1 big thing: 168,000 workers wanted

Illustration of a pattern of "we're hiring" signs, in different colors. 

2. 🏇 A trifecta of trouble for Canterbury

3. 👶 Tweet du jour: Twins manager gets Twins

4. The Spoon: That's a pricey painting

Illustration of a loon sitting on a spoon, with a cherry in its mouth.

A new career is waiting for you

5. Restaurant roundup: Band Box Diner is back

6. 🏪 The hunt for deals just got harder

Happy Tuesday! Did you see the Northern Lights last night?

⛅ Another beautiful day — partly sunny today with highs in the upper 70s. 

Situational awareness: It's National Voter Registration Day. Check your status via the Minnesota Secretary of State website. 

🙏 Thanks to our members for supporting our newsroom! Become one today and help us reach our goal of 500.

This newsletter is 884 words, a 3-minute read.

Congratulations to reader Julia C., who was among the readers who correctly guessed that Torey took yesterday's trivia photo at the Mississippi River Gorge Scenic Overlook in St. Paul. That's the one by Hartford Avenue and the Temple of Aaron synagogue.

Many of you thought she was a bit farther upriver, by The Monument or north of the Lake Street-Marshall Bridge. While those also have a great view, the bridge in the shot is actually the Ford Parkway Bridge!

😻 Audrey's cats have been hiding inside a rolled-up rug as they adjust to their new home. It's very cute. 

😋 Torey is snacking on this spicy hummus.

🛻 Nick is wondering if his 5-year-old daughter would enjoy Monster Jam in February, because he sure would like an excuse to go.

This newsletter was edited by Ross Terrell and copy edited by Patricia Guadalupe. 

Twin Cities

Picture of the Twin Cities skyline with MSP written across it.

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting the Twin Cities.

Axios Twin Cities

Standard

1 big thing: Public smoking in St. Paul

Illustration of a "no" symbol in the shape of a joint and a ring of smoke

2. Rendering vs. Reality: Bde Maka Ska apartments

3. 🥈 The Spoon: MSP is now No. 2 

Illustration of the Hahn/Cock statue holding a cellphone. 

4. 😋 Burbs Bites: A chocolate lover's dream in Anoka

two chocolate cakes with a bottle of red wine

On the job hunt? 

5. 🖊️ 1 poem to go

Good morning! Did you remember that it's the 21st day of September? 

We did, which is why this is our song of the day.

☀️ Reality check, forecast edition: It doesn't feel like late September. Sunny with a high of 80, per the NWS.

🏀 Situational awareness: The Lynx season came to an end last night after losing to the Connecticut Sun 90-75 in a decisive Game 3.

Today's newsletter is 865 words, a 3.5-minute read.

😭 Torey is still licking her wounds after learning she has the team's lowest Uber rating (4.71/5). She has no idea what she did to deserve this! 

🍺 Nick is glad Oktoberfest brew season is back. He just picked up a 12-pack of Schell's.

🍂 Audrey is ready for actual fall weather. Go away, 80-degree temps!

Today's newsletter was edited by Ross Terrell and copy edited by Patricia Guadalupe.

1 big thing: It's time to vote 

2. 🧐 What else is on municipal ballots


Illustration of a man placing a vote sticker on his shirt.

3. The Spoon: The first cannabis czar

Illustration of a spoon and cherry, both with arms and legs, walking. 

4.🍷 South Lyndale Liquors' massive new store

Stay booked and busy

5. Hot homes: Northeast living for under $300K

6. 🍎 Kudos to the U of M on its latest apple  

Happy Friday! You made it through another week. 

⛅️ It will be partly sunny with a high of 73 on this last official day of summer. Fall weather moves in this weekend with rain, wind, and lower temps. 

Today's newsletter is 909 words — a 3-minute read. 

🏡 Nick can't help but let you all know that his Uber rating is 4.87/5, well above Torey's embarrassing 4.71 score. His would be a perfect 5 if not for a bachelor party weekend in Kansas City six years ago. 

🍁 Torey is excited to go to the fall festival hosted by her son's daycare. 

