Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly implied that Gold Medal Park was no longer an option for the memorial. 

Plans for a long-anticipated memorial to the victims of the Aug. 1, 2007 collapse of the I-35W Bridge could be moved from leased land at Gold Medal Park to permanent parkland near the river.

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board approved a motion at its July 21 meeting to work with Mayor R.T. Rybak, the Minnesota Department of Transportation, representatives of victims and donors to find a “suitable location” for the memorial. At least one potential site is a plot of land near 11th Avenue and West River Parkway. 

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A city study on the first six months of Hennepin and 1st avenues as two-way roads found that the new setup has reduced crashes, increased cyclists in the area, improved access and maintained traffic flow.

The streets were converted from one-way routes last fall. A shared lane replaced a bike-specific lane on Hennepin, a bike lane was added to 1st Avenue and Nicollet Mall was opened to bikes.

The changes were and still are controversial, especially on 1st Avenue where parking was moved away from the curb, to the left of the bike lane, causing confusion for some motorists and cyclists and complaints from businesses.  

But according to the study, the city’s goals have been met:

Bike numbers up
Ridership since the conversion
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True to his word, Thom Pham has succeeded in prepping his new restaurant space for a late summer opening.

Less than three weeks after showing off the 10,000 square foot space at 533 Hennepin Ave. S., which at the time was messy with renovation debris, Pham’s management company, the Phamous Group, says the restaurateur is ready to open for business. The first day of operation for Wondrous Azian Kitchen will be Thurs., Aug. 12.

That’s right, the new restaurant ha a shortened name. According to Chris Kallal of Twincy, the agency handling Pham’s marketing, the word “Wanderers” has been dropped from the title. The sign out front, though, will read “Thom Pham’s Wondrous Azian Kitchen.”

 “We’re
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