Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood at a pivot point: "People need to start coming back"

MINNEAPOLIS — Some might say the Uptown neighborhood of Minneapolis is at a bit of a pivot point right now.

Kuva Salon is a business struggling to hang on.

"That's what Uptown was: everybody came here to get their hair done," said Will O'Hara, Kuva's owner. "That's why we opened here. It was a cool place to get your hair done."

Several businesses though have closed the last few years.

O'Hara says foot traffic is down, stylists have left to work elsewhere and Kuva also now faces the possibility of having to close.

"My business is hurting, so it's difficult when we owe back rent," he said.

Aidan McCluskey, who lives in Uptown, says he's noticed more vacancies recently.

"It's not fun anymore," he said. "Not as fun as it used to be."

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Lisa Ricci, another neighbor, says she'd like to see independent small businesses come to Uptown rather than corporate stores.

Scout was a clothing and gift store that just moved into Uptown last summer, but it's already gone.

Its neighbor two doors down, Paper Source, is on its way out too. Julia Celley, the manager, says it's because sales are down.

"Between not having enough places to attract people and then not having parking for the people who do want to come here from outside of the area, it's just been a decline in customer traffic," she said.

But people who know Uptown best say things are absolutely turning around.

For example, the Uptown Theater was packed for a concert Saturday night.

"We're creating a renaissance and there are so many things going on here," said Natasha Greiling, the president of the Uptown Association. "We have three live music venues now."

O'Hara, the owner of Kuva, says Uptown is making a resurgence.

"There are new businesses coming back," he said. "It's going to be fine. People need to start coming back."

Ricci says Uptown still has a strong feeling of community.

"I feel like the people that are meant to stay here will stay here, and that gives me hope," she said.

Adding to navigation and parking issues is the Hennepin Avenue reconstruction. Greiling says the project will take two years.