Northsiders invited to info session on future of Merwin Liquors, Winner Gas Station
MINNEAPOLIS -- Northside residents are invited to an information session about the future of Merwin Liquors and Winner Gas Station. Both businesses sit at the corner of Broadway and Lyndale Avenues North and have been the backdrop for violence in the community for years.
For the past five years, Pastor Edrin Williams has watched violence unfold outside the liquor store and gas station that sit next to his church.
"There are a lot of people who come to this corner who are hurting. Homelessness we've seen on the rise on this corner, drug use we've seen in on the rise on this corner," Williams said. "In the last eight or nine days, eight people were shot between the liquor store and the gas station."
Williams is helping circulate a petition.
"We're asking for a business license review and a business practice review. Just take a look at what they are doing, how they are running their business. Are they living up to the standards that we set for any business across the Twin Cities," Williams said. "If they are not living up to the standards that are set then we asking the city to revoke their license and they not be able to make money off of the pain and hurt of this community."
The petition began circulating days before Minnesota's Attorney General launched a civil investigation into the two businesses. The aim is to see whether the businesses are taking the necessary steps to address the crime.
The City of Minneapolis cited the liquor store as recently as last week for not meeting it's alcohol-management responsibilities.
Tuesday night's information session will let people know what's being done to bring order to that corner.
"I think that people can expect to get good information," Minneapolis City Councilmember Jerimiah Ellison, of Ward 5, said. "The states got their thing that they are moving forward with, the city's got some updates, the 4th precinct is going to have some updates. And I know people are wondering, 'Are my various levels of government talking to one another?'"
Merwin Liquors announced its store is under new management. We Push For Peace now runs day-to-day operations. Officials say if anything happens at the state or city level, the conversation will be with the owners and not new management.