MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says his office has completed its investigation into two "problem properties" in north Minneapolis.
Merwin Liquors and Winner Gas Station, both located near the intersection of West Broadway and Lyndale Avenues, were officially put on notice on Oct. 11 that "unlawful public nuisance activity" is happening at their properties in violation of Minnesota law.
If the two businesses do not remove or reduce the nuisance conduct or reach an agreement to do so with Ellison's office in the next 30 days, they could be sued, a measure that could result "in enjoining the use of the building for any purpose for one year or, in the case of a tenant, lessee, or occupant, could result in cancellation of the lease."
According to the AG's office, the notices document 14 nuisance instances at Merwin Liquors and 22 instances at Winner Gas Station in 2022, including shots fired, weapons possession and drug dealing, and "at least three large-scale shootings" in Sept. 2022.
In September, Ellison announced his team, with help from the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, would open a civil investigation into Merwin Liquors and Winner Gas Station following a series of complaints about violent incidents.
“Creating safe communities means using all the civil and criminal tools of the law to keep people safe from violence, and it means creating stable housing, good schools, healthy environments, and a fair economy where everyone can get ahead. And it takes all of us working together to make that happen,” Attorney General Ellison said in a statement.
“I’m thankful for the partnership with Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, and all the community members who’ve stepped up to help us correct dangerous conditions at these establishments. I look forward to working constructively with these businesses as they abate these conditions so neighbors can thrive and feel safe wherever they go, as everyone in every neighborhood has a right to.”
Yeketta Marbly lives in the neighborhood and is happy to see the attorney general's office stepping in.
"Everything is going to keep going on if you let it," Marbly says.
She says she's basically an honorary grandmother for many of the kids in this neighborhood.
"And I'm tired of them getting shot and killed for no reason, over stupidness," Marbly says.
Lisa Clemons with "A Mother's Love" says crime in that area has been a problem for more than 20 years.
"For years it has been the gun battles, the gun violence, the homicides, drug addiction, alcoholism, but it is time for us to reimagine that area," Clemons says.
She added that the attorney general, county attorney and city attorney stepping in is a good start, but she worries this threat of a lawsuit on its own, may only move the problem somewhere else.
"What we don't want to do is push Merwin and Winner's problems onto any of the other businesses," Clemons said.
Clemons says there have been some improvements in recent weeks.
Both companies now have security guards outside and Marbly says the community is also stepping up. She said the area did see three shootings last month, but it has been relatively quiet ever since.
"It's changing. It's slow, but it's changing. Right now, we don't see what we used to see a month ago," Marbly said.
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