Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee opens Saturday

New bike shop
The Venture North bike shop in north Minneapolis opened for business on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.
MPR Photo/Nate Ryan

A federal grant is part of the financing behind a new north Minneapolis bike shop opening Saturday.

Up to $350,000 will be used over time to underwrite the Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee shop, 1830 Glenwood Ave., on the city's north side.

The city's support includes a commitment to hire and train local youth. Venture North will build job development skills in young employees by training them as mechanics and retail staff.

Redeemer Center for Life, a nonprofit community development organization located in the Harrison neighborhood, will operate Venture North.

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The Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee shop is one part of a larger plan to encourage biking and walking in the city, said Kristen Klingler of the Minneapolis Department of Health.

Venture North bike shop
The Venture North Bike Walk and Coffee shop in north Minneapolis opened on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, with the help of some federal funding. It's one part of a larger plan to encourage biking and walking in the city, according to state health officials.
MPR Photo/Nate Ryan

Diabetes and obesity rates in the neighborhoods are twice those in the rest of the city. Klingler says the initiative hopes to improve access for affordable physical activity among residents.

It took a while to get the Nice Ride bike share system into that area," she said. "There are other groups like Bike Walk Twin Cities that are working to get more bike lanes and walking paths into north Minneapolis, but there haven't been a lot of those infrastructure and facilities available to people."

The bike shop opens at 11 a.m. Saturday.