Minneapolis weighs Lyndale Avenue rebuild
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
After enduring construction on Hennepin Avenue, businesses are worried about the proposed rebuild of nearby Lyndale Avenue. Photo: Kyle Stokes/Axios
The Lyndale Avenue reconstruction project, which would rip up a busy stretch of the street in 2028, could get the Minneapolis City Council's sign-off on Thursday.
Why it matters: Lyndale's 92-year-old infrastructure is decades overdue for an upgrade, the project's planners say.
- But some local businesses, still reeling from the rebuild of nearby Hennepin Avenue, worry they won't survive more construction.
State of play: Cycling and pedestrian advocates cheer plans to make Lyndale safer for walkers and bikers, including a new off-street bike path that links to the Loring Greenway at Interstate 94.
- The project will also add dedicated bus lanes between West 24th Street and the freeway.
- The project will maintain roughly three-quarters of the corridor's current parking spaces, Hennepin County officials say.
What they're saying: Some business owners are pleading for a delay, saying sales and foot traffic haven't rebounded on Hennepin Avenue after a year-and-a-half of construction that wrapped up last fall.
- "They are being asked to accept another major reconstruction project before they have had the opportunity to recover," Uptown Association executive director Stefani Pennaz told a council committee last week.
Yes, but: The county has already delayed the project, and now faces a deadline to spend $9 million in federal funding — nearly half the project's budget — project manager Josh Potter warned the council.
The big picture: Mayor Jacob Frey has publicly argued that street projects aren't the "only causal factor" for businesses' struggles which, in fact, owe to several shocks in recent years.
- The pandemic and the shift to remote work have permanently upended the retail sector, Frey told a June meeting attended by reporter Taylor Dahlin.
- That's particularly true in Uptown, where concerns about homelessness and drug use persist.
Plus: Operation Metro Surge hit restaurants hard.
Friction points: Entrepreneurs aren't the only constituency with concerns. Cycling advocates are disappointed that the proposed off-street bike lane will not connect to the Midtown Greenway or Lake Street.
- Potter argued West 28th Street offered a "more logical tie-in" to the city's bike network.
What we're watching: If approved on Thursday, construction is expected to last between two and three years.
- At last week's hearing, some council members pressed the county to be flexible, saying it might be too long for some businesses to endure.