Minneapolis lifts thrift store restrictions
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It just got a lot easier to open a thrift store in Minneapolis.
The City Council today struck down a 1,000-foot minimum spacing requirement for shops selling used clothes and other previously-owned treasures.
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B-Squad Vintage in Minneapolis. (Photo by Bryan Kennedy via Flickr, Creative Commons)
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"There was a point in time when second-hand goods stores weren't seen as positive or popular or good things to have in your neighborhood," said Council Member Elizabeth Glidden, who sponsored the repeal. "I think our perceptions are different today."
Glidden added that the ordinance, which applied to thrift stores, but not to antique or consignment shops, was confusing both for businesses and city staff.
The restriction had been on the books since the 1990's. Now, stores selling vintage clothes are free to locate in any of the city's commercial districts except right in the heart of downtown.
The spacing requirement still applies to currency exchanges and pawnshops.