🥳 Audrey has officially unpacked her last box!

1 big thing: Dakota County's heated shelter debate

Illustration of the dotted outline of a house key, but no house key.

2. Chart du jour: WFH is still all the rage 

3. The Spoon: National love for Gai Noi

Illustration of two spoons with text reading "Twin Cities" that changes to "MPLS" and "St. P."

4. 🏠 What to do about boxelder bugs 

5. 📸 One incredible Northern Lights pic to go 

Northern Lights as seen from a plane, with a wing showing 

🐪 Happy hump day. We come bearing baby animal news: There's a new snow leopard cub at the Como Zoo! 

☀️ It's going to feel like July today, with humid air and temperatures reaching the mid-80s, according to the NWS. 

Playoffs awareness: The Lynx face the Sun tonight in a deciding game three of the first round of the WNBA playoffs at Target Center tonight. Tipoff is 7pm. 

Today's newsletter is 933 words, a 3.5-minute read.

👀 Torey can't believe the Axios Twin Cities team saw Peloton instructor Cody out to dinner in Minneapolis last night. We were at Khâluna (again!) hosting some super fun colleagues who were visiting from out of town. 

🏀 Nick is disappointed that HBO canceled "Winning Time."

🌱 Audrey declares Ikea's garden section a hidden gem. So many houseplants, all so cheap.

1 big thing: A golden ticket to the playground factory

2. 🛝 The changing look of playgrounds

3. The Spoon: Another run for Royce White

Illustration of a pattern of the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture in Minneapolis.

4. 🏀 Lynx force game three

5. 🍂 1 trivia question to go 

green leaves with some foliage turning and a river and a wroght iron fence in foreground

🍔 Happy National Cheeseburger Day to those who celebrate.  Keep an eye out for deals at national chains and local joints. 

The nice weather we enjoyed over the weekend continues. We could see some clouds and the high is around 76, per the NWS.

🏒 Situational awareness: Several sports publications are predicting that former Gopher Taylor Heise will be the first pick in tonight's draft for the new Professional Women's Hockey League. Read more via MPR News.

Today's newsletter is 894 words, a 3-minute read.

Editor's note: We updated Friday's school attendance story to clarify that the Minneapolis attendance rate that fell from 2019 to 2022 was the share of kids who attend school regularly.

😂 Torey had no idea so many of you spend so much time thinking about the Roman Empire! 

 ✈️ Nick enjoyed seeing his aunt Mary who was visiting from Salt Lake City. 

👩‍💻 Audrey is back after a quick day off.

More than one in five people in the Twin Cities metro area who were working in 2022 did so from home, according to U.S. census data released last week. 

That's down from 26% in 2021 but above the national average of 15.2%. 

State of play: The work-from-home revolution is most entrenched in big cities with large concentrations of office buildings, and downtown economies that survived because of those office buildings being full.

Locally, Xcel Energy called workers back into the office three days a week starting in September and U.S. Bank has also been asking workers to come in more. 

Yes, but: Some of Minnesota's biggest corporations are dramatically downsizing their office footprint. Most recently it was UnitedHealth, which is departing its main Minnetonka headquarters tower and moving those employees to its Eden Prairie Optum campus. 

Wells Fargo, Prime Therapeutics, Thomson Reuters, and Target have also consolidated their office spaces. 

Twin Cities residents still working from home in high numbers

More than one if five Twin Cities workers were still working from home in 2022

Remote work

More than one in five people in the Twin Cities metro area who were working in 2022 did so from home, according to U.S. census data released last week. <ul><li>That&#x27;s down from 26% in 2021 but above the national average of 15.2%. </li></ul>

News

Axios Twin Cities, anchored by Torey Van Oot, Nick Halter and Audrey Kennedy, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard

If you've noticed more boxelder bugs on your house in recent years, you can probably thank the drought. 

Why it matters: While the pests aren't harmful to you or your house, they creep people out. If you're like me, you're wondering what to do about them as they begin congregating on your south-facing walls every fall. 

