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"Mastermind" of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case

"Mastermind" of largest COVID fraud  scheme gets 41 years

Prosecutors say Aimee Bock was at the center of a scheme to steal over $240 million from a federal program.

Politics & Policy

A judge has ordered the Minnesota &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mastermind" data-vars-click-url="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million" data-vars-content-id="12cfb3bf-ee7e-4db1-b635-cfde9213cf92" data-vars-headline="&quot;Mastermind&quot; of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mn/pr/federal-jury-finds-feeding-our-future-mastermind-and-co-defendant-guilty-250-million" target="_blank">mastermind</a>&quot; in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nation&#x27;s largest pandemic fraud case" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/09/21/feeding-our-future-indictment-minnesota" data-vars-content-id="12cfb3bf-ee7e-4db1-b635-cfde9213cf92" data-vars-headline="&quot;Mastermind&quot; of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2022/09/21/feeding-our-future-indictment-minnesota" target="_self">nation&#x27;s largest pandemic fraud case</a> to serve 41.5 years in prison — the harshest sentence to date in connection with the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.Why it matters: Prosecutors say former Feeding Our Future executive director <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Aimee Bock" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/05/21/aimee-bock-sentencing-feeding-our-future-pandemic-child-meals-fraud-minnesota" data-vars-content-id="12cfb3bf-ee7e-4db1-b635-cfde9213cf92" data-vars-headline="&quot;Mastermind&quot; of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/05/21/aimee-bock-sentencing-feeding-our-future-pandemic-child-meals-fraud-minnesota" target="_self">Aimee Bock</a> was at the center of a scheme to steal more than $240 million from a federally funded child meals program during the pandemic. <ul><li>The case sparked intense scrutiny of the Walz administration&#x27;s oversight of state-run programs and fueled broader <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concerns about fraud under his watch." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/06/minnesota-fraud-cases-timeline" data-vars-content-id="12cfb3bf-ee7e-4db1-b635-cfde9213cf92" data-vars-headline="&quot;Mastermind&quot; of Minnesota child meal fraud gets nearly 42 years in Feeding Our Future case" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/06/minnesota-fraud-cases-timeline" target="_self">concerns about fraud under his watch.</a></li></ul>

In Minnesota's express toll lanes, scofflaws nearly outnumber E-ZPasses

The growing violation rate denies the system toll revenues it needs to pay for itself.

