Want More Second-Hand Stores In Your Life?
Who says a city of liberals can't get rid of a little red tape?
Despite Minneapolis' reputation for "hipster chic" and for environmentally-conscious thinking, it's mighty hard to open up a second-hand store here. Those same regulations, says one city councilmember, are strangling businesses in their cribs. First, anyone wanting to start a new second-hand store must make sure they are at least 1,000 feet away from a laundry list of stores. Got a pawnshop nearby? Move on down the road. Find a currency exchange business (if they still exist outside of the airport) next door to your ideal location? Take a hike. And don't even think of opening up close to a clothing shelf at a church. That's right out. City Councilmember Elizabeth Glidden (Ward 8) doesn't like this too much. According to an email she sent …
