Opponents of razing the E. Lake Street home of the Minneapolis company that made Burma Shave shaving products and their renowned roadside-jingle signs sought to win public support at Sunday's Open Streets East Lake Street event.
They collected signatures and passed out leaflets explaining the history of the building at 2019 E. Lake St. Minneapolis Public Schools now owns the building and the adjoining half block and applied in July to demolish the building.
Steve Sandberg, the lead opponent, said the campaign seeks a full historic survey of the building before a decision is made on a demolition permit the district is seeking.
That cause got a recent boost when the city's historic preservation staff made a tentative decision that the building meets at least one criterion for local historic significance. The school district needs to submit a more detailed application including a cost-benefit analysis of alternatives to demolition, according to Alex Young, a city planner. The city's Historic Preservation Commission could require a designation study to determine if the site should be labeled a local historic landmark.
"I'm pretty optimistic," said Sandberg, a resident of the neighboring Phillips community.
Burma Shave developed one of the first formulas for brushless shaving cream, but it's maybe best known for a catchy ad campaign featuring roadside signs. Sandberg's Save the Shave campaign developed several similar jingles to get the attention of the thousands who turned out for the street party:
On this spot / In old times / They made shaving cream / And funny signs. Clean shave / No Stubble / Building saved / No Rubble. Don't be fooled by /White vinyl siding / Behind these walls / There's history hiding.
The school district was considering a variety of uses for the half-block north of South High School's athletic field. The district plans to use the site for a building for adult basic education and a post-high school special education program.
Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438
Twitter: @brandtmpls