Transit

MnDOT&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="E-ZPass system" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/25/mn-ez-pass-scam-text-warning" data-vars-content-id="28673455-3aef-46a8-a71e-a77c54027b48" data-vars-headline="In Minnesota&#x27;s express toll lanes, scofflaws nearly outnumber E-ZPasses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/03/25/mn-ez-pass-scam-text-warning" target="_self">E-ZPass system</a> has a scofflaw problem. Nearly half of the vehicles use the express tolling lanes without permission, according to the latest quarterly report.Why it matters: Aside from being unfair, the rising violation rate threatens to undermine the main goal of E-ZPass — managing congestion — while denying the system the toll revenues it needs to pay for itself.Stunning stats: MnDOT estimated that 29% of vehicles using the lanes had neither a passenger nor an E-ZPass tag in FY2024, according to the annual report for that year.<ul><li>But <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more recent field observations" data-vars-click-url="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28096401-minnesota-department-of-transportation-mndot-2025-q4-e-zpass-report/" data-vars-content-id="28673455-3aef-46a8-a71e-a77c54027b48" data-vars-headline="In Minnesota&#x27;s express toll lanes, scofflaws nearly outnumber E-ZPasses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28096401-minnesota-department-of-transportation-mndot-2025-q4-e-zpass-report/" target="_blank">more recent field observations</a> suggest that vehicle &quot;violation rates&quot; have crept up across the system. On I-35W in the south metro, they&#x27;re now pushing past 50%.</li></ul><div><figure><div id="av-hermesv2/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles-LO9HZ" style="max-width:100%" data-vars-category="embed" data-vars-sub-category="axios-visual" data-vars-asset-id="av-hermesv2/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles-LO9HZ" data-vars-iframe-src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles/index.html" class="gtmView"><img alt="A bar chart that shows quarterly E-ZPass lane violation rates by corridor for October to December 2025. Rates range from 32.3% on I-394 from Minneapolis to Wayzata to 52.6% on I-35W from Minneapolis to Burnsville. I-35E posts 45.7%, and I-35W from Roseville to Blaine reaches 44.1%." class="axios-visual-newsletter-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles/fallbacks/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles-fallback.png" width="1200" height="788"/><img alt="A bar chart that shows quarterly E-ZPass lane violation rates by corridor for October to December 2025. Rates range from 32.3% on I-394 from Minneapolis to Wayzata to 52.6% on I-35W from Minneapolis to Burnsville. I-35E posts 45.7%, and I-35W from Roseville to Blaine reaches 44.1%." class="axios-visual-apple-fallback-image" src="https://graphics.axios.com/hermesv2/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles/fallbacks/2026-05-06-2301-share-of-vehicles-apple.png" width="750" height="740"/></div><figcaption>Data: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="MnDOT" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dot.state.mn.us/freeway-operations/reports.html" data-vars-content-id="28673455-3aef-46a8-a71e-a77c54027b48" data-vars-headline="In Minnesota&#x27;s express toll lanes, scofflaws nearly outnumber E-ZPasses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dot.state.mn.us/freeway-operations/reports.html" target="_blank">MnDOT</a>; Note: Totals from all observation points along each corridor during tolled morning and afternoon commute periods; Chart: Kyle Stokes/Axios</figcaption></figure></div>Between the lines: The toll lanes&#x27; primary goal isn&#x27;t to make money; it&#x27;s to improve traffic flow during peak times — just like a ramp meter, according to MnDOT spokesperson Anne Meyer.<ul><li>Even with high violation rates, E-ZPass lanes maintain higher traffic speeds than general lanes and reduce trip times by as much as 10 minutes during peak times, according to the latest annual report.</li></ul>What we&#x27;re watching: A February <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://mdl.mndot.gov/items/2026cav02" data-vars-content-id="28673455-3aef-46a8-a71e-a77c54027b48" data-vars-headline="In Minnesota&#x27;s express toll lanes, scofflaws nearly outnumber E-ZPasses" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mdl.mndot.gov/items/2026cav02" target="_blank">report</a> from consulting firm AECOM detailed how MnDOT could use more automated tools — such as license plate readers and passenger-detecting cameras — to reduce E-ZPass violation rates.<ul><li>The report noted that the rollout would be costly — and could face legal hurdles and objections on privacy and civil liberties grounds.</li></ul><h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">Axios readers come clean on E-ZPass</h2>Axios reader Steven learned his lesson in 2016.<ul><li>While commuting into downtown Minneapolis, he occasionally merged into the E-ZPass lane to cut through the congestion.</li></ul>Finally, a state trooper pulled Steven over and asked why he had no pass. <ul><li>&quot;I matter of factly replied, &#x27;I didn&#x27;t think I would get caught,&#x27;&quot; he told us in an email. &quot;The officer stifled a big laugh.&quot;</li></ul>The big picture: The Minnesota State Patrol dedicates teams of troopers to E-ZPass enforcement.<ul><li>In 2024, those patrols pulled over nearly 6,000 vehicles, and cited or warned about half of those drivers for tolling violations, Meyer said.</li></ul>&quot;E-ZPass lane enforcement is no joke along 394,&quot; wrote reader Kyle F., who says it&#x27;s typical to see two or three people each week pulled over in the E-ZPass lane.Reality check: Most scofflaws aren&#x27;t caught. In 2024, an estimated 11,000 violators used the lanes every day,<ul><li>&quot;There doesn&#x27;t seem to be any penalties for not being a paid user,&quot; wrote Marg P., who uses an E-ZPass to shorten her drive time to Lino Lakes.</li></ul>Follow the money: Violators are dodging tolls that can jump as high as $8 per trip. (The average is about $1.14.)<ul><li>&quot;It can be expensive on high congestion days,&quot; Teri I. said, &quot;so it sucks getting charged for that convenience and others are jumping in hoping to not get caught.&quot;</li></ul>Yes, but: Law-abiding E-ZPass users still praise their passes.<ul><li>&quot;Just eases the travel issues significantly!&quot; Rick said, adding that the modest cost is worth it &quot;to gain the ease of driving in that lane when traffic sucks!&quot;</li></ul>

