Vote to determine whether Merwin alcohol sales continue

A woman who spoke up in opposition of the liquor license approval says the store needs to be gone regardless of who owns it Her son was among those shot near the store last year that prompted an Attorney General’s Offfice investigation. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

By Azhae’la Hanson, Reporter

Criminal activity has subsided outside of Merwin Liquors after the crime intervention organization We Push for Peace, was hired last fall.

The organization’s leadership is now pushing for a liquor license to run the store. After a contentious public hearing, community members said no.

The city’s Business, Inspections, Housing & Zoning Committee will vote on Nov. 9 on whether to recommend a liquor license to TXT Wine and Spirits, the LLC owned by We Push for Peace leader Trahern Pollard.

The TXT request will go before the City Council for approval on Nov. 16. If it passes, it will require Mayor Jacob Frey’s signature. If TXT receives a liquor license, the Merwin license will be deactivated. If TXT’s license application is denied, Merwins’ liquor license will be up for renewal in January 2024.

The intersection of West Broadway and Lyndale Ave N has been a hotspot for crime in North Minneapolis for generations outside two establishments Merwin Liquors and Winner Gas Station. Residents complain absentee owners enable an epicenter of drugs, violence, and other illegal activity on their properties. Last fall, community members rallied outside of the businesses and blocked customers from entering to call for an end to violence, following a series of shootings that occurred on the properties.

Merwin Liquors could soon be operated by the peace group hired here to run security. Photo by David Pierini

In response, Attorney General Keith Ellison launched an investigation into Merwins Liquor to determine if they were a nuisance property and at risk of being shut down by the state. At the same time as the investigation began, Merwin owners hired the crime intervention organization We Push For Peace to take over daily operations and keep crime out of the liquor store property.

After We Push For Peace’s arrival, there was a day and night transformation from a parking lot that was packed to the brim, to a lot that was empty. The AG’s investigation into Merwins was closed in June and concluded that crime at Merwins significantly decreased from fall to spring.

A meeting in October was held to gain community feedback on the renewal of the Merwin liquor license. However, the application did not bear the name of the current owners; instead, it was submitted by Pollard and TXT Wine and Spirits.

Pollard explained that his intent in seeking the liquor license is to do more than just run the daily operations as they have for the past year. If approved for the liquor license, it would be one step to his ultimate goal: buying and owning the liquor store altogether.

“It was always the plan for me,” Pollard said. “When we first took over day-to-day operations, I say my ultimate goal is to own it.”

Trahern Pollard, founder of We Push for Peace, tried to convince the crowd his LLC is better off running the store. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

Pollard says with a liquor license, he could create enough revenue to purchase the liquor store property and transform it into something that benefits the surrounding community.

When We Push for Peace took over operations, they introduced a resource center for job placement and a free commercial driver’s license program in their office inside the liquor store.

“You got someone that could potentially own it, that's gonna sow seeds back into the community, I think is a win-win personally. What people have to be aware of is that regardless of if they vote to transfer the license to me, or not, it is still going to be on the corner. So rather I own it, or rather the people that own it now continue to own it.”

During the hearing, the room was packed with community members who shared an overwhelming opposition to a liquor license being given regardless of who owns it.

Residents expressed that the work We Push For Peace has been able to accomplish doesn’t negate the decades of trauma the liquor store has been associated with in the community. They want the store gone. Testimonies of the liquor store's impact were shared with the city staff of how trauma has impacted North Minneapolis residents.

A woman who spoke in opposition for her son, who was among four people shot on September
8th last year in the series of shootings that led community leaders to shut down the liquor store.

“If there's going to be anything done with this, do something positive. Because putting a liquor store there is not going to do anything to attract more fighting, it doesn't matter who's in there. It’s still going to happen.”

Another woman shared that her aunt had been a prostitute near the store for a long time.

“How many families have to be broken and hurt because that business is allowed to stay there,” she asked. “It has been this way since I was born and I’m 42 years old.”

“If that liquor store was a resident you all would have shut it down and kicked everybody out,” said the Rev. Jerry McAfee, pastor of New Salem Baptist Church. “Most of us here who've been on the Northside,

you know two or three people who've been killed and you that gas station or Merwin liquors. What is the value of our blood?

“For so much death, for so long. How do we even get to a question of whether or not they should get a license? They ought to be closed.”

Jessie Ross, center, and members of Sanctuary Covenant Church raised their hands in opposition to the license approval of TXT Wine and Spirits. Church officials say problems are still ongoing on Merwin property and they envision something more positive at that corner. Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison was present during the hearing. Afterward, he reflected on what the community had to say.

“In terms of action taken against Merwins in the last 30 years, I have been the only one to successfully take action against it. Since the corner has been cleaned up, that has sort of complicated some of that,” Ellison said. “I want to figure out a pathway for him [Pollard] to continue to do good work on that corner. But, I definitely agree with the community and understand where they’re coming from when they say they don't want a liquor store.”

Sanctuary Church, located next to the liquor store, was originally negotiating to buy the store’s property but the deal fell through when they couldn’t agree on a price. They say in combination with efforts from We Push for Peace, there haven't been frequent shootings like before.

“I think it's really important for us to recognize again, it's not pitting people against Pollard, it's recognizing that something different deserves to be there,” said Jesse Ross, spokesman for Sanctuary Church.

Although the research reports crime has significantly gone down, Ross says staff sees illegal activity still occurring on the property. He says drugs are still being trafficked on the property and people who suffer from substance use disorders can often be seen behind the building.

“Everything that was happening in the parking lot moved to the back of the building,” Ross said. They're still drug transactions and are still homeless folks, there are still folks that need Narcan on a regular basis, robberies that are happening, etc, so it's hard to say that just because deaths have gone down that the problem is solved.”