 A new grocery store is coming to North Minneapolis! Last week, Mayor Frey joined Council Members Jeremiah Ellison and LaTrisha Vetaw, property developer David Wellington, and business owner Daniel Hernandez to announce the new retailer in North Minneapolis. Colonial Market will open in the former Aldi location on Lowry and Penn, bringing fresh produce, a restaurant, an ice cream shop, and roughly 40 new jobs to the neighborhood by the end of the year.
"This grocery store provides the kind of access that I think every single person needs," Mayor Frey said. "It provides pride in the neighborhood that we already knew has been there, but it bolsters it even further by saying, 'Hey, look, we have a grocery store, we have a place where we can gather. We have a place that we're proud of that's right here in this spot.'"
 Mayor Frey and City leaders are celebrating the deployment of the City fleet’s 100th electric vehicle. As part of the Minneapolis Climate Equity Plan, the Minneapolis Public Works Department is striving to create a zero-emissions fleet. Going electric reduces the City's carbon footprint, improves air quality, and contributes to an overall healthier environment.
While the City currently has 100 electric vehicles operating on city streets, 41 additional vehicles have been delivered and are being outfitted for service with 11 more on order. In 2024, the mayor and City invested more than $4 million in 78 electric vehicles.
“Climate change is an undeniable fact, and it’s on us to urgently address it,” said Mayor Frey. “Today’s launch of our fleet’s 100th electric vehicle marks a significant milestone on our path to becoming a carbon-neutral city. This initiative—along with our other Climate Legacy Initiative projects—is an investment in our environment, an investment in the health of our residents, an investment in sustainability, and, most importantly, it’s an investment in the future of Minneapolis. We are not just talking about change; we are making it happen.”
 Last week, the Minneapolis Police Department teamed up with local, county, state, and federal law-enforcement partners for its third Operation Safe Summer, a concerted, data-driven effort to take illegal guns off the streets and focus resources on areas seeing the highest rates of crime. Speaking to officers at a roll call, Mayor Frey stressed the importance of law-enforcement collaborations and residents’ right to feel safe.
“We do not tolerate gunfire in our communities,” said Mayor Frey. “Everyone should feel comfortable sending their kid to the playground or jumping on a trampoline without the risk of getting hit by gunfire.”
 Summer is the perfect time to bring a new pet into your family. The Minneapolis Animal Care and Control Center (MACC) is at full capacity and needs your help to free up space to help even more animals.
To support MACC and its ongoing operations, Mayor Frey invested more than $600,000 in the shelter in 2024. The money is helping the shelter renovate and expand, hire additional staff, and purchase food and supplies for animals.
 Mayor Frey, Council Member Katie Cashman, Arts & Cultural Affairs Director Ben Johnson, and Arts Commissioner Jeff Swinton recently launched the City’s Arts and Culture Vibrant Storefronts initiative. The pilot program subsidizes studio space in vacant properties in the Harmon Place Historic District—a win for artists who need a place to hone their craft, and a win for property owners in need of stable tenants.
In exchange for the subsidy, artists will open their studios to the public with the goal of increasing downtown foot traffic, spurring economic growth, and bringing even more beauty to our vibrant city. Eight storefronts are currently available, and applications are open now.
“Minneapolis has a rich and diverse heritage of being a muse, haven, and patron for artists. We have an indomitable spirit, and that’s reflected in the art and artists that call our city home,” said Mayor Frey. “The Arts and Culture Vibrant Storefronts pilot program will not only support our artists, but it will also beautify downtown, help increase foot traffic, and boost economic revitalization across our city. As we continue to see downtown come back, this is exactly the type of initiative we want to support.”
The City of Minneapolis recently debuted three street concepts and five site ideas for George Floyd Square. These initial concepts and ideas are part of the City’s ongoing community engagement efforts aimed at developing a comprehensive vision for the square by the end of 2024. The vision will include a preferred concept for the design of the streets as well as ideas for the use and layout of the Peoples’ Way property, a former gas station at 3477 Chicago Avenue.
More information about the history of George Floyd Square and the engagement process is available on the City’s website.
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