In 2013, Minneapolis adopted their Climate Action Plan, which put into place a comprehensive set of emission reduction strategies. These strategies cover 3 areas: Buildings and energy, Transportation and land use, Waste and recycling.
For buildings and energy, the goal is to reduce energy usage by 17%, and generate 10% of electricity from local, renewable sources. On the residential building side of things, Minneapolis is proposing a "home energy audit" as part of the Truth In Housing program (TIH or TISH, Truth In Sale of Housing). This would require sellers to have an energy score when listing their house for sale. They are proposing that the TISH inspectors be trained to perform this component of the inspection process. The end result of this energy score would be a single number, for example 37 on a scale of 1 to 100. 100 would mean that the house would have virtually no energy costs.
Another part of this program is to make incentives for sellers to improve their homes energy-wise so that they can get a higher sale price due to energy efficiencies. If they don't, the buyers will at least have some knowledge about the energy efficiency of the house, making it an incentive to them to improve the house energy-wise.
Also on the residential side of things, Minneapolis is proposing a "time of rent" energy disclosure for renters. Renters currently have no way of knowing how much their utility bills will be before renting a unit. The disclosure would be mandated so that renters could compare units on energy efficiency. This would give incentives to the landlord (owners) to improve their buildings to make them more attractive to the rental market.
On the commercial side of things, some of them already have to do an energy score of sorts and disclose to purchasers. Minneapolis would like to extend that to all commercial buildings. They also have an Energy Reduction Challenge called the "Kilowatt Crackdown" to encourage commercial buildings to reduce usage.
For renewable energy, Minneapolis is trying to create policies that promote renewable energy, develop a "solar-ready" certification, and encourage "net-zero" buildings.
Making a building "solar-ready" adds virtually no cost at the time of construction, and would potentially have some value to purchasers. This would involve adding some structural supports and electrical conduit so that solar could be installed without adding structural support to the roof trusses, and/or digging in walls to add conduit. Both of these items can be added at a very low cost when in the construction phase.
What is a net-zero building? Basically net-zero means the building (or house) would generate all the energy it needs to power the building itself. This generally means that the building is super insulated so that it requires less energy to heat and cool the building, as well as solar panels to generate the energy it needs. Oftentimes this type of building uses geo-thermal heat pumps to heat and cool the building, running off solar energy. You can read more about "Net-Zero" buildings at this link.
You can read the entire action plan at the link below. Minneapolis Climate Action Plan:
http://www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/climate-action-goals/climate-action-planThe only park in Armatage is called Armatage Park. Named after Maude D. Armatage, the park and school opened in 1952. There is also a recreation center in the park. The park is 17.21 acres, and it has many amenities that makes it a fun place to visit.
If you're the type that likes sports, the park has a lot to offer. They have a football field, a basketball court, a tennis court, and other fields/courts, too. There is a hockey rink and a skating rink if skating is more your style.
There is a Little Library if you'd like to give one or take one. There's a wading pool if you're hot and want to take a dip. There's a also a walking path if you want to take a leisurely stroll and see the nature that is surrounding you. There are sculptures to admire as you take your walk, and there is a playground/tot lot for the younger set.
Pizzeria Lola was opened by a Korean immigrant, Ann Kim, in 2010 along with her husband and business partner, Conrad Leifur, and named after her dog. It has become one of the best pizza places in Minneapolis and has gained national fame. They also have ready-to-cook pizzas that you can pop in the oven if you prefer eating at home.
Their pizza menu includes Korean BBQ, Lady Zaza, and Perfect Pickle Pie, among others. They have other dishes, too, such as Cacio E Pepe Corn, Meatballs, and Crostini. All their pizzas can be made on gluten-free crusts upon request.
They have a full slate of drinks, too, alcoholic and non. You can end your meal with something sweet like a DIY ice cream sandwich or a Chocolate Budino with Whipped Cream.
They also have a wood-fired pizza oven in a trailer that they can take to your next event to make it truly special.
Red Wagon Pizza Company is a family-owned pizza company, run by Peter and Jacquie Campbell. Peter has loved pizza since he made his first one with his Pop Pop (grandfather) at age two. It became a family tradition that Peter carried on after he met and married Jacquie. They had the Red Wagon, which was a pizza truck before that was a thing, and they started catering events and selling pizza by the slice at the Linden Hills Farmer Market.
They finally achieved their dream of opening their restauraant in 2014, and they have been a neighbonhood favorite ever since.
The menu includes tasty pizzas like Red Wagon, Mcloving'It, and the Banh Mi. They have vegetarian and gluten-free options not just limited to pizzas, such as Olive Oyl (V, pizza), Meatballs (GF), and Rigatoni Marinara (V). They have desserts, too. And they do catering and events.
Wagners Greenhouses & Garden Center officially incorporated in 1967, but they were in informal business long before then (1901). It started with fresh produce before the incorporation and branched out (pun intended) as time went on.
They continued to innovate and expand over the years. They became the leading sellers of growing plugs, and they bought a 250,000 square foot growing range in Hugo, MN. It had been used to grow roses, but the Wagners changed that so they could grow poinsettias, perennials, annuals, and more.
In addition to plants and produce, they sell evergreens, shrubs, and garden supplies.
The Armatage Summer Jam is an annual summer event held in August. It's a free, fun-filled event that has something for almost everyone. Events in the past have included live music, face-painting, magic, food trucks, henna tattoos, and more.
