The Death of Dinky

The closure of many renowned Dinkytown businesses has prompted questions about the future of the historic community, and the difficulties of finding affordable housing near campus

By Ellie Roth

After 57 years of business, Dinkytown McDonalds has shut its doors, sparking outcry from students who consider it a crucial part of Dinkytown's vibrant and lively community. To many, the closure of the infamously coined "Drunkdons" signals an end of an era. Long-standing businesses are being replaced with luxury apartment buildings to accommodate the off-campus housing demand around the university. Many may think that McDonald's' closure is the beginning of the end, an end that signals Dinkytown's erasure into a world of expensive apartments and chain restaurants. But maybe the end began a long time ago. The closure of yet another Dinkytown staple brings us memories of years past - years when corporate ventures sucked up large blocks of Dinkytown. Even the Dinkytown of 10 years ago looks radically different from the Dinky we see today.

In 2013, Opus Development Company drew up a plan to buy half a block of Dinkytown and build a brand new apartment building. This plan would purchase the buildings where local businesses had stood for decades, including House of Hanson, a local convenience store that had served students for 81 years, the Book House, and the Podium Music Shop, located in Dinkytown for 37 and 54 years, respectively. These businesses were erased by The Venue's construction, a six-story apartment complex that now houses hundreds of students. This situation eerily echoes McDonald's' closure, which a luxury apartment building will also replace. CA Ventures has bought most of the block between 15th and 14th Ave and is planning to tear down the buildings that house McDonald's and Dinkytown Wine & Spirits and the strip mall that houses a Pizza Hut, Subway, and TCF Bank. The apartment building will comprise 300 units and 29,800 square feet of commercial space on the building's first floor. The company has stated plans to implement a grocery store into the site and a brand new McDonald's, but will it ever be the same?

The arrival of another luxury apartment building in Dinkytown allows us to revisit the question of affordable housing near campus. Although conveniently located, these apartment buildings come at a high price, making it almost impossible to find any living accommodations remotely close to campus under $600 a month. CA Ventures also owns the Link, a student-oriented apartment building in Prospect Park. A 2x4 apartment (2 bedrooms shared by four people) costs approximately $600 per person, and a 4x4 unit (4 bedrooms occupied by four people)  costs $899 per bedroom. One can expect similar prices for the new apartment building.  It seems that one has to take a long hike into Como to find a room priced below $5oo a month. Students are now forced to choose between ridiculously overpriced apartment buildings or living miles from campus - detached and isolated.

McDonald's and other well-known Dinkytown businesses' closures have caused increased anxiety for business owners in Dinkytown. The commercial space underneath apartment buildings can be expensive. Small business owners often find it difficult to compete with chains like Starbucks and Qdoba that can assume the financial burdens of higher rent. Purple Onion, located underneath the 1301 apartment complex, has permanently closed its doors, a large blue "For Lease" sign replacing the once colorfully decorated windows. However, some businesses are adapting to the changing environment of Dinkytown and a COVID world. For decades, the Loring Restaurant, a Dinkytown staple, has rebranded itself as Gray's - a coffee shop/diner hybrid that caters towards students. The shift from a fancier restaurant atmosphere to a more laid-back hangout spot has caused an increase in customers. There aren't many spots in Dinkytown for students to study at, especially with the COVID restrictions. But the size of Gray's (the restaurant is three stories tall) allows students to take a break from sitting in their apartments and gather in a space that can accommodate social distancing guidelines. The tables offer QR codes that guests can order off, thus decreasing the number of people walking around the restaurant. By adapting to the changing times, Gray's can be considered one of Dinkytown's success stories and hopefully will be around for years to come.

The destiny of Dinkytown is uncertain. Whether it is fated to become a residential area dominated by chain restaurants/businesses or to retain a sense of charm that has made the area so popular among students and alumni rests in the hands of a global pandemic and a generation of students in desperate need of housing. Whatever the outcome, it is certain that Dinkytown will most likely be unable to return to the way it once was. Students can have a role in writing the future blueprint of Dinkytown by continuing to shop and support local businesses, so that the balance may be maintained and the scales may not tip into the chasms of corporate ventures.