 Free Friday night parking is coming to Uptown starting today from 6 p.m. – 12 a.m. (on Lake and Lagoon between Humboldt and Fremont)! That was just one highlight from Mayor Frey's annual State of the City address, which I attended Tuesday at the American Swedish Institute.
It was an upbeat message celebrating the grit Minneapolis has shown this past year, from the tragedy at Annunciation to Operation Metro Surge, and a call to get back on track by focusing on what matters most: public safety, affordability, and economic vitality. This resonates with me, as they are the very things I spoke to and heard from you throughout my campaign last year. While there are many important issues out there, as city leaders we've got to keep our eye on the ball. The speech also provides a roadmap for what the City Council and the mayor's office can work on together this term.
It was great to hear the mayor focus on both Uptown and Downtown. On Uptown, he highlighted the progress we've seen as increased enforcement has led to diminished open drug use and a greater sense of safety on the streets. That concentrated effort has built the foundation for the next phase of Uptown's revival, with the city supporting the Uptown Farmers' Market, the Arts Festival, and Holidays on Hennepin "to bring energy, art, and people together." On Downtown, he talked about accelerating office-to-housing conversions (what his office is calling the "Rocket Docket") as downtown shifts from a place where people work to a full-fledged neighborhood. More than 60,000 people now call downtown home, a record, and the mayor's point was that a home doesn't look the same for everyone. I agree we've got to get creative with how we repurpose and reimagine our downtown buildings. The mayor also dangled the idea of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for those interested in being a part of the revitalization. We can't have a strong city without a strong core. It's what I call the "Pilates Principle" of urbanism.
Affordable housing remains a major focus. Minneapolis has been a national leader, but we can't rest on our laurels. Mayor Frey spoke about removing unnecessary red tape from the permitting process. One example: Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). While ADUs are allowed citywide, very few have actually been built. The city is now developing pre-approved designs to make them faster and easier to construct. The biggest laugh of the speech came when the mayor noted this would make it easier to get grandma closer to home — or "the 24-year-old further from it.”
The mayor also struck a conciliatory tone, noting that the City Council stepped up during a difficult few months to provide relief for small businesses and residents. It's no secret that the relationship between the mayor and a few council members has been strained, I'm not interested in playing the blame game, and I don't think the public is either. What I am interested in is working together with my fellow council members and the mayor's office on the priorities laid out before us, priorities I believe we can all support, even as we bring our unique perspectives to the table.
While it wasn't part of the speech, the mayor made a major announcement this week: he is nominating Chief O'Hara for another term leading the Minneapolis Police Department. I've been impressed by Chief O'Hara's leadership as he has guided MPD through two major crises this past year, overseen marked reductions in violent crime, shored up the number of sworn officers, and brought a record number of recruits into the pipeline. MPD is a stronger and more diverse department than when he took over, and I believe continuity of leadership is essential to moving the urgent work of police reform forward. I am happy to support his reappointment.
Finally, Council was relatively quiet this week, with the vetoes of the drug paraphernalia legalization ordinance and the proposal to extend the pre-eviction notice period to 45 days both being sustained.
 Our April Community Conversations event last week, focused on Uptown public safety, was a great success, and thanks to all of you who showed up and made that possible. We heard about current law enforcement efforts from members of the MPD Fifth Precinct, updates from Hennepin County security and the Walker Library, a presentation about Uptown Community Safety Ambassadors from the Office of Neighborhood Safety, and some remarks from Kevin Norman, founder of Uptown United. Special thanks as well to Grace-Trinity Church, at Hennepin and 28th, for hosting the event in their lovely sanctuary.
If you missed the event, you can view a recording here, and there’s also a link to the presentation materials on community safety ambassadors that you can find here.
 Join us this coming Thursday, May 14, for our next Community Conversations event, right here in City Hall, 350 Fifth St. S., Room 392, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. We’ll be getting a tour of the newly renovated council chambers, and will be hearing from our highly knowledgeable and always engaging city clerk, Casey Carl, who will be speaking about the council’s legislative process (how an idea becomes an ordinance!). The event is free and open to the public, with parking vouchers available for those who use the Haaf Ramp. We’ll meet in the City Hall rotunda, next to the Father of Waters statue at 11:55 a.m., and we’ll bring you up to the meeting room. Hope to see you on Thursday!
For those of you following the ins and outs of our city council cycles, one issue to pay attention to in the coming months is the regulation of data centers. Data centers have been much in the news recently, mostly in relation to large “hyperscale” centers in suburban and rural areas, but I’ve also received some outreach from constituents about data centers in the heart of the city, mostly related to environmental and livability concerns.
