How Minneapolis, St. Paul leaders plan to revitalize their downtowns
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Nicollet Mall in June 2023. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
Times Square-style billboards, new transit hubs, and more apartments converted out of former office spaces: All are ideas that Twin Cities leaders have recently floated to revitalize the two downtowns.
Why it matters: Office buildings are worth way less in the era of hybrid work, a sea change that could increase strain on property taxpayers outside the downtowns if something doesn't change.
Driving the news: In Minneapolis on Monday, Mayor Jacob Frey announced the formation of a 20-member working group, a "who's who" of downtown business and civic leaders, to spearhead revitalization efforts.
- He also released the Downtown Action Plan, which outlines this group's to-do list.
Friction point: Even some of the efforts already underway could take years. For example, a plan to pedestrianize Nicollet Mall couldn't happen until 2026 at the earliest.
In St. Paul, a similar working group has commissioned the consulting firm Gensler to conduct an analysis of 20 downtown buildings.
- They're hoping to identify which structures might be prime candidates for conversion, or even demolition, City Council Member Rebecca Noecker told Axios.
- The group is also monitoring projects like Central Station, where Noecker envisions filling a vacant lot surrounding the light rail stop with shops, apartments and offices.
Context: In May, downtown St. Paul's largest landlord put its entire property portfolio up for sale.
- Noecker said that prompted the group to "use this as a moment to totally transform and revitalize downtown in ways that have been needed for decades."
Zoom in: The Minneapolis plan envisions the Warehouse District as the city's "own version" of Times Square, said Frey.
- He said improved lighting and signage — including eye-catching billboards — are among the infrastructure improvements that could make it "an entertainment mecca."
- The area also has several pre-World War II buildings that are "ripe for conversion," Frey said.
The intrigue: Frey and Council Member Michael Rainville both told reporters they hope to connect Nicollet Mall to the Mississippi Riverfront.
- That would require persuading the U.S. Postal Service to bulldoze its parking garage adjacent to Hennepin Avenue.