The Wake

Rumbling tracks from the approaching train, roaring exhaust from the passing bus, warning screams from the police siren – all call Southeast Minneapolis home.

The bells don’t ring out from Turtle Community School any longer. Home for-sale signs seem to be the latest lawn ornament. Discarded red plastic party cups blow through the allies.

The Como neighborhood acts as the sponge for University of Minnesota students who want to live close to campus but not exactly on it. People who rent out-number the home-owning residents almost 2-to-1, according to the 2000 U.S. Census.

It is roughly bordered by highway 280, I-35 W, Hennepin Avenue and the U of M. The Eastern industrial zoned border and adjoining concrete thoroughfares align Como to the U of M, creating an isolated niche for a conveniently placed housing district.

Over half of the people living in the area are people between 20-to-34-years-old. In 2000, 64% of the 2,342 occupied housing units were rentals according to the census.

Drunken melodies echo off of siding. Aluminum beer cans go ting-clang on the cement. Occasionally at 2:30 a.m., an aggressive voice is heard pleading for neighborhood silence.

Not all respect is lost though.

The Southeast Como Improvement Association has been working for 25 years to keep the community strong. It’s comprised of individuals living in or owning a business in the Como borders. SECIA’s neighborhood revitalization program works to maintain the success of this Minneapolis neighborhood.

Como has designated routes for bicyclists, 10 community gardens and Van Cleve Park. The park offers a playground, sport fields, tennis courts and a children’s wading pool. It also provides space for community events like SECIA’s annual Como Cookout. The city bus route three runs frequently for easy travel to either downtown. A business district lives on Como Avenue. A mosque and multiple churches are also within its borders.

The Van Cleve Development broke ground last month. The affordable housing project will be built to meet sustainable green-design standards. It is located on the 3.5 acres adjacent to the landmark Bunge Midway grain elevator.

The Minneapolis School Board is considering ideas for what the Turtle School building’s future will be. Ways to reuse the building, instead of demolishing it, are on the top of the list.

The 2010 census data will provide a better understanding of the transition the Como area endures, adapts to and grows from.