How they get there: Boxelders, as well as lady beetles and stink bugs, find little cracks and get into your walls, where they lie dormant all winter before coming out when temperatures warm in February and March. 

The intrigue: Researchers don't monitor boxelder populations, but there are accounts from the hot and dry years of the Dust Bowl when they were out in bigger numbers, said Marissa Schuh, integrated pest management educator for the University of Minnesota extension.

What they're saying: Rainbow Pest Experts general manager Matt Ferguson  said the first step is to fill cracks and holes in your home to prevent them from getting in, though that can be difficult because the bugs can fit into a crack about the size of six pieces of paper stacked. 

There are spray treatments you can buy at a hardware store, but Ferguson said a professional treatment will be more effective, last longer and can get hard-to-reach places. 

Those treatments will prevent boxelder bugs as well as lady beetle and stink bugs.

The other side: Schuh suggested that customers ask pest control companies what affects the treatments have on pets, kids and pollinators. 

What to do about boxelder bugs in Minnesota

If it seems like you're seeing more of the bugs, it's likely due to drought the last few years.

A boxelder bug. Photo: Creative Touch Imaging Ltd./NurPhoto via Getty Images

Insects

If you&#x27;ve noticed more boxelder bugs on your house in recent years, you can probably <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="thank the drought" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/06/09/minnesota-drought-abnormally-dry-hot-june-rain-forecast" data-vars-content-id="167bcb32-002e-47dc-ac57-e21ecdc1ab81" data-vars-headline="What to do about boxelder bugs in Minnesota" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/06/09/minnesota-drought-abnormally-dry-hot-june-rain-forecast" target="_self">thank the drought</a>. Why it matters: While the pests aren&#x27;t harmful to you or your house, they creep people out. If you&#x27;re like me, you&#x27;re wondering what to do about them as they begin congregating on your south-facing walls every fall.

Waterbury House, a new nine-story apartment building just north of Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis, looks almost identical to the renderings the planning commission approved in 2021. 

Catch up fast: The 73-unit building, at 3012 Excelsior Blvd., was fit into a triangle lot that was formerly a BP gas station. It was developed by Blaine-based Elevage and designed by Minneapolis-based ESG. 

Nick's score (based on accuracy to the rendering): 9.8/10. If only city streets were that smooth in real life.

Flashback: Elevage originally pitched this project as a 100-room hotel with 20 condos, but switched gears in 2021, after Covid cratered the Twin Cities hotel occupancy rates. 

What we're watching: The buildout of a ground-floor restaurant designed by Shea Inc. just wrapped up, according to a city permit. 

The developer, who also owns several Twin Cities restaurants including Oliver's, BRICKS Kitchen & Pub, and Village Pub, could not be reached for comment. 

Rendering vs. reality: Apartment building near Bde Maka Ska

The nine-story building at 3012 Excelsior Blvd. looks just like the rendering. We're watching to see what restaurant  opens on the street level.

Rendering courtesy of city of Minneapolis. Photo by Nick Halter/Axios

Real estate

Waterbury House, a new nine-story apartment building just north of Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis, looks almost identical to the renderings the planning commission <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="approved in 2021" data-vars-click-url="https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/Agenda/CPC/2582" data-vars-content-id="44a3b1d2-0bfc-46cf-922d-ff0f1b2efa2d" data-vars-headline="Rendering vs. reality: Apartment building near Bde Maka Ska" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://lims.minneapolismn.gov/Board/Agenda/CPC/2582" target="_blank">approved in 2021</a>. Catch up fast: The 73-unit building, at 3012 Excelsior Blvd., was fit into a triangle lot that was formerly a BP gas station. It was developed by Blaine-based Elevage and designed by Minneapolis-based ESG.

Real Estate

South Lyndale Liquors announced its newly constructed store at 5516 Lyndale Ave. S. in Minneapolis will open on Oct. 4.

What we're watching: The new store will be nearly twice the size of its existing one, which is just a few blocks north. 

According to its business plan, the new location will also have a cheese store and meeting room. A job posting also indicates it will sell sandwiches. 

