The University of Minnesota paid $2.1 million for the 34,000-square-foot former YMCA parking lot at 709 First Ave. SW on Oct. 10. It has been buying land in that area for a future campus since 2009.
Ten years ago, Western Washington University decathlon athlete Cooper Cummings, 23, of Arlington, was not dreaming of fame for his track and field accomplishments. Instead, it was another …