Friends of the Riverfront

Illegal parking on both sides of W. Island Ave. during DeLaSalle athletic event, Feb. 18, 2006.Fire at house on W. Island Avenue, March 26, 2006Closing Grove Street between East Island Avenue and the Nicollet Street Bridge over the BNSF railroad tracks would impede emergency access to the north end of Nicollet Island Park, including the historic houses of the north tip.

When trains cross the island, as they do 50 or more times a day, Nicollet Street is the only way over the tracks. Fire and emergency vehicles now can reach the bridge via E. Island Avenue and Grove Street in that situation. But if the City of Minneapolis vacates the eastern block of Grove Street for DeLaSalle's football stadium, that route will be blocked, leaving only one way to reach Nicollet Street. And that one route, W. Island Avenue, could be blocked by DeLaSalle event traffic (see photo at left; both sides of W. Island are posted "No Parking").

Is it far-fetched that a fire and a train would coincide on Nicollet Island? Not at all. On March 26, 2006, that's exactly what happened (see photo at right). Fortunately, the train's engineer saw the fire and reported it. More than half a dozen fire vehicles responded and put out the fire before it spread past the roof. But how would they have reached the fire if Grove Street was closed and the only access route was full of vehicles parked illegally for a DeLaSalle event?

Nicollet Island

KSTP-TV reported on the fire:

Conductor saves historic home from fire

A Minneapolis couple was warned about a fire at their home by an unlikely source – a train conductor. Railroad conductor John Stone was waiting on Nicollet Island to make his evening run home to Willmar when he
saw flames in the distance. "I couldn't believe what I was seeing,” said Stone.
“It was actual fire - the flickering of the flames is what got my attention to start with." Stone then called 911. Firefighters responded and
evacuated four people. The fire was burning on the roof of the home of
newlyweds Adam Loavenbruck and Erin Rein-Loavenbruck. “It really was a disaster averted," said Adam. "We heard voices saying 'Get out of the house! Out of the house! Everyone out of the house!" said Erin. The flames were likely caused by embers from their wood-burning stove falling on the cedar shake roof. Adam says Stone saved more than just his house. "John
Stone definitely saved a whole lot of damage to this historical home, and could very well have saved all four of our lives,” he says. Erin agrees, and hopes others will follow his example. "Absolutely I would say thank you,” she said. “And that hopefully other people would follow his example." Stone says he was actually following an example. "I just said, ‘No problem. Just doing what a person should do.’"

Stadium snarls emergency access: Red dashed lines show routes emergency vehicles must take if stadium is built, abandoning more direct routes via E. Island Avenue.

Pavilion event buses parked in No Parking zone on W. Island Ave., June 27, 2006Event parking in no parking zone on E. Island Ave.: Cars from a private park pavilion event parked illegally along E. Island Ave., across from the Nicollet Island Inn, June 28, 2006.