A Minneapolis Church recently became the owner of a neighboring gas station after the area had become plagued with crime and drugs.
Winner gas station on West Broadway is located in north Minneapolis, a neighborhood that has seen a surge in crime while the number of cops patrolling has simultaneously dwindled. Consequentially, the average response time for police in the area is approximately 17 minutes, according to CNN.
The gas station and neighboring Merwin Liquor store have both been impacted by the surging crime, as shootings, drug addiction, and criminal activity frequently occur on the corner. In fact, there were so many disturbances, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D) gave the two businesses a 30-day notice to either reduce the nuisance conduct or reach an agreement with his office to do so, KARE 11 reported.
The rising number of disturbances prompted Real Believers Faith Center, a church located next to the two establishments, to step in. Earlier this week, the church signed the paperwork to buy the gas station with the goal of curbing the problems on the block, Fox 9 reported.
“Me and my wife are elated. It’s a long time coming,” Bishop Larry Cook of Real Believers told the outlet.
When the church officially takes possession of the business on November 1, it plans to remove anyone causing a nuisance on property grounds, with aspirations beyond making the block a safer place.
“To control the corner. To spread our influence of who we are as a church and what we do as a ministry. Also, to take advantage of the economic power that it can give our church,” Cook stated.
In the meantime, the church is training its members on how to manage the gas station before it takes possession of the building.
Once the church has operated the gas station for a period of time, they further plan to tear the building down and expand its church operations on the corner.
“Our goal ain’t to fleece. Our goal is to build and we are going to build big time,” Cook told Fox 9.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.