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 Minneapolis skyway system was tough for small independent businesses, as space was limited and national retailers paid top dollar.

• Yes, but: With the rise in remote work and a loss of daily customers, many skyway businesses have closed, giving more opportunities for entrepreneurs like Cook to be in the middle of it all.

Zoom in: Cook's dream became a reality last fall when she signed a lease for a second location of Lovely's Sewing & Arts Collective, a store and studio where she hosts sewing social hours, corporate team building, birthday parties and youth summer camps.

How it works: Real estate consultant Lee Krueger has been behind nearly a dozen leases in the Minneapolis skyway. The Minneapolis Downtown Council hired him as a matchmaker between landlords and startup companies to hammer out deals that brokers who work on commission don't want.

• He said building owners want to fill their empty spaces so they're offering low — or in some cases zero — rent.
• But landlords also have quick termination rights in case they have a retailer willing to sign a long-term lease at higher rents, Krueger said.

Context: Before the pandemic, a high-traffic building on Nicollet Mall might charge in the ballpark of $3,000 per month for a 1,000-square-foot space, Krueger said.

• Now businesses are paying hundreds, or less, he said.

Zoom out: Shops like Lovely's Sewing are just one small part of a broader downtown retail reset in recent years that has meant the loss of eight Caribou Coffees, two Starbucks and larger retailers Saks Off 5th and Nordstrom Rack.

State of play: While some former chain store spaces remain vacant, others are being backfilled by local groups like Gray Fox Coffee, SK Coffee, Mother Dough Bakery and Blackwater Coffee.

Gerry Exom opened his Still Grind Coffee shop in the LaSalle Plaza complex in February and is seeing fast sales growth.

• He signed a 3-year lease in the building at a low rent with the landlord, Hempel Cos. Hempel bought the LaSalle complex at a steep discount in 2023 and told Axios at the time that the low price would allow the building to offer lower rents than competitors.

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What do Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Pope Leo XIV and President Trump have in common?

• All three made Time's list of the 100 most influential people of 2026.

What they're saying: The magazine gave Frey credit for directing "the unprecedented logistical response to having 4,000 federal agents on the ground" and working "to knit together a city where businesses and daily life were hollowed out by fear."

The other side: Frey's critics have said his leadership was more "performative" than substantive during the crisis.

Go deeper via Time

🏫 Minneapolis Public Schools withheld nearly $3 million owed to an employee health care trust account starting in 2024, a newly released report shows. (Minnesota Reformer)

• While the money was restored, the move risked creating a shortfall. Three finance officials were placed on leave after the district received the report.

🏛️ A long-shot effort by some House Republicans to impeach Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison over their responses to fraud failed to clear a procedural vote yesterday. (MPR News)

💰 Wayzata voters approved one of the largest school referendums in state history Tuesday. (Star Tribune)

• Much of the $500 million raised by the ballot questions will be used for two new schools and an expansion of the already massive Wayzata High.

🗳️ Three-time GOP congressional candidate Tyler Kistner dropped his bid for the south metro's 2nd Congressional District, citing a recent activation order to deploy to the Middle East. (WCCO)

• Republican Sen. Eric Pratt remains in the race. Democrats have a three-way primary for the open seat.

📺 Reality TV alum Luke Gulbranson, of "Summer House" and "Selling the OC" fame, is running as a Democrat to challenge GOP U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber. (Star Tribune)

Speaking of the 2026 election, the latest campaign finance reports for state and federal candidates dropped yesterday.

Why it matters: Fundraising is a key indicator of which campaigns and races are actually competitive.

What the filings show...

1. Amy Klobuchar raised more than the entire GOP gubernatorial field combined, and her $3.4 million total cash on hand is six times more than her closest rival.

• Just three Republicans ended March with six figures in the bank: Lisa Demuth ($543K), Kristin Robbins ($201K) and Kendall Qualls ($100K).

The intrigue: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell raised $496,000, but spent it all (and then some) on consultants, a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, and more copies of his own book, leaving just $41,000 in his account.

2. Peggy Flanagan's fundraising in the heated DFL U.S. Senate primary picked up in the first quarter, though the $1.3 million she raised was about half as much as the $2.6 million DFL rival Angie Craig brought in.

• Craig ended the quarter with close to $5 million — four times Flanagan's cash on hand.

Former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya led the GOP field in that race, raising $2 million and reporting $1.8 million cash on hand.

3. Outgoing Gov. Tim Walz is still sitting on $3 million that he can transfer to other state candidates and committees.

• He spent down over $800,000 on consultant bills, travel and donor refunds, but didn't make any sizable contributions yet.

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Crop artists (and fans), take note: The Minnesota State Fair is coming for your quinoa.

Why it matters: The seed is beloved by competitors in the fair's crop art competition "for its size, shape and rainbow of natural colors," the Star Tribune's Jennifer Brooks reports.

Friction point: The fair says quinoa doesn't qualify as a "Minnesota crop" — a requirement for judged entries.

What's next: If the ruling stands, chia seeds, quinoa and cardamon will be off limits for competition entries starting in 2027.

• "We will show it," the State Fair's Marta Shore told the paper. "You just can't be in the competition for a ribbon."

Flashback: The mustard seed controversy