Several downtown Minneapolis leaders are joining Mayor Jacob Frey on Friday in announcing ongoing funding to support revitalizing the downtown corridor.
Twin Cities defense attorney and downtown resident Joe Tamburino was part of the working group that made several recommendations earlier this year. He told WCCO's Jason DeRusha the recommendations don't do enough to address the shoplifting issue that's impacting downtown Minneapolis businesses.
"You know, until you really get a handle on that, the recommendations are great and I think a lot of them will work, but you've got to be able to get people back downtown and have a free flow of commerce," says Tamburino. "And having everything behind plexiglass is just uninviting."
Tamburino also says downtown would get a boost from more people returning to work in-person.
"What we really need to do is to have the Hennepin County Government, the county government, get their employees back downtown. I mean, we are talking thousands of people," he says.
Among the list of recommendations made earlier this year, the workgroup suggested a bus-free Nicollet Mall and relaxing liquor laws to allow open containers during major events. The city would also like to convert empty office and retail space into apartments in the hopes of drawing more residents to the downtown area.
As part of his 2024 budget Mayor Frey has recommended $750,000 in ongoing funding to go toward supporting some of the workgroup’s recommendations.
Key takeaways from the Workgroup’s recommendations
City-Business Partnership: Create an independent facilitator/concierge role through the Minneapolis Downtown Council/Downtown Improvement District (MDC/DID) who will use knowledge, space inventory, and relationships to match building owners with potential businesses, entrepreneurs, and artists. Pair this facilitator with a City staff person dedicated to strategically catalyzing downtown revitalization. Fund and institutionalize this partnership.
Ease of Doing Business: Evaluate current regulations related to land use, zoning, signage, and permitting, licensing, and fees, and seek new ways to be flexible and make doing business with the City even easier. Focus deliberately on the specific needs of downtown. Be open to new ideas and business models and provide more technical assistance. Continue developing strong partnerships between City staff and business and property owners.
Nicollet Mall: Evaluate the future of Nicollet Mall as a pedestrian-only zone. Explore alternative options for transit service elsewhere through downtown and engage stakeholders to understand the full range of impacts. Brand Nicollet Mall as the “best winter street in the nation” and explore legislation to allow open containers on Nicollet Mall and in other specific areas downtown. As a first step, consider consolidation of the northernmost block (3rd Street to Washington), joining RBC Gateway Plaza and Cancer Survivors Park as a demonstration project.
Incentivize Activation: Implement assessment practices that incentivize active, reduced- or non-revenue uses of commercial retail space as an alternative to vacancies. Recognize that providing lower cost and more flexible leases to emerging businesses and artists reduces rents and property values, while recent (pre-2020) rents and valuations no longer reflect reality and incentivize building owners to keep spaces vacant as opposed to filling them at reduced rents.
Focus Resources: Allocate energy and resources towards implementing interventions at focused intersections to maximize success and build momentum. The Warehouse District, with its history as an entertainment node, adjacency to the lively North Loop, and historic buildings more readily converted to residential uses, should be a starting point for additional study and intervention.
Budget: Beginning in the second half of 2023, invest $75,000, in partnership with MDC/DID, for a total of $150,000, to begin this work. In 2024, invest an allocation of $750,000 to support the ongoing revitalization of downtown Minneapolis and budget this as an annual expense.
