friendly. Watch for details in the next SWBA eNews in your inbox!

The Minneapolis 2040 Draft Plan Comment Period closes tomorrow (Sunday, July 22). The association has reviewed the plan, taken member comments, and is submitting a letter with recommendations, but you are encouraged to submit individual comments on areas that will impact you and your business as well. You can find the plan online at minneapolis2040.com, and can submit comments using the green comment boxes on the policy pages on the site.

SWBA Identified Policies 54, 58 and 59 as the primary areas that focus on business initiatives. We are commenting on parking, transportation, business support efforts, financial education, commercial space affordability, City generated business regulations, and City taxes/fees/assessments impacting business.

Fellow member Whitney Emanuel of Strategic Visionaries is hosting a seminar that will help you:

• Protect your business
• Reward your employees
• Plan your future
• Minimize your tax liability

Weekend closure March 2-5

I-35W will be closed south of downtown Minneapolis this weekend while crews remove the 38^th Street Bridge. The closure will start at 10 p.m. Friday, March 2 and reopen by Monday, March 5. The ramps leading to I-35W will start closing at 9 p.m.

Northbound I-35W will close from Highway 62 to I-94. Southbound will close from I-94 to 46^th Street.

The 38^th Street Bridge will close at 6 a.m. Friday and will remain closed for five months while it is rebuilt.

Detour maps are attached for the interstate closure and the 38^th Street Bridge closure.

36^th Street ramp closed through 2021

    The 36^th Street ramp will close at 2 a.m. Friday and will not reopen until the project is complete in 2021. We apologize for this inconvenience. I have attached a detour map.   Here is why it must remain closed :

• During the 38th St. bridge reconstruction, there is not enough room for vehicles to safely merge from the ramp onto southbound I-35W.
• Once I-35W freeway reconstruction work begins this summer, the number of southbound lanes will be reduced and shifted at various times while crews work for three years after the 38^th St. bridge reopens. This will make it difficult for vehicles entering from 36^th Street to safely merge onto I-35W south.

The December issue of Minnesota Employment Review is now available.

Retail Trade, the third largest employing industry in the metro area, is vital to the regional economy. And it's possible that Retail Trade will overtake Manufacturing as the region's second largest employing industry, if trends continue. The sector is changing. Read Retail Trade in the Twin Cities.

Small business is the bread and butter of the state's economy. In Small Business Success, Regional Analyst Chet Bodin shows how small business was affected by the Great Recession and their prospects today.

This month County Snapshots looks at the four K counties. Name them – and learn how to pronounce their names, too!  

Plus, industrial and regional analysis, Minnesota economic indicators, Current Employment Statistics and Local Area Unemployment Statistics.  

The Minnesota Employment Review, published by the LMI Office, examines labor market conditions and key economic indicators statewide.

During the discussions surrounding a citywide minimum wage increase, one of the key components that SWBA pushed for was good reporting and tracking of the policy's impact. The city included this requirement in its ordinance, and has hired economists with the Federal Reserve to head up the project. The team will be creating a baseline report using data from the past few years. We'll provide updates as more information becomes available. 

For those of you employing more than 100 employees, the effective minimum wage is $10 per hour starting on January 1. Employers under the 100 employee threshold have until July 1 when a minimum wage of $10.25 per hour will be expected. Learn more on the city website at http://minimumwage.minneapolismn.gov/

Following the state ruling that the city could not ban plastic bags, a revised ordinance that would require businesses to charge a minimum 5 cent fee for any bag provided to customers was presented to Council. The council opted not to approve the ordinance and has instead directed the committee to propose other measures that may help reduce the waste stream in the city.