At our May 21 council meeting, I plan to give notice of the introduction of a set of proposed changes to the city’s zoning code that are intended to regulate the planning and construction of data centers for the 21st century. This is important work. While many of the environmental and quality-of-life concerns related to data centers are real, they are easier to address in our urban core, where data centers are much smaller and have already been operating for decades without incident. Of equal importance, data processing facilities have become critical infrastructure for tech and tech-dependent businesses everywhere. If we want a downtown that’s vibrant and attractive to cutting edge businesses, we need to get this right.
Also on May 21, we’re expecting a parallel effort to introduce an interim moratorium on new data center construction while the ordinance revisions are being studied. I don’t support this. To me, a moratorium bluntly communicates to investors that Minneapolis is NOT open for business, and I’ve already heard from business leaders that even the suggestion of a moratorium is having a chilling effect on business plans. If council members vote to allow the introduction, the moratorium will immediately go into effect May 21st. There is no opportunity for a veto until the ordinance would work itself through a full council cycle. By then, the headlines are made and the reputational damage done.
Moratoriums should be linked to an emergency situation, and I don’t see one here. Yes, data centers are a topic we need to be studying with real seriousness to protect the public good, but there are no current proposals on the immediate horizon, and we still have the ability to deny conditional use permits if anything problematic would come forward. Regardless, this is a serious subject that deserves serious work, and I have every intention of doing that work. More to come…
 One of the items on yesterday’s council agenda was the passage of a resolution designating a one-block stretch of Blaisdell Avenue, between Franklin and 22nd, as “Jamal Mitchell Way,” in honor of Fifth Precinct Officer Jamal Mitchell, who lost his life on that block in the line of duty two years ago as he rushed to render aid during an active shooting situation.
Officer Mitchell’s children and fiancé, Tori, were in the chamber, and council members had an opportunity to express their thanks, sympathy, and good wishes before the vote. It was very moving, and I’m glad we were able to play a role in creating a lasting memorial to Officer Mitchell’s ultimate sacrifice.
 As previewed in last week’s edition, I’m excited to report that significant improvements are coming to the medians along Hennepin/Lyndale starting in the next week or so. Working with MNDOT, Citizens for a Loring Park Community (CLPC) is spearheading an effort to revitalize these often-overlooked public spaces. Rather than just functioning as utilitarian dividers in a busy corridor, these medians will mark the area as visible, important civic space that will serve as a welcome to Loring Park and the rest of downtown.
The work itself is the byproduct of two years of planning. Some of the medians have already received significant attention, such as the intersection with Douglas, while others have failed to thrive, such as the space over the tunnel at 15th/Vinland. All in all, over 70 trees will be planted, along with shrubs and other ornamental plantings. And, once work is completed, a regular maintenance schedule will follow, including trash pickup and weed control.
Thanks for support are due all around. Thanks to MNDOT for its partnership. Thanks to the many surrounding property owners, who voluntarily banded together to raise funds for the project. Special thanks to Senator Scott Dibble, who got the project over the finish line at the legislature, and – last but not least – thanks to CLPC and program manager and longtime resident John Van Heel. This has been a long-standing labor of love, and thanks to all who have helped make this a reality!
 For those of you who live in the neighborhood, you’ve no doubt seen that this summer’s installment of the Kenwood Concrete Rehabilitation Project is proceeding at great speed. Thanks to all of you for your patience and polite outreach as we ironed out a few traffic-routing issues the first couple of days, but the Burnham Road bridge has now been reopened, traffic has been flowing smoothly northbound on Sheridan, and local bus operators have been notified (or renotified) so they can adjust their routes. After starting with the southernmost section of Sheridan, work is progressing northbound to 21st Street, one side at a time. Sheridan will remain open to northbound traffic throughout the project, while southbound travel will need to divert to other routes. Please sign up for direct email updates, visit the project home page, and feel free to participate in weekly virtual stakeholder meetings, which take place each Thursday at 11:00 a.m. through Microsoft Teams.
 Next week is National Police Week, and one of the ways MPD marks the occasion is by holding open houses at many of the police precinct headquarters (Precincts 1 and 5, within the Ward 7 boundaries). These family-friendly events include drone demonstrations, K-9 officers, mounted police, and partnership with the Minneapolis Fire Department and other local law enforcement agencies. Got a kid who likes emergency vehicles? These should be good events, with light food and snacks as well.
First Precinct Open House: Thursday, May 14, 11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., 330 South 12th Street. Please take note that at noon there will be the official dedication of the newly built-out and renovated First Precinct building and flagpole.
Fifth Precinct Open House: Wednesday, May 13, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., 3101 Nicollet Ave. S.
