Local business owners at George Floyd Square have not held back in their disapproval of the city's latest pedestrian mall plan for the troubled intersection where Floyd was killed by Minneapolis Police in May, 2020.
Last Thursday, a Minneapolis City Council committee postponed plans to build a pedestrian mall at George Floyd Square after 15 of the 20 business owners along the intersection voiced their disapproval. The main issue is that they don't want it closed to traffic.
But, as WCCO's Ari Bergeron found out, not everyone in the neighborhood is against the latest proposal. In fact, Bridgette Stewart with Agape Movement classifies her views as neutral.
"The reason why I say I'm very neutral is because Agape Movement lived inside of both worlds," she explains. "We lived in the world when we closed off the intersection on May 26th of 2020, but then you fast forward to June 3rd of 2021 when we realized we needed to open the intersection."
She offers reasons for why it would be good or bad.
"If it takes away parking and it hinders a community that has been underserved, then we're probably not gonna be for it," says Stewart. "But if it keeps the community at large safe, we're for it."
If it serves the overall good for the community? that's something she can agree with.
Stewart would like to see elected officials visit the area instead of making decisions behind a desk.
"Without the community going and banging on their door, which is not the community's job, they work for the community. No different than the police. The police got to come in. People got to come in. You are put in position for a reason. Take it seriously."
Options for George Floyd Square will be discussed again by the Minneapolis City Council Committee on February 6.
