The Hubbard Transit Center Then and Now
In 2001, the city of Robbinsdale worked with Metro transit on the $3 million Hubbard Marketplace plan to create a transit hub and update Hubbard Avenue in downtown Robbinsdale. The redevelopment included two shared public parking lots for downtown businesses, a farmers market pavilion and a spectacular renovation of the 1947 Robbinsdale Police and Fire Building. There is space for office and retail spaces in addition to transit offices, but the place felt pretty empty when I took a walk through on Wednesday. The big room where they used to park the fire trucks felt a little like a dance hall. It was used for a talent show during Whiz Bang Days last summer. I wonder if anybody would rent it for a wedding? I wonder what they did with those beautiful, blocky letters that used to adorn the Police and Fire Station. I remember admiring them when my sister used to go upstairs for dance lessons back in the 70′s. I guess county planners are still determining a route for the Bottineau LRT/BRT from downtown Minneapolis to the northwest suburbs. It seems like a safe bet that the trains or buses would stop here. Who knows? The Hubbard Marketplace might even be able to rent the rooms upstairs if that thing ever gets built.