Learn more about these precinct open house events.
 The forecast says this weekend is going to be warmer than last, and if you’re looking for a good excuse to spend time outside with your neighbors and have some fun, consider the Peace in the World Concert in Loring Park on Saturday, noon – 5:00 p.m. Performers include J.D. Steele & the Mill City Singers, the Ukrainian Village Band, Spagetti Monetti & The Sauce, and Mark Stillman. The event’s many sponsors include Citizens for a Loring Park Community, Friends of Loring Park, the City of Minneapolis, and many others. There will be a food truck, and other neighborhood restaurants/watering holes will be glad to welcome you!
Upcoming neighborhood association meetings in May
Tuesday, May 12: West Bde Maka Ska Neighborhood Council monthly meeting, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, May 12: East Isles Neighborhood Association monthly meeting, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., at Grace Trinity Church, 1430 W. 28th Street. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, May 13: Cedar-Isles-Dean Neighborhood Asoociation annual meeting, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., Jones Harrison Senior Living, 3700 Cedar Lake Avenue. Click here for full details.
Wednesday, May 13: Bryn Mawr Neighborhood Association annual meeting and potluck dinner, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., Bryn Mawr School, 252 Upton Ave. S. Full details here.
Tuesday, May 19: Lowry Hill Neighborhood Association annual meeting, 5–7:30 p.m., at First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis, 900 Mount Curve Ave.
 Community, City and State leaders, alongside members of the Twin Cities music and arts scene, gathered to break ground on the Community Performing Arts Center in north Minneapolis, launching construction of a new amphitheater on the Mississippi River.
Set to open in summer 2027, the 8,000-seat outdoor concert venue will bring live music and community programming to the riverfront, hosting approximately 50 ticketed shows each year from May through October. A portion of ticket revenue will be reinvested directly into the community through a partnership with the African American Community Development Corporation.
The amphitheater will be operated by the Port of Minneapolis, a collaboration between First Avenue and the Minnesota Orchestra, bringing together local expertise in live music and performance.
The amphitheater is part of the Upper Harbor, a 48-acre riverfront site being transformed by the City of Minneapolis in partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and local developers.
Learn more about the Community Performing Arts Center on the City website.
National Night Out is a beloved Minneapolis tradition — a chance for neighbors to connect, celebrate summer and strengthen community ties. Many blocks host cookouts, games and activities while kids enjoy playing freely in the closed street.
National Night Out takes place every year on the first Tuesday in August. This year’s National Night Out is August 4.
The event is sponsored by the City of Minneapolis and organized through the Minneapolis Police Department.
Learn more about National Night Out on the City website.
Register your block
National Night Out event registration is now open. Make a plan for your neighborhood and sign up early to receive digital flyers and information about our National Night Out Pop-Ups, where registered hosts can receive supplies for their National Night Out neighborhood events.
Register your block’s National Night Out event by July 28.
We’re celebrating Bike to Work Day Friday, May 15 as part of the Public Works department’s As You Go MPLS campaign. Pedal over to Government Center Plaza to join me and my team for free donuts, “I biked” stickers and more.
7-9 a.m. Friday, May 15, Hennepin County Government Center Plaza
There is nowhere better to bike to work. Beat the commute, skip the parking, save some money and enjoy the beauty that Minneapolis in May has to offer.
Join us for “From Rain to River: A Community Conversation,” a public learning and feedback event about stormwater and water quality.
Learn how stormwater affects our lakes, rivers and neighborhoods — and how we can work together to protect water quality. Talk with City staff, visit information tables, ask questions and share feedback to help improve programs and future projects.
We’ll also recognize Adopt-a-Drain and storm drain stenciling volunteers who help keep storm drains clear and protect our waterways.
Event details 5-6:30 p.m. May 19 Northeast Recreation Center, 1530 Johnson St. NE
A presentation will begin at 5:15 p.m. Volunteer recognition will begin at 5:45 p.m.
Questions? Email waterresources@minneapolismn.gov.
Bushes, branches and tall grass that hangs into the alley are a safety hazard for our collection crews and your neighbors. It reduces visibility for driving and scratches people and vehicles. That’s why we need your help keeping brush and branches along the alley trimmed.
Check your property for these other common nuisance violations too. They can be fire hazards and attract rodents.
- Garbage, litter, junk in yards
- Piles of brush and branches
If a City inspector sees a violation, they’ll send a notice to the property owner. We typically give owners about a week to address an issue. If it’s not resolved by the due date, contractors will correct the violation, and the City will charge the owner a fee for the work.
If you receive a violation notice and have questions, call 311 and ask to leave a message for the inspector.
Read more about property maintenance on the City website. |
