Minneapolis City Council holds out for pedestrian mall at George Floyd Square
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The memorial to George Floyd at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, ringed by concrete barricades, on Wednesday. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
A divided Minneapolis City Council on Thursday put the brakes on a rebuild of the streets through George Floyd Square, pushing city officials to instead convert part of the intersection into a pedestrian mall.
Why it matters: The council's 8-5 vote to send the plans back to committee creates new uncertainty about when permanent infrastructure would be restored around the spot where police murdered Floyd in 2020.
- The vote reflects an ongoing thread of criticism that, beyond their street project plans, city leaders lack a comprehensive plan for the neighborhood at the epicenter of a worldwide racial reckoning.
What they're saying: "This vote should be more than just about infrastructure, and it should not gloss over or erase what happened here," Council Member Jason Chavez, who represents part of the intersection, said during the meeting.
The other side: Council Member Andrea Jenkins — whose ward intersects with Chavez's at 38th Street and Chicago Avenue — opposed delaying the project and criticized her colleagues for disregarding years of staff work.
- Mayor Jacob Frey told reporters after the vote he's open to a pedestrian mall at the intersection but called a delay unacceptable: "People in the community need change. They need to see progress."
Catch up quick: During their design process, public works planners had recommended against a design that closed off part of Chicago Avenue to all traffic other than emergency vehicles.
- Instead, officials had recommended a design that could largely make the square's current layout and art installations permanent, though it would've added gates that could occasionally close off the street.
What happened: As they sent the proposal back to committee, council members took a non-binding vote asking city planners to reconsider the pedestrian mall idea.
- "We have not played out the scenario of whether it's possible to create a pedestrian mall here," Council Member Katie Cashman said.
Friction point: Chavez contended the move wasn't a "delay" but a change in direction for the project.
- City officials offered a different take. Public works director Tim Sexton told the council it would be "really difficult" to begin construction next June, as intended, while also exploring the pedestrian mall option.
Between the lines: A recently amended state law allows the changeover to a pedestrian mall, but it would first require additional study and outreach to local businesses.
- No more than 50% of property owners on the street in front of the mall may object to the plan.
By the numbers: In a city-sanctioned survey, a majority of respondents who live in the surrounding neighborhoods favored keeping the intersection open to traffic.
- Roughly 1 in 5 respondents favored the pedestrian mall option — a level of support that researchers said was a few percentage points higher than responses from outside the neighborhood.
The intrigue: Council Member Jeremiah Ellison ultimately voted in favor of the "delay" but expressed frustration at being forced into an all-or-nothing vote that might have been avoided.
- The delay "is another blow to momentum — and this is an intersection that has had its blows to momentum," he said.
What's next: The council referred the matter back to a committee that next meets on Jan. 9.