MAINSTREET PROJECT
.-'
-.
(
r ", . ..;t..
...- 7'
liarch 1,
1985
Hopkins City COilllCil
City Hall
Hopkins, ltinnesota 55343
Dear Council I-1embers:
.- -~~.
-::~< ''" ,;' ,\,~$.;fi
" .
As you l~no\'l, Eopl-::ins l\lainstreet is '\'Iorkine hard to establish an
identity for the downtown. The confusion 0enerated by the fact
that our main street is called Excelsior Lvenue Rakes directing
custor.lcrs, visitors and prospective buslnesses to Eoplans a major
obstac2e. :Cut, the l:ainstreet Task Force has a very loeical solution
for tlus probleI.l... cbe.nge the nane of Exclesior J..ver..ue frof., County
?.o2.d 18 to Shady C2J: l-:'oad to . Lainstreetll .
~1 Tuesday, February 26, a meeting of all businesses alonG ~f.celsior
Avenue fron County Raod 18 to Shady Oak Road and bU3lnesses alO1:';:; the
side streets which ma~r be affected, \Tas cCllled durinG" the General
I'!eeting of [opkins l'~ainstreet ProIilotlons. The ove!'\'TheltIing consensus
was that this was a ver~T tood idea! As a natter 0= fact, sor.e
dOl.mtoi^m businesses 2.re already uSlnc ~:ainstreet 211 thelr ad.vertlsl:_Z!
Cur nl~o"l)osal at t:us tiJ~e is that the 01 t,- 0 _' I.O--_'l]1.S ctar...,se "t.te
narr.e.of"'Excelsior J..ve., \/est to "I:ailisJcreetl ei'~ectlve i~ay 17, 1S35.
~}:e nar"e chanGe \!ould take place VIi t~l 2- ribbo::l-cuttln,:; cerer:1ony dUrl!1,s
t;_e CUlllullntioJl of OU:C wee}.: 10:'1.'; '~.~ln~t2.~8et )c.~'[;" c82.c-:;2.~0.tlcn.
Si}~cerel:)T :
I;oli1:ins r:ail1strect rroJect
1013 ExcelsIor Avenue West HopkIns. MN 55343
935-8115
-----
i
.
(
Ma rc h 11, 1985
To. Jim Kerrigan, City Planner
From: Gordon Anderson
Whats' in a name? - Or where do we go from here?
The City Councll agreed wlth a recommendation of the Mainstreet ProJect that the
name of the main street in downtown Hopkins should be changed. In the plats of
1887 and later, the main street of West Minneapolis was named Excelsior Avenue.
This name carries through from the east Clty limits to the west, terminatlng at
Shady Oak Road. A street w1th that name begins agaln two blocks south on Shady
Oak Road, going west to Excelsior. ThlS continuation is called Excelsior Boule-
vard.
In the 1950's, the County of Hennepin constructed a road on an old railroad
right-of-way from Excelsior Boulevard and Shady Oak Road easterly to the then
Excelsior Avenue and Washington Avenue (County Road 18). This stretch of road
is known as Second Street South by Hopklns Councll actlon. This road is on the
border of Hopkins-Minnetonka from 17th Avenue South to Shady Oak Road. In ~linne-
tonka it is known as Exceis10r Boulevard so the property on the south is on Excel-
sior Boulevard and the property on the north is on Second Street South. And two
blocks north we have Excelsior Avenue.
The Mainstreet Project request is to change the name of Excelsior Avenue from
Washington Avenue to Shady Oak Road to "Malnstreet". Therein may lie a problem.
In the older part of Hopk1ns the streets run east and west and the avenues run
north and south. Mainstreet would fellow that pattern. But what do we call
Mainstreet? Mainstreet Street or Mainstreet Avenue? Maybe Main Street, or Main-
street Boulevard or Lane or Drive? We also have Courts and Downs and Walks in
Hopkins. These probably aren't too appropriate. But should it be "Mainstreet"?
Maybe Mainstreet West.
The latest edition of Hudson Street Atlas lists a Main Avenue NW in Elk River, a
Main Pvenue S.E. in Pr10r Lake. They list Main Streets in Anoka, Albertville,
Blaine, Carver, Coon Rpaids and Centervllle. In Eden Prairle, Farmlngton, Hassen,
Independence, Llno Lakes and L1lydale. In Oak Grove, Rockford, St. Bonlfacious,
Shakopee, St. Michael, St. Paul Park, St. Paul, Vermillion and Waconia. Maln Street
East in Maple Plain, Main Street North in Stillwater, Main Street Northeast in Co-
lumbia Heights and Frldley, Maln Street South in Stillwater and Main Street West in
Maple Plain. Also we find a Maine Street 1n Bayport. There is no "Mainstreet" listed.
A partial list of those that are involved in a name change are:
County Treasurer
Fire Underwrlters
Northwestern Bell
Post Offlce
County Auditor
Minnegasco
Northern States Power
Rogers Cablevision
911
Hopkins Water, Sewer
Garbage, Pollce & Flre
Voter Reglstration
Drlvers Licenses
Taxes
Maps by Gousha, Rand McNally, Hudson, School Dlstrict, Clty, County, State County
surveyor, County geographlcal file.
1
-~
.
(
e
March 11, 1985
J1m Kerrigan
Whats' in a name?
Page 2
The street named as 1t is 1S h1stor1cal but it 1S also confusing. It no longer
1S the road to Excels1or. County Road 3 (Second Street South) 1S now that route.
Perhaps that should carry the name Excels10r from Minneapol1s to Excelsior w1th
the Avenue name belng carr1ed in Hopklns because of the d1fferent house number
system. The confusion part can be a negatlve ltem. The wrong call for a fire,
police or rescue need. People belng bothered because of the double name of the
street from 17th to Shady Oak Road.
.
.
,
It
(Official Publication)
CITY OF HOPKINS
Hennepin County, Minnesota
The Hopkins City Council will hold a hearing on Tuesday, April 2, 1985,
in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 1010 First Street South, Hopkins,
Minnesota, at 7:30 p.m., on a proposal to change the name of Excelsior Avenue
to "MAINSTREET" between Washington Avenue and Shady Oak Road.
If you are interested in the above matter we ask that you please appear
at this meeting.
Questions may be directed to James Kerrigan, Community Development Director,
935-8474, extension 140.
~t.~
ohn J. Strojan,
Acting City Manager
To be published in the HOPKINS SAILOR, March 18, 1985.