[2] Alberta Street was once riddled with crime but began to be transformed in the early 1990s to what is now an "epicenter of youth and culture," lined with art galleries, restaurants, clothing boutiques and gift shops.

Streetcar service brought additional pedestrian traffic and the commercial district began to flourish with business owners living in second-floor apartments above their establishments and modestly-sized homes being built during the housing booms of 1905–1913 and 1922–1928.

Additional homes were cleared in the 1960s to make way for the Minnesota Freeway, now known as Interstate 5, which led to further displacement but also shifted traffic and investment away from Alberta Street.

[7] Redevelopment continued into the 1970s, with the expansion of Legacy Emanuel Medical Center leading to the destruction of nearly 300 homes and businesses in the predominantly black Albina neighborhood[8] and their displacement to the Alberta area.

[7] In 1981, after 66 years of business, the local landmark Rexall Pharmacy closed its doors due to the declining community and banks refused to provide mortgages in the area—even to qualified home buyers—and the area was allegedly redlined up through the late 1980s.

Gang activity also reached unprecedented levels with the Bloods and Crips moving up from Southern California and bringing additional drug use and violence.

Soon after, others who shared Hill's vision opened additional businesses, and Magnus Johannesson purchased the old Rexall Pharmacy building to rent the upstairs space to artists with a coffee shop on the ground floor.

When this proved successful, they were able to pitch the city for a Main Street Program to help strengthen the vibrancy of the neighborhood business district.