City Briefs - Apr 2025

3000 Minnehaha design
On April 17, the Minneapolis city council unanimously approved a $871,500 contract for LSE Architects Inc. for design and engineering in order to repair, renovate and re-open the former 3rd Precinct building as a voter services center that will have 8,000 square feet set aside for “community use.” Last October, the council voted to oppose the construction of a warehouse there and encourage increased community space, and use of space for racial reckoning. No proposed layout or design was showed as part of the contract. The design work is expected to begin in May, with a conceptual design being presented in August.

Cooper School playground
The Longfellow Community Council and Minneapolis Public Schools have released options for rehabilitation of Cooper playground. A community meeting to discuss playground design options and a possible reuse of the building was held on March 18. The Minneapolis Public School Anishinaabe Academy is eying the Cooper school building as its future home. It is currently operating at Anne Sullivan.

Safe and Thriving Community Work Group
City officials are seeking applicants to join a new advisory committee that will provide input on the implementation of the Safe and Thriving Communities Plan to policymakers and city staff. Applications will be accepted until May 4.

MPD broadcast
Starting in May, the city will no longer broadcast its police radio communications to the public. City officials said this is needed to comply with state and federal data privacy laws and that a new online “911 Emergency Incidents Dashboard” will be created to share information.

Mayor’s State of the City
On Tuesday, May 6, Mayor Jacob Frey will give the 2025 State of the City address at 11:30 a.m. in Minneapolis. The address will be hosted in person and will be live streamed on the city’s YouTube page.

Neighborhood Safety Department
Amanda Harrington has been promoted to be the new director of the Neighborhood Safety Department that was created three years ago. She was the department’s director of community safety design and implementation and led efforts to establish the Lake Street Safety Center and plan the relocation of the 3rd Police Precinct staff into a larger safety center at 2600 Minnehaha Ave. Harrington was previously manager of Be@School, a Hennepin County Attorney’s Office program focused on reducing truancy, and an attorney with Hennepin County Attorney’s Office’s Child Protection and Juvenile Prosecution divisions.

Public school budget shortfall
The Minneapolis Public School board and superintendent continued discussing the district’s budget for next in April and how to address a $75 million budget shortfall. They have not yet finalized specific information about all positions, but staffing cuts are expected. The previous proposal to cut 102 special education assistant positions has been reduced to 45.

Open Streets
The city council has approved locations, dates and organizers for four Open Streets Minneapolis events in. The Hennepin Ave. event will be held on Sept. 20 between W 26th and 36th Streets; Central Ave. event on Aug. 2 between 26th Ave. and 14th Ave.; Cedar on Aug. 17 between 15th Ave. and 6th St.; and West Broadway on Sept. 6 between Logan and Lyndale avenues.