Dinkytown construction made bottles vibrate at Burrito Loco Bar and Grill last week.

“It kind of shook the ground and was kind of noisy,” weekend manager Patrick Sandoz said. “They told us to tape the shelves of liquor at the bar to the wall.”

The Venue at Dinkytown, a six-story, 140-unit apartment complex, is being built by The Opus Group along Fifth Avenue in Dinkytown, and community members say they’ve been disturbed by the
construction.

Matt Rauenhorst, senior director of real estate development for Opus, said the company has given Dinkytown businesses consistent updates about construction.

“We have partnered with neighboring businesses and will continue to do so,” Rauenhorst said in a statement. “We’re making accommodations to support the businesses that surround our property.”

Sandoz said the foundation work “cut really close” to Burrito Loco, since the apartment is going in next door. But an Opus building monitor was present to make sure the work didn’t damage the building, he said.

Kafe 421 general manager Antigoni McCloud said she felt a moving sensation during the heavy drilling.

“It’s been irritating,” she said. “But they have been keeping us posted as the louder things have been
happening.”

Rauenhurst said in the statement that Opus has recognized “the redevelopment of a dilapidated half block in an active center will inevitably cause some disruption.”

Rebekah Solheim, parish secretary at the St. Lawrence Catholic Church across the street, said they haven’t had any issues with construction noise yet.

Solheim said the church’s weekend masses haven’t been interrupted.

“It was bad at the beginning, and it might get worse with the new construction,” she said. “The workers take their lunch at noon, so there’s no disruption to noon masses.”

University of Minnesota political science sophomore Katherine Carlson, who lives at Bierman Place Apartments, said she wears earplugs at night so the construction doesn’t wake her up in the morning.

“It is a huge disturbance,” she said.

But graduate student Anton Tillmann, who lives in a house in Dinkytown, said the construction hasn’t been a problem for him.

“I’m a civil engineer, so it’s kind of fun for me to watch,” he said.

The City of Minneapolis neighborhood noise ordinance allows construction Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., but an extra permit is required for weekend construction.

The development has taken away most of Burrito Loco’s parking, which Sandoz said may be an issue during the winter and hockey season.

Ultimately, Sandoz and McCloud said they weren’t sure how construction might affect their businesses.

“The noise hasn’t kept anyone from coming into dinner,” McCloud said.