"Zoë Bakes" star lists Minneapolis home with TV-ready kitchen

François' chef's kitchen served as the backdrop for her HBO Max show "Zoë Bakes."

Real Estate

Want to be the star of your own cooking show? This historic Minneapolis home has the kitchen for you.Driving the news: Twin Cities baker, cookbook author and television host <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zoë François" data-vars-click-url="https://mspmag.com/shop-and-style/zoe-francois-rise/" data-vars-content-id="b53c4956-f651-4ac1-9a0f-6ad5b20afb81" data-vars-headline="&quot;Zoë Bakes&quot; star lists Minneapolis home with TV-ready kitchen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mspmag.com/shop-and-style/zoe-francois-rise/" target="_blank">Zoë François</a> just put her home on the market — and you may recognize that chef&#x27;s kitchen as the backdrop of her HBO Max show &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Zoë Bakes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.hbomax.com/shows/zoe-bakes/85d7df13-47b2-4d07-a5b4-35674ffd86ef" data-vars-content-id="b53c4956-f651-4ac1-9a0f-6ad5b20afb81" data-vars-headline="&quot;Zoë Bakes&quot; star lists Minneapolis home with TV-ready kitchen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.hbomax.com/shows/zoe-bakes/85d7df13-47b2-4d07-a5b4-35674ffd86ef" target="_blank">Zoë Bakes</a>.&quot;

Behind the scenes: Target creates testing lab in Brooklyn Park

One focus of the company's new "Epic Lab" is improving its network of 2,000 stores that double as shipping hubs.

Business

In the big retail <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="race" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/amazon-delivery-speed-war-walmart-target" data-vars-content-id="4ddb0f50-daf9-43c4-ae9d-6de74fe51e9e" data-vars-headline="Behind the scenes: Target creates testing lab in Brooklyn Park" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/amazon-delivery-speed-war-walmart-target" target="_self">race</a> to be fast and efficient, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Target" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/22/target-shopping-delivery-sortation-centers" data-vars-content-id="4ddb0f50-daf9-43c4-ae9d-6de74fe51e9e" data-vars-headline="Behind the scenes: Target creates testing lab in Brooklyn Park" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/02/22/target-shopping-delivery-sortation-centers" target="_self">Target</a> this month finished building out an innovation lab in Brooklyn Park, where it can test out new ideas. Why it matters: One focus of the company&#x27;s new &quot;Epic Lab&quot; is improving its network of 2,000 stores that double as shipping hubs.

Minneapolis council to consider data center pause as downtown interest increases

Developers are beginning to see building data centers in vacant office towers as a tool to inject value back into underused downtown properties.

News

The Minneapolis City Council will decide Thursday whether to pause new data center development for a year.Why it matters: Developers are beginning to see <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="building data centers in vacant office towers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/19/how-data-centers-could-help-revive-downtowns" data-vars-content-id="e377b655-7271-4d0c-aa70-c835ea0dc38a" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis council to consider data center pause as downtown interest increases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/03/19/how-data-centers-could-help-revive-downtowns" target="_self">building data centers in vacant office towers</a> as a tool to inject value back into underused downtown properties.<ul><li>But some council members want stricter rules in place before more projects move forward, citing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concerns about electricity and water use" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/01/21/minnesotas-data-center-boom-concerns-electrical-supply" data-vars-content-id="e377b655-7271-4d0c-aa70-c835ea0dc38a" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis council to consider data center pause as downtown interest increases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/01/21/minnesotas-data-center-boom-concerns-electrical-supply" target="_self">concerns about electricity and water use</a>.</li></ul>

