A Minneapolis Foundation report released Wednesday is giving city and business leaders an action plan designed to transform downtown Minneapolis into a vibrant destination once again.
It's not a novel idea, as city stakeholders seem to be in a constant state of re-imagining, which intensified since the pandemic when offices and entertainment destinations emptied. Just this past June, A task force of Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey's creation advocated for a Nicollet Mall with more animated signage and open-container opportunities but without buses.
There hasn't been much movement on any of those goals yet.
The Minneapolis Foundation's report suggested people should let go of their old vision of downtown and embrace different ideas, including using buildings at half capacity because of remote and hybrid work schedules. The foundation thinks this will provide a chance to regain foot traffic and improve the overall economic health of downtown.
According to researchers at the University of Toronto and University of California-Berkeley, downtown Minneapolis has only regained 56% of its economic and social activity when comparing the beginning of March to mid June 2023 to the same period in 2019.
Minneapolis' recovery fell toward the bottom in a ranking of mid-sized cities in North America, finishing 64th out of 66 cities analyzed.
The expedite growth downtown, the report suggests examining various tax-driven funding models and focusing more on adding residential and entertainment options. That means refilling street-level storefronts and skyway suites with businesses centered on financial and medical services, retail, entertainment and food production.
Another idea from the report: Downtown anchor — Nicollet Mall — should become a 24-hour hub of entertainment. And to make downtown more inviting, authors of the report proposed asking artists to "create spaces and environments to break down barriers between neighborhoods," launching annual communal dinners on Nicollet Mall, creating spaces that are more inviting for youth and requiring new development to incorporate more trees and grass into its design.
"Our goal with this report is to spur discussion and action, mobilizing the diverse coalition that our community needs in order to transform downtown into a place that works for everyone," R.T. Rybak, former mayor and current CEO of the Minneapolis Foundation, said in a statement. .
Aware of downtown's stigma as a dangerous destination, authors of the report advocated a safety-in-numbers approach to reduce unwanted and illegal behavior but also emphasized supporting personnel and organizations trained to "identify when someone's actions are aggressive or threatening."
Earlier this year, the Star Tribune reported in 2023, areas of downtown and north Minneapolis experienced a near 20% drop in violent crimes and gunfire by more than 30%. Frey previously said the Downtown West district had gone 26-consecutive weekends without a shooting. In 2022, the record was three weekends.
Efforts to energize and entertain downtown's guests "should be multiplied, with additional and predictable funding," the report stated, with a single entity responsible for the activation of year-round programming around pop-up markets, live concerts and pickleball.
This story will be updated.
