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You'll gain real-world insights into how economics impacts your daily life with this easy-to-follow online course. This crash course is based on the acclaimed textbook Economy, Society, and Public Policy by CORE Econ, tailored to help you grasp key concepts without feeling overwhelmed.

Whether you're new to economics or just want to deepen your understanding, this course covers the basics and connects them to today’s pressing issues—from inequality to public policy decisions.

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Minnesota News

Farewell to a Lake Street icon: Watch former Minneapolis Kmart building demolition

Crews this week demolished the former Kmart building on Lake Street in Minneapolis over the course of several days.

The site has long been slated for demolition and redevelopment, but that timeline was accelerated in the wake of a fire that damaged the vacant building last month. The fire department investigated, but could not determine the cause of the fire.

Two excavators began tearing down the building’s walls on Tuesday, and by Thursday morning the structure had been reduced to heaping piles of rubble. 

A yellow excavator moves metal scraps
An excavator removes a knot twisted rubble from the site of the former Kmart on Lake Street in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

Rebecca Parrell, a project supervisor with the city of Minneapolis, told MPR News that the demolition went smoothly.

“It was pretty boring and pretty straightforward,” Parrell said. 

The project budgeted seven days for the demolition, and the city contractor took extra precautions to remove any burned material that remained on the site. Next, the city contractor will haul away the remaining rubble piles over the course of several weeks. 

An aerial view of the Lake Street Kmart
The former Kmart on Lake Street in Minneapolis is pictured at sunrise on Tuesday.
Ben Hovland | MPR News

The removal of the former Kmart brings the opportunity to reopen a stretch of Nicollet Avenue, which the building has blocked since it was built more than 45 years ago.

The next major redevelopment project announcement involving the site will be in February 2024, when the public works department will share their recommended layout for the new street design. 

People can visit the city’s website to learn more.

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