 The year 2023 proved another monumental one for the City of Minneapolis. It was the first full year operating within the new government structure and the mayor and his administration made major strides in policy priority areas including affordable housing, climate action, economic inclusion recovery, and community safety.
The mayor also led efforts to revitalize downtown through reimagined retail space, office to residential conversions, and encouraging businesses and employees to come back to work. As seen in many photos above, downtown activation hit a new level as Minneapolis hosted more than 1,800 summer events. Highlights included successful weekends of Taylor Swift concerts, Twin Cities PRIDE, Juneteenth celebrations, and the return of Taste of Minnesota.
Affordable Housing
Over the past year, Minneapolis has been lauded for leading the nation in affordable housing production thanks in part to the 2040 plan zoning changes and Mayor Frey's continued investment in housing programs. Since 2018, the mayor has invested more than $320 million in affordable housing work – and the City is now producing six times the amount of deeply affordable, low-income housing on an annual basis. This level of housing production has been a factor in keeping inflation in Minneapolis at one of the lowest rates in the country and keeping Minneapolis rent increases at just 1%... compared to a 31% increase nationally.
Climate Action
Mayor Frey launched the Minneapolis Climate Legacy Initiative (CLI) in 2023, tripling City funding in climate action work with a total of $10 million in ongoing funding. The CLI is Mayor Frey’s innovative plan to fund the City’s accelerated, equitable, and aggressive climate goals over the next ten years. Through the CLI, Minneapolis is poised to become one of the most sustainable cities in the nation. In 2023, the City also achieved 100% of its renewable energy goals for City-owned buildings, with plans to expand to citywide by 2030. Through climate work, people in Minneapolis will save $150 million in lifetime energy costs, while supporting more than 5,100 low-income residents and businesses.
Economic Inclusion
Since Mayor Frey created the City’s Ownership and Opportunity Fund (formerly known as the Commercial Property Development Fund) program in 2020, $11.2 million has gone to 22 local businesses in Minneapolis. Four new business owners were awarded funding in 2023, helping them buy commercial real estate, support wealth generation, and allow them the opportunity to own the underlying real estate for their companies. For the third year, Mayor Frey invested in Minneapolis Black Business Week bringing residents, business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, and leaders together to focus on building and sustaining Black-led economic development.
Community Safety
In July, Mayor Frey announced recommendations from the Minneapolis Safe and Thriving Communities Report, and in November the City entered a contract with the NYU School of Law’s Policing Project to begin the implementation of the Report. The report outlines a long-term vision for continuing to build out an ecosystem for safety beyond policing work which compliments the work already underway at the City. For example, the mayor increased ongoing funding for the Behavioral Crisis Response program to $2.9M annually. In the fall, the City Council approved the mayor’s vision of moving forward to build out a Third Precinct and Community Safety Center at 2633 Minnehaha Avenue. The Office of Community Safety has convened an internal staff work group to oversee the Safety Center planning and community engagement.
At the Minneapolis City Council's first meeting last week, the mayor addressed the Council and encouraged good-faith partnership and collaboration while they all start afresh and focus on areas of unity. The Council welcomed its two newest members, Council Member Chowdhury and Council Member Cashman, and voted on two new leaders, Council President Payne and Council Vice President Chughtai.
Minneapolis has been – and always will be a proud union city. We want to set the tone for worker protections statewide, and that’s what the mayor is doing with the formation of the Labor Standards Board (LSB). Working closely with Labor and Business partners, the mayor and his staff have been meeting with key stakeholders to get all the right voices at the table to get this advisory board and its processes set up right.
More to come on this soon as the mayor looks to add the LSB to the existing City Boards and Commissions portfolio early this year.
“We want the [businesses] that are doing things right to be appointed [to the LSB] and help us find common standards,” said Mayor Frey in an interview with TCB.
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Margaret Anderson Kelliher has been officially sworn in as the City's first, permanent City Operations Officer (COO).
Anderson Kelliher oversees the Office of Public Service and its 17 departments, including the 311 Service Center, Regulatory Services, Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Community Planning and Economic Development, and Communications.
Congrats, Margaret!
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On Friday, January 5, some Council Members announced a resolution in support of permanent ceasefire and Palestinian human rights. Later that day, Mayor Frey shared his thoughts on the war and the proposed resolution. Watch his 12-minute remarks here.
One of the best events of the year is gearing up for 2024! Doors Open Minneapolis gives people a chance to go behind the scenes to explore some of the incredible buildings and venues while hearing from business owners on why these spaces are critical to the city’s identity and history.
“You can explore everything from theatres to private clubs to historic gems – to sacred spaces. It’s a free weekend-long event sponsored by Comcast,” said Mayor Frey. “It’s your city – come take a look.”
Doors Open Minneapolis runs May 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at various locations.
The City is interested in a pilot for speed and/or red light cameras. Speed and running red lights are two of the top four factors in severe and fatal crashes in Minneapolis. The work is part of the City's effort to get to zero traffic deaths and severe injuries.
Join an open house online or in person to hear about Minneapolis’ proposed pilot for traffic safety cameras. To do the project, the City is seeking legislative authority. The City is committed to a pilot that protects privacy and is fair, equitable and effective.
Online open house
6 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 22
Join the meeting online.
Presentation at 6 p.m. followed by a Q&A.
In-person open house
5-7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29
Minneapolis Public Service Building, 505 Fourth Ave. S., Room 100
Presentation at 5:15 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.
State law and timing
A local pilot on traffic safety cameras would need a state law change. The City is working on a bill (House File 2098/Senate File 2026).
If the bill passes this year, the City will work to develop the full details for a local pilot. This would include significant community engagement. The earliest a traffic safety camera pilot program could start is the summer of 2025.
The Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs is hosting community office hours to provide basic information on immigration legal services, shelter resources, health care and more.
Office hours
Stop by South Minneapolis CareerForce, 777 E. Lake Street:
- 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17.
- 1-4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 22.
- 1-4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 29.
Learn more on the City website, or email Michelle Rivero, or call 612-394-6018.
Snow emergencies are declared when there’s enough snowfall to warrant a complete plowing of our streets. Moving vehicles allows crews to plow the full width of the street. When the snow flies, City Public Works crews have enormous jobs to do, with more than 1,400 miles of streets, parkways and alleys that need to be cleared. Vehicles parked on the street in violation of snow emergency rules can be ticketed or towed.
Sign up now, stay informed throughout the season
There are several ways to know when the City has declared a snow emergency. We suggest getting information about snow emergencies in more ways than one. The more ways you use to learn about a snow emergency, the more prepared you will be to do your part, and the less likely you will be to be towed.
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The City’s website: Go to the City’s website to find out if a snow emergency has been declared. Information on Snow Emergencies is available in many languages. Also, see the snow emergency parking map, which lets you put in an address or a neighborhood to see where you can park during a snow emergency.
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Phone calls to residents: Minneapolis uses automated phone calls to notify residents when snow emergencies are declared. The system can place thousands of calls per hour. Sign up for phone alerts.
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Social media: Like Minneapolis snow emergency on Facebook and X.
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Email and text alerts: Sign up to get snow emergency alerts emailed or texted to you.
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Hotline: Call the automated 612-348-SNOW hotline. If a snow emergency is in effect, the hotline will have recorded information on that day’s parking restrictions that you’d need to follow to avoid a ticket and tow. The hotline includes information in English, Spanish, Somali and Hmong.
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