MPR News

Tom Weber, Britt Aamodt and Emily Kaiser | July 9, 2015

Dinkytown, the commercial district bordering the University of Minnesota, is up for a historic designation vote Friday at the Minneapolis City Council.

The vote wouldn't include all of what many consider Dinkytown today. It would cover a smaller footprint limited to the older core buildings.

But the area has been the focus of a long debate over how much new development should be allowed in an area of Minneapolis known for its old and quirky buildings and history.

There are already several new buildings along the edges of Dinkytown, but there have also been fights over what advocates describe as the area's character, especially in those few blocks considered the district's heart.

The City Council last year blocked a proposed hotel that would have meant tearing down a building that includes two well-known food spots: Mesa Pizza and Camdi, a Vietnamese restaurant.

A view of Dinkytown from 14th Avenue SE looking south toward 4th Street, Wednesday, July 1, 2015, near the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. —- Jennifer Simonson | MPR News