Minneapolis Mayor Talks Neighborhood Revivals
In Jacob Frey’s State of the City speech Tuesday, the Minneapolis mayor took stock of the city’s past year and near future. He focused largely on public safety and affordable housing, as well as economic development in some of Minneapolis’ most-discussed neighborhoods.
He overall described a city that has made good on certain goals over the past several years, citing growth in affordable housing production, police ranks, and the downtown population, among other metrics.
Throughout the 40-minute address, Frey defined Minneapolis in relation to two touchstones: federal “chaos” and post-2020 recovery. “At a time when Washington headlines often sow division and uncertainty, it’s easy to lose faith in government,” he said. “But here in Minneapolis, our job isn’t to create chaos or fear. It’s to deliver.”
Notably, Frey’s speech came the morning after reports of a fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy on Monday night in downtown Minneapolis, and a week after a string of fatal shootings in south Minneapolis. He addressed the latter shootings: “Arrests have been made, and there are more to come,” he said, noting “the urgency of rebuilding and strengthening our police force.”
He also shouted out Minnesota immigrants, contrasting Minneapolis with Washington. “[The city is] here to … protect our immigrant families, not just in words but in court,” he said, noting the recent court decision barring Trump from cutting off federal funds to “sanctuary” jurisdictions.
His address singled out Uptown, downtown, and the North Side as neighborhoods with narratives of change. Frey highlighted several funding initiatives and promised that new business would open in Uptown as early as this summer. (He did not mention the much-debated future of George Floyd Square, at 38th and Chicago in south Minneapolis.)
Here are some of Frey’s speaking points concerning neighborhoods, small businesses, and city investments:
Uptown
Last month, TCB reported that small business owners were teaming up to form an Uptown Business Improvement District. The goal of such a district would be to raise funds for capital improvements, security, and other initiatives that could revitalize a beleaguered neighborhood. (One early sign of movement included an Uptown Farmers Market set for Girard Avenue Plaza, June 12 to September 25.)
“We’re going to get the job done for Uptown,” Frey said in his address Tuesday. “In the next year, we’re adding targeted business support, arts grants, and additional law enforcement to the area.”
Frey repeated what he told business owners at that Uptown meeting in April, promising residents will see the “buds” of progress as early as this summer—as in, “new businesses opening their doors.” But he said Uptown will evolve slowly, “not in one big burst but a series of little bursts.”
He pointed to corridor-specific plans intended to help small businesses on Lake Street: the installation of public art, a new Open Streets event hosted by the Uptown Association and set for Hennepin Avenue in September, and the return of dance education in all Minneapolis elementary schools as well as all Parks and Rec buildings, including Uptown’s.
Focusing on the East Lake Street commercial corridor, he mentioned the city’s Ownership and Opportunity Fund, which began in 2020 as a loan pool for Minneapolis business owners to purchase and develop commercial property. “We’ve helped more than 25 entrepreneurs purchase their buildings and own the underlying real estate,” he said. “That’s almost $13 million going directly into historically disinvested neighborhoods.” He named the El Guanaco Bakery Y Cafe at 501 East Lake Street as one example.
The North Side
“It’s time to retire the tired narrative that [the North Side] community isn’t safe,” Frey said, adding, “In 2024, we saw the lowest number of gunshot victims [on the North Side] since 2014.” He attributed progress to “deep coordination” with “our neighborhood partners on the North Side” and partnerships with officers, the county, the state, the attorney general’s office, and the U.S. attorney’s office.
Frey also discussed Spark’d Studios, built by the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation board with a location in North Minneapolis’ Harrison Recreation Center, where “young people are producing music, designing clothes, gaming, and building futures in real time.” Five studios will open across the state by this fall, he said.
The city is redeveloping the North Side’s Upper Harbor Terminal, which was formerly an industrial site and will soon become “housing, commercial space, and a brand new performing arts center led by First Avenue,” he added.
He also mentioned V3 Sports’ health and wellness center on Plymouth Avenue, expected to cost $126 million when finished, per Minnesota Star Tribune reporting. “With $1 million in city support, they’ve opened a world-class facility, which includes an Olympic-size pool, fitness spaces for families, and a locally owned Soul Bowl restaurant that’s right on site.”
Downtown
Frey also seemed eager to continue dispelling notions that downtown is dead.
“We’re reactivating our city’s core,” he said, “making Nicollet Mall more walkable, energizing the Warehouse District, and converting empty spaces into new homes.”
Last year, “our downtown residential population surpassed 60,000 people for the first time ever,” he added, noting “nearly 70% of downtown workers are back at least once a week.”
He also mentioned a program through the city’s Arts & Cultural Affairs department that subsidizes rent for artists and arts organizations. The program impacts downtown, Uptown, and other parts of the city. “We’ve tripled the reach of our Vibrant Storefronts program,” he said.
The city’s downtown is also “opening new restaurants [and] hosting some of the biggest events in the country,” he said—possibly referring to events like the Special Olympics USA Games (June 20-26, 2026), WWE SummerSlam (Aug. 1-2, 2026), as well as championship games.
Frey added that “Minneapolis has led the nation in downtown recovery post-pandemic.” This may refer to the University of Toronto’s School of Cities ranking of major U.S. downtowns’ post-pandemic recovery. Last year, Minneapolis reportedly topped the list for highest jump in downtown foot traffic in March 2024, as compared to March 2023.