St. Paul skyway users frustrated by prolonged closure

The Alliance Bank Center has been closed for over a year

Nancy Kehmeier typically walks from her Landmark Tower condo to the east side of downtown St. Paul two or three times a day, but for the past 13 months, that has meant leaving the climate-controlled skyway system.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="closure" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/04/11/alliance-bank-tower-st-paul-vacancy" data-vars-content-id="934c681c-d82d-4026-90ad-5610575347f2" data-vars-headline="St. Paul skyway users frustrated by prolonged closure" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/04/11/alliance-bank-tower-st-paul-vacancy" target="_self">closure</a> of the Alliance Bank Center has cut off a key connection in the city&#x27;s 5-mile system of glass bridges, forcing residents like Kehmeier to navigate around the building and putting additional pressure on people with accessibility challenges.

Report warns of growing housing shortage

The Twin Cities has fallen short of housing production goals three straight years

The Twin Cities didn&#x27;t build nearly enough housing units last year to keep up with demand, an ongoing trend that&#x27;s contributing to rising rents and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="home prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/07/17/median-metro-home-price-reaches-400k-for-first-time" data-vars-content-id="88837c34-0bee-4a37-a8fc-cd9c68242851" data-vars-headline="Report warns of growing housing shortage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/07/17/median-metro-home-price-reaches-400k-for-first-time" target="_self">home prices</a>. By the numbers: Metro builders produced 12,161 units in 2025, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2026/twin-cities-region-misses-its-housing-marks" data-vars-content-id="88837c34-0bee-4a37-a8fc-cd9c68242851" data-vars-headline="Report warns of growing housing shortage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2026/twin-cities-region-misses-its-housing-marks" target="_blank">report</a> out Friday morning from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. <ul><li>That&#x27;s well below a goal of 18,000 units per year set by the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Itasca Project" data-vars-click-url="https://itascaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Itasca-Housing_Affordability_Report_September_2020.pdf" data-vars-content-id="88837c34-0bee-4a37-a8fc-cd9c68242851" data-vars-headline="Report warns of growing housing shortage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://itascaproject.org/wp-content/uploads/Itasca-Housing_Affordability_Report_September_2020.pdf" target="_blank">Itasca Project</a> as a key metric for maintaining housing affordability in the metro area.</li></ul>

Historic James J. Hill Library re-opens after renovation

Most of the library's 500,000 books remain

The historic James J. Hill Reference Library overlooking downtown St. Paul&#x27;s Rice Park has re-opened as Avalon event center following <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a $5 million renovation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/06/17/james-j-hill-reference-library-st-paul-buyer-peter-remes" data-vars-content-id="f61fe7d0-ab25-49bf-a7f8-53a1f23dabf9" data-vars-headline="Historic James J. Hill Library re-opens after renovation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/06/17/james-j-hill-reference-library-st-paul-buyer-peter-remes" target="_self">a $5 million renovation</a>.Flashback: The railroad tycoon built the library as a gift to the city, but died before its 1921 opening. <ul><li>For nearly 100 years, his family operated it as a working reference library before closing in 2019 due to operating losses. The George Latimer Central Library on the other side of the building has remained open to the public. </li></ul>

Scoop: Mayor Frey wants Wolves arena at City Center site

The mayor is pushing a Nicollet Mall NBA arena, but it's not clear if the Wolves are on board

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is pushing the City Center complex as a potential site for a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new Timberwolves/Lynx arena" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/07/07/timberwolves-lynx-new-owners-arena-location-options" data-vars-content-id="8f5f02b7-c1f2-4a6a-94cf-b9a49373280d" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Mayor Frey wants Wolves arena at City Center site" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/07/07/timberwolves-lynx-new-owners-arena-location-options" target="_self">new Timberwolves/Lynx arena</a>, according to multiple sources familiar with the talks. Why it matters: The idea — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="first floated by Axios" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/23/build-wolves-arena-city-center-minneapolis-downtown" data-vars-content-id="8f5f02b7-c1f2-4a6a-94cf-b9a49373280d" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Mayor Frey wants Wolves arena at City Center site" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/02/23/build-wolves-arena-city-center-minneapolis-downtown" target="_self">first floated by Axios</a> — would mean demolishing one of the city&#x27;s tallest towers and bringing an NBA arena onto the struggling Nicollet Mall.

