The Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden store in Stevens Square closed last month after more than 20 years in business.

The hardware store at 1804 Nicollet Ave. S. shuttered Dec. 10  following the owner’s decision to not renew their lease.

“We didn't believe it would be in our best interest to sign a long-term lease there,” Mike Frattallone said during a Jan. 6 phone interview. Frattallone said all of the employees from the Nicollet store were transferred to the 2737 Hennepin Ave. S. store.

Since March 2023, Fratttallone’s Nicollet Avenue location had only paid taxes and building maintenance, a negotiated deal between Frattallone’s and the building’s landlord, Yellow Tree, which bought the property in November 2021. Family Dollar, the building’s other anchor business, closed in 2022. A T-Mobile store, Olive Kitchen, AM Food Market, and AM Smoke Shop still operate in the building.

“The landlord was super gracious,” Frattellone said. “He wanted us to stay in the community.”

Dwindling profits and future development plans kept the Fratallone’s from being able to sign a 20-year lease–something Frattallone’s prefers to do. In an interview with Bryan Walters of Yellow Tree, he referred to the building at Nicollet Avenue and East 18th Street as “potentially” a future development with commercial retail on the first floor and apartments above.

Yellow Tree co-founder Bryan Walters said he has grown frustrated with how the City of Minneapolis has handled the increase of drug dealing and gun violence directly outside of the building. Yellow Tree has developed apartment buildings in the area, including Nico West and East Apartments, which are directly north of the former Frattallone’s store.

Walters said summer 2021 was the worst in terms of drug dealing and gun violence but the area never truly bounced back –something Frattallone confirmed as well.

“We hate to leave that market,” Frattallone said. “If it would have been what it was like in 2009, we would have been fighting to extend our lease there.”

Walters said part of the problem was a lack of resources from the City.

“Nothing was ever done on that block, and we couldn't get the police a constant enough presence to take care of it,” Walters said.

Walters worked directly with the Minneapolis Police Department’s Fifth Precinct and eventually got a police officer stationed in the building’s parking lot. The police ramped down efforts in late November, according to an email sent from Fifth Precinct Inspector Christie Nelson and shown to Southwest Voices. No reason was given for removing the police presence in the Nov. 21 email.

Still, drug dealing occurs in front of the building, according to Walters.

Councilmembers who represent the area have been trying to bring in resources to resolve public safety concerns.

Councilmembers Katie Cashman and Jamal Osman asked the City’s Community Planning & Economic Development department to assess the area as a potential Cultural Corridor, which would make it eligible for grants to support economic development and public art projects. Osman represents the area and Cashman’s ward is less than two blocks south of the area.

“The closure of the Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden is a huge loss for the Steven’s Square-Loring Heights community,” Cashman said in a statement to Southwest Voices. “I hope the building owner will work to find new retail tenants to keep this large commercial property as active as possible.”

Cashman said she has been “calling on the Office of Community Safety to station violence interrupters here.” Walters said private money was already used to bring violence interrupters into the area.

“We've gone to those violence interrupter groups and paid them thousands of dollars to try and do the same thing on our block, and it just didn't work,” Walters said.

Cashman said a “tailored and consistent violence prevention presence” is needed for people to feel safe visiting the area.

The neighborhood is also slated to lose its only pharmacy, CVS, as of Feb. 11.

The densely-packed area is known for its residents being reliant on close-by businesses.

“We know that many people don't have cars, so we were the spot to go get that stuff for their homes,” Frattallone said. “Super close, super convenient.”

Given the hard times befallen on Stevens Square, Walters said he wants more focus on the neighborhood.

“In the perfect world, the City would take the responsibility of not letting people deal drugs openly and allow gang members to roam freely on the commercial corridor,” Walters said.

Frattallone’s Hardware & Garden has 20 locations in Minnesota, including the remaining Southwest Minneapolis store at 2727 Hennepin Ave. S. The family owners, Tom and Mike Frattallone, sold the company to Tennessee-based Central Network Retail Group in 2021. Their father, Larry Frattallone, founded the business.

Southwest Voices reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department to confirm the presence of gang members in the area and have not heard back. We are also waiting for a response from Osman, whose ward contains the Village Center building.