Context: At 19,500 square feet, it is nearly the size of a typical Total Wine store. 

My thought bubble: I poked my head in the store Thursday and it looks like it's going to be fantastic, with two-story ceiling heights and the cheese shop near the front entrance. 

Of note: Owner Dan Campo could not be reached for comment. 

South Lyndale Liquors will soon open huge new store

At 19,500 square feet, it's nearly the size of a typical  Total Wine store.

South Lyndale Liquor's new store. Photo: Nick Halter/Axios

Retail

South Lyndale Liquors announced its newly constructed store at 5516 Lyndale Ave. S. in Minneapolis will open on Oct. 4.What we&#x27;re watching: The new store will be nearly twice the size of its existing one, which is just a few blocks north.

Business

As Minnesota's baby boomers continue to ride off into the sunset, there won't be nearly enough workers to replace them when they retire, according to a new report.

Why it matters: The study conducted by labor market analytics firm Lightcast paints a dire picture of the state's economy over the next decade as the current worker shortage turns into "an outright labor shortage crisis," the authors wrote.

By the numbers: The state needs another 168,000 people in the labor force to fully recover from the massive shakeup caused by the pandemic, according to the report, which was sponsored by the Minnesota Business Partnership (MBP) and senior living provider Presbyterian Homes & Services.

State of play: The driving force behind the looming shortage is the retirement of baby boomers. All of them will be 65 or older by 2030.

Boomers were 46% of Minnesota's workforce in 2001, according to the report. That number fell to 17% in 2022, as more than 200,000 left the workforce.

Meanwhile, their departures won't be completely backfilled due to declining birth rates and net out-migration.

A state needs a birth rate of 2.1 per woman to "replace" its population, according to the report. Minnesota's birth rate has been falling since 2009, hitting 1.75 in 2021.

The report found that labor participation rates have fallen in the state, especially for people in their early 20s.

It added that with total net migration of -17,365 between 2020 and 2022, Minnesota is in the top 10 states with the highest domestic outflows in the country.

What they're saying: The authors said more international migration is needed, as the rate has fallen since 2015. Businesses must also change the way they recruit and retain workers and adjust their hiring requirements to focus more on skills vs. degrees.

"One of our big problems — but also our opportunity — is that some of the job skills and the workforce aren't aligned," MBP CEO Kurt Zellers told Axios.

The other side: Minnesota AFL-CIO president Bernie Burnham said the report focuses on what employers need, not on what workers need.

"New worker-centered statewide policies like paid family and medical leave are likely to attract new workers to Minnesota, but employers will need to step up to offer the pay and benefits working people need to support and sustain their families," Burnham said in an emailed statement.

Report: Minnesota is in a 168,000-worker hole

The state needs another 168,000 people in the labor force to fully recover from the massive shakeup caused by the pandemic.

Labor

As Minnesota&#x27;s baby boomers continue to ride off into the sunset, there won&#x27;t be nearly enough workers to replace them when they retire, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.mnbp.com/new-report-examines-mns-vanishing-workforce-and-what-to-do-about-it/" data-vars-content-id="f37727fa-b949-48cd-985c-0db1cb8b7539" data-vars-headline="Report: Minnesota is in a 168,000-worker hole" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.mnbp.com/new-report-examines-mns-vanishing-workforce-and-what-to-do-about-it/" target="_blank">new report</a>.Why it matters: The study conducted by labor market analytics firm Lightcast paints a dire picture of the state&#x27;s economy over the next decade as the current worker shortage turns into &quot;an outright labor shortage crisis,&quot; the authors wrote.

Nick Halter

Stories

South Lyndale Liquors will soon open huge new store

Rendering vs. reality: Apartment building near Bde Maka Ska

Twin Cities residents still working from home in high numbers

What to do about boxelder bugs in Minnesota

Report: Minnesota is in a 168,000-worker hole

Newsletter editions

🗳 It's vote: 30

🚭 Pot in public

💻 WFH 4-ever

👶 Twins for the Twins

🛝 Playground factory