What to do with the distressed Dayton's Project

The $350M redevelopment now has a city-assessed value of $27M

A judge&#x27;s recent ruling approving the potential foreclosure of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dayton&#x27;s Project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/11/15/daytons-project-macys-minneapolis-open-photos-tour-leasing" data-vars-content-id="456dd814-eb15-4206-8f0b-c1edd7fde525" data-vars-headline="What to do with the distressed Dayton&#x27;s Project" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2021/11/15/daytons-project-macys-minneapolis-open-photos-tour-leasing" target="_self">Dayton&#x27;s Project</a> sets up a thorny question: What&#x27;s going to happen to one of the biggest — and emptiest — buildings in downtown Minneapolis?Why it matters: If some creative developer can&#x27;t figure it out, there&#x27;s a risk that one of the city&#x27;s largest properties, in the heart of Nicollet Mall, could remain hollow and fall into neglect.

Graco redevelopment may buck recent trends

The best use for the site might still be industrial, despite desires for more housing.

Graco&#x27;s large Northeast Minneapolis <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="campus" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/05/21/graco-minneapolis-campus-redevelopment-riverfront" data-vars-content-id="33fd59e9-695e-4cd0-b5a6-5ebe4ec08bad" data-vars-headline="Graco redevelopment may buck recent trends" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/05/21/graco-minneapolis-campus-redevelopment-riverfront" target="_self">campus</a> is on track to sell soon, but don&#x27;t expect a quick redevelopment of the riverfront property, despite its prime location.Why it matters: Five to 10 years ago, this 40-acre piece of mostly industrial land would have developers salivating over demolishing warehouses and building housing.<ul><li>Yes, but: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Times have changed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/06/09/twin-cities-apartment-construction-cost-crisis" data-vars-content-id="33fd59e9-695e-4cd0-b5a6-5ebe4ec08bad" data-vars-headline="Graco redevelopment may buck recent trends" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2025/06/09/twin-cities-apartment-construction-cost-crisis" target="_self">Times have changed</a>, and multifamily housing development has gone from a gusher to a trickle.</li></ul>

Minneapolis skyway system filling up with independent retailers

The loss of national chains has made skyway space more affordable

When Keiona Cook was 17 and working in the Wild Pair shoe store in IDS Center, she dreamed of opening her own shop inside the iconic downtown Minneapolis skyscraper.Why it matters: For decades, getting a prime spot in the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Minneapolis skyway system" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/05/11/skyways-twin-cities-rebound-restaurants-struggle" data-vars-content-id="8a0b60a0-cc79-46f6-9312-11b0733be17e" data-vars-headline="Minneapolis skyway system filling up with independent retailers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2023/05/11/skyways-twin-cities-rebound-restaurants-struggle" target="_self">Minneapolis skyway system</a> was tough for small independent businesses as vacancies were tight and national retailers and chain restaurants paid top dollar.

Ramsey County $140M riverfront dream

After years of big dreams, should the county consider trying something more modest?

Nick here. I&#x27;ve been covering Ramsey County&#x27;s lofty goals to redevelop the St. Paul riverfront for years and today I&#x27;m raising the idea that instead of swinging for the fences, maybe it&#x27;s time to hit a single or double in order to restore some momentum to a downtown that is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="struggling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/09/10/st-paul-lowertown-restaurant-closures-wave" data-vars-content-id="8e996d6f-82f9-4a52-b61d-993990408583" data-vars-headline="Ramsey County $140M riverfront dream" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2024/09/10/st-paul-lowertown-restaurant-closures-wave" target="_self">struggling</a>.Why it matters: The county announced Tuesday that for the third time in about 20 years, it&#x27;s looking for a new master developer and even more money as it hopes to reignite the project.

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