With a likely price tag of well over a billion dollars and its potential to attract billions more in public and private investment, the coming METRO Blue Line Extension will alter the landscape of North Minneapolis and the other communities it will reach—Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park.
When completed in 2030, the 13-mile light rail line will reflect an unprecedented amount of input from the residents and small business owners in the corridor.
“People have bold visions for their community. We need strong community partnerships and active voices to get it right,” said Kyle Mianulli, Hennepin County transit and mobility communications administrator. “This will bring premium transit service to the area that has the highest transit use in the whole state.”
But Mianulli acknowledges that the METRO Blue Line Extension is bound to create some disruption in the communities it will serve.
Speaking with Sheletta Brundidge on The Sheletta Show on WCCO Radio, Mianulli pointed to what he called “extraordinary efforts” that have been taken to limit the loss of buildings in North Minneapolis as the project planning moves forward.
“It’s early in the process but we do show that the project is likely going to take about 14 commercial properties. They’re not 14 actively-used properties; some do have active businesses but many of those properties are abandoned or in poor repair.”
Mianulli added that each of those property owners has been contacted and that they will be “fairly compensated” for the purchase of their property.
But what about the small businesses in those buildings that are renters? Mianulli said that their needs will be recognized and their losses will also be covered.
“We have a process in place to provide financial assistance to cover their costs of relocating with the goal of making sure that businesses can stay in the community, if not in their current location then in a new location,” he said.
There are also plans in the works so that these businesses — and others that will likely see a slowdown during construction — will be compensated and supported to be better positioned to take advantage of the prosperity and new business opportunities that the Blue Line Extension will bring to the corridor.
“One thing we hear a lot from the businesses is that they want the opportunity to own their space, instead of paying a landlord, that they could be owners who are investing in their community and building equity,” Mianulli said.
Designers and planners of the METRO Blue Line Extension have been seeking feedback for several years as the route has been laid out. As a direct result of community voices and a comprehensive report from the 26 member citizen-led Anti-Displacement Working Group, major changes have been incorporated into the recommended route.
For example, community concerns moved the line off Lyndale Ave where it will cross I-94 and led to the creation of another station between Washington and Penn Ave.
In addition, the route was moved off West Broadway and shifted to 21st Ave. That move came in response to consistent concerns about the potential for disruption and strain on businesses on West Broadway during construction.
“But we also heard loud and clear from the community that West Broadway needs improvements,” Mianulli said. “We are committed to investing in that section of West Broadway to improve parking, pedestrian safety and lighting, widen sidewalks and adding green space.”
Mianulli and his colleagues at the Met Council and Hennepin County know that the disregard shown to the community with previous major infrastructure projects leads many to be suspicious of this project. But he said the approach is different this time because the community has been involved from the start to plan and build the route.
“There’s a long history of major projects being built at the expense of Black and brown communities; that’s the history we carry with us every day on this project. We understand why there is mistrust and we recognize it is our responsibility to build that trust,” he said. “This is not another Rondo and I hope folks give us the chance to prove that.”
