Minneapolis City Council has voted to override Mayor Jacob Frey’s veto that will allow the city to move forward with exploration of development of a pedestrian mall at George Floyd Square. It's a move that has left the mayor furious.
Council members argue the move is in line with community members’ demand for a pedestrian model, despite surveys that don't support that.
The Mayor has called the move shady and accused the council of "gerrymandering," saying it violates state law because more than 50% of adjacent property owners object to it.
It's unclear whether the whole idea is headed for litigation. The vote Thursday morning was 9 to 4.
There was also an outburst from someone in the crowd, at which point the council went into recess. One community activist, Al Flowers, was escorted out of the council meeting, angered over the council's decision.
"Mr. Flowers, please, we are gonna take a five-minute recess," Council President Elliot Payne can be heard saying as Flowers derided them for not respecting the wishes of the community and claiming the council is "making a decision for our future" and holding down "the people."
Frey also says the council's decision further delays progress at the intersection until at least mid-2026, and cost up to an additional half million dollars on top of the more than $2 million already spent. He describes the council's decision as shortshighted.
"The Council’s decision to again delay progress at George Floyd Square is a betrayal of the community’s wishes and a colossal waste of time and tax dollars," Frey said on social media. "Why they are content to let this site sit idle, without any meaningful development and no legitimate plan, is beyond me."
Councilmembers who support the plan pushed back saying it guarantees pedestrianization and prioritizes traffic calming, safety, and accessibility improvements.
Council Vice Chair and mayoral candidate Emily Koski says George Floyd Square is not just an intersection, "it is a memorial and a place that tells the world who we are and what we stand for."
"The Mayor's Flexible-Use Plan was put to a vote - and it failed," Koski says in a statement. Only the mayor had the power to propose a compromise, the responsibility to lead, and the chance to bring us together. Instead? Nothing. No effort. No leadership. No attempt to bridge the divide."
"To ignore, to disregard, to shut down what the community has told us is something that might take your breath away," says City Operations Officer Margaret Anderson Kelliher.
"What this action does, is it offers a legislative directive that says to our staff that they should continue to delay until at least December of this year, to come forward with a plan as to how a pedestrian mall might move forward," says Frey.
Mayor Frey's condemnation also spilled over onto social media and into the election. In a post on X, he encourages residents to help elect city leaders who "put progress above politics" by attending their local DFL precinct caucus